Live-action remake of 'Moana' gets ravaged by critics in latest blow to Disney Studios

Who was asking for this? That's become the most repeated response to
most new release movies and trailers, as Hollywood and the entertainment
industry seem to be rapidly running out of ideas or creativity. 

The latest example? The tepid response to The Walt Disney Company's
latest attempt at a "live-action" remake of one of their animated films,
"Moana." 

The original "Moana" was widely enjoyed by critics and audiences, with
popular songs that are still frequently played today, even as the film
approaches its 10-year anniversary. Its animation style was also praised
for the colorful, lush representation of a Pacific island. While it
didn't reinvent the wheel, there was some level of creativity and
originality to the presentation of a familiar coming of age story. 

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN'S 'THE ODYSSEY' GETS OVERWHELMINGLY NEGATIVE REACTIONS
AFTER CONTROVERSIAL CASTING CHOICES 

Unsurprisingly, it was a huge financial success. It grossed $248.7
million at the domestic box office, adding a whopping $394 million
internationally. That $643 million total adjusted for inflation is now
nearly $900 million. 

And Disney, never one to leave well enough alone, didn't. Fast-forward
to 2026, and trailers for the live-action remake of "Moana" hit theaters
and the internet to well, mixed reactions would be an understatement.
Instead of the vivid, colorful world of the animated film, every
background seemed washed out, desaturated, and uninteresting. Dwayne
Johnson, reprising his role as Maui, wore a wig that was comically,
laughably amateurish. 

Even in just two minute increments, it was clear and obvious that most
people involved in the production had little interest in it. Still,
small sample sizes can be deceiving, raising hopes that it might make
for a better film than trailer. Yet now that its July 10 release date is
approaching, the first critical reviews have been published. And...
pretty much confirmed everyone's worst fears. 

'SUPERGIRL' PRE-RELEASE TRACKING LOOKS DISASTROUSLY BAD FOR HOLLYWOOD
AFTER LEAD ACTRESS' BIZARRE COMMENTS 

It debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with just a 38% positive rating, with many
top critics issuing similarly negative reviews. Robbie Collins from The
Telegraph summed it up by comparing it to AI-generated content:
"Disney’s awful live-action Moana could have been made by a ChatGPT
prompt." 

The Associated Press review from Jake Coyle roasts Johnson's "Fabio
hair," with the opening paragraph describing it as "purposeless." 

"Say what you will about them," he writes. "But the  Disney live-action
remakes have at least given us a choice. Which would you rather see? A
spirited, soaring, animated 'Moana,' or a purposeless remake featuring
Dwayne Johnson with Fabio hair?" 

Others called it "pointless," "lifeless," or compared it to the "uncanny
valley" effect when video games become too realistic. Not what you want
to hear if you're Disney. 

But therein lies the problem. Major studios, particularly modern Disney,
have mostly abandoned any pretense of creativity or originality. They're
happy to rehash the same tired formula, as long as it makes a profit.
For the first few remakes, it worked. Audiences, though, quickly caught
on that the level of quality in films like the live-action "Beauty and
the Beast" or "The Lion King" were far below that of the animated
classics. The choice becomes spending money on going to the theater to
see a worse version of a movie you've seen many times before. 

Disney may still sell enough tickets to turn a profit on "Moana." But
based on the reactions we've seen, the live-action remake well might be
drying up sooner rather than later. 

https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-analysis/live-action-remake-moana-ravaged
-critics-latest-blow-disney-studios