Moana Live-Action Remake: Pleasant but Lacks Originality

Disney's live-action remake of the animated hit "Moana" (Vaiana, la légende du bout du monde) offers a visually pleasing but ultimately unoriginal retelling. Director Thomas Kail aimed to leverage the strengths of the original story while revisiting scenes, resulting in a film that is a near-faithful copy.

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The goal was to rely on the existing strengths of the original story while not being afraid to revisit a scene.

The movie blends live actors, island filming, and extensive special effects to immerse viewers in Pacific legends. While joyful and dynamic, the film's adherence to the original script and minimal changes make it feel like a replacement for the animated version rather than an evolution. The lack of risk-taking is a missed opportunity for surprises.

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Joyful and dynamic, but without changing the script, Vaiana, the legend of the end of the world is built to replace the first animated version.

Catherine Lagaaia stars as the intrepid Moana, balancing tenderness and determination, though the character's humor is notably absent. Dwayne Johnson returns as the demigod Maui, portrayed as muscular and tattooed, a departure from the more rotund depiction that drew criticism in 2016. Johnson's costume, weighing 18 kilograms, presented a significant challenge.

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No risk-taking. And it's a bit of a shame: a few surprises wouldn't have been too much.

Despite the effort to transpose characters and settings into a live-action format, the film makes few significant departures from the original narrative. The songs and dialogue remain close to the animated version, with simplifications made for the live-action medium. Ultimately, the remake is a pretty, albeit hollow, rendition that plays it safe.

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For her cinema debut, actress Catherine Lagaaia fully embraces the role of Vaiana, blending tenderness and determination.