Moana: Critics Aren't Holding Back In First Reactions To Disney's Live-Action Movie

It seems like we're destined to do this dance forever. Disney will continue cranking out live-action remakes of its beloved animated classics as long as they keep making truckloads of money, and not even poor critical reception will slow this wagon down. As such, it's no surprise that the first batch of critic reviews to 2026's "Moana" are overwhelmingly negative. Looper's video above has collected a ton of responses, but here are the highlights.

On X, Tyler Taing of Discussing Film went straight for the jugular: "'MOANA' (2026) takes one [of] Disney's most vibrant films of the revival era and turns it into one of the ugliest movies of the year. The photorealistic style takes more than it gives. Worse, it just doesn't even pretend to have any new ideas." "Moana" shares the same problem with every Disney live-action remake: They all look ugly, at least compared to the original. Animation is naturally vibrant, but Disney bafflingly continues to dampen these colorful stories with grayed-out palettes.

Outside of a few small elements he found decent, Germain Lussier also didn't mince words: "If you're curious what 'Moana' would be like slower, darker & less whimsical, boy, have I got a movie for you." It's all the more egregious considering the original "Moana" came out just 10 years ago. When ranking all of the live-action Disney remakes, 2026's "Moana" will probably wind up near the bottom. 

Critics have been ruthless toward the live-action "Moana," but it's important to give credit where it's due. There's one bright spot in this murky remake, and it's newcomer Catherine Laga'aia's performance as the titular character, who takes over the role from the original's Auliʻi Cravalho. Tessa Smith was more on the positive side overall, and called out Laga'aia as a stand-out: "Catherine Laga'aia does a great job continuing the legacy (& has incredible comedic chemistry with Dwayne Johnson)."

Even Zach Pope, who was more negative, had this to say, "At the very least, Catherine Laga'aia is charming!" But one solid performance can't keep this boat afloat, and it largely comes down to this being nearly a shot-for-shot remake. Doug Jamieson, who also praised Laga'aia's performance, attests, "'Moana' is Disney's safest and most unnecessary remake yet, recreating the animated gem with little imagination and zero reinvention."

Perhaps Disney wanted to avoid any more controversial changes to its live-action remakes, but the end result is a bland imitation of the original. When 2016's "Moana" is so easily accessible through Disney+, will anyone really want to watch this version? In case you haven't gotten enough "Moana" evisceration yet, you can watch Looper's video above for even more reactions.