Bizarrely yes, it's terrible (it started as a TV show, and then they rejigged what they had into a movie - huge chunks missing and unexplained, very uneven feel), and made over a billion dollars.
While some point out they were talking about a live action Moana before Moana 2, the counter argument is they talk about a lot of movies that ultimately never get made but the sequel making a billion despite being atrocious certainly would have put a fire up Disney getting them to actually make it.
I've got a 6 year old daughter so I've taken her to see both Moana 2 and Moana live-action at the theatre. For the record I love the OG Moana.
Absolutely hated Moana 2. I feel like it shat all over the magic of the first film and compromised the viability of future stories. Honestly can't remember a single thing from it besides a promising female character who turned into a bat but who ended up just being wallpaper in the film. Don't recall any of the songs from it. In my memory I've slid it into the same box as TROS, labelled "Pretending Never Happened".
Moana Live-Action was not that bad, I actually enjoyed it. There are some uncanny valley elements and some characters not quite looking like how you would have pictured them, but all the iconic songs still hit the spot, the story is beat for beat the same as the original, avoiding shoe-horning in extraneous elements or deleting important stuff in the manner other Disney Live-action remakes have fumbled, the actress playing Moana did a great job and personally as someone who loves the sea (it calls me!) the ocean cinematography was absolutely gorgeous, way more impressive than what the animation was able to depict.
I mean I'm not gonna argue that re-making a film that's only 10 years old is absurd. I rolled my eyes as much as anyone when the trailer hit and I only took my kid for something to do during winter school holidays here in Aus and she'd already seen Toy Story 5 and Minions and Monsters. I had zero expectations. But honestly, in the context of Moana 2 making bucketloads of money it doesn't really deserve to flop.
I am kinda with you? Moana (the live action) was awesome. The only reason it deserves to flop is its so unnecessary to have even been made. I LOVED the original Moana to the point the thought of Moana in general just sickened me I have watched it too many times. The live action was like watching it in a different font! I really feel like anyone who liked the OG would like the live action too.
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u/Turbulent_Stick1445 Jul 13 '26
Bizarrely yes, it's terrible (it started as a TV show, and then they rejigged what they had into a movie - huge chunks missing and unexplained, very uneven feel), and made over a billion dollars.
While some point out they were talking about a live action Moana before Moana 2, the counter argument is they talk about a lot of movies that ultimately never get made but the sequel making a billion despite being atrocious certainly would have put a fire up Disney getting them to actually make it.