Disney releases a live-action remake of Moana directed by Thomas Kail that closely reproduces the 2016 animated film and runs 115 minutes with a parental guidance rating.Critics say the remake largely follows the original shot-for-shot, using heavy computer-generated imagery and a digitally rendered ocean that often undercuts the animation’s energy.Reviewers single out Catherine Lagaʻaia and Rena Owen for strong performances while calling Dwayne Johnson’s Maui a more muted version of the animated demigod and describing some sequences as lifeless.Industry observers view the release as a commercially driven, nostalgia-based move by
Walt Disney Co., one that highlights the limits of translating exuberant animation into photorealistic live action.