Moana Audience Reviews: The Live-Action Remake Stays True to What Made the Original Special
Audiences applaud Moana for honoring the original animated film and creating an experience for the whole family.
The average period between a Disney animated film and its live-action version is 27 years, according to Franchise Entertainment Research, so for some, seeing the latest Disney live-action remake, Moana (2026), hit theaters this past weekend might have felt a bit déjà vu. After all, it’s been 10 years since Moana first showed us how far she’ll go in the animated original and just two since she returned to the high seas in the sequel Moana 2.
While critics deemed the live-action remake too soon and too familiar, audiences are loving that the adaptation stays true to the original story and have made the film Verified Hot on our Popcornmeter.
34%
90%
Moana sees newcomer Catherine Laga’aia take on the titular role and Dwayne Johnson reprise his role as demigod Maui, only this time in the actual flesh. Check out what audiences are saying about Moana below. And if you’ve already watched the film, leave your own review here.
These reviews have been condensed and edited for clarity.
“Such a great live-action movie! It went beyond my expectations for it and my whole family loved it! I would go as far as my favorite live-action film yet. They stick to the same story, they represent the cast very well and true to them. They go as far as using real heritage elements and also added in a few surprises and funny clips and sayings throughout.”
— Luke W 
“100000/10! No words! Proud to be Samoan.“
— Theresa
“If you love the original Moana, you will love this. Stayed true to the original story. Great cast, absolutely beautiful film.”
— Pam K 
“The acting from the actress who plays Moana is phenomenal.”
— Luke
“I really enjoyed the movie with my family. My toddler sang the whole movie.”
— Christopher
“I love that they showed more of the culture and gave HeiHei more character.”
— Amanda
“A classic! I loved it. It was visually beautiful! I’m so glad that they didn’t try to change anything from the original story. It’s perfect just the way it is.”
— Dinah F
“Ten years ago, I would watch Moana everyday. Ten years later, I have now experienced nostalgia.”
— Kaleb
“Honestly I prefer the original animated version, but this was still a fun watch and I enjoyed it. If you haven’t seen the original, you’ll have a better time with this one. Catherine [Laga’aia] was really good as Moana. Hope to see more from her in the future.”
— Adrien 
“Great film! If you liked the original, you will enjoy this. I especially liked that they had live-action community scenes on the island.”
— Justin
“I can’t say enough good things about how good this movie was produced and how well the actors did about portraying the exact story even better so than the cartoon. I’ll definitely be purchasing them watching this multiple times. My kids also rated a 10 out of 10.“
— Brad
“I give this movie a 10/10. I thought Catherine Laga’aia did an amazing job playing Moana. As usual Dwayne Johnson did an outstanding job playing Maui. Just like in the animated version Hei Hei was my favorite character and hilarious.”
— Mandy
“Excellent movie. Was surprised and expecting it to be underwhelming but left smiling extremely happy about the time spent.”
— Chad
“Temu version of the animated film.”
— Adrian 
“Moana is one of my favorite Disney characters! She’s also my third favorite Disney Princess, after Ariel and Tiana! Honestly, I was surprised that her live-action adaptation is so good like the animation. I’d say that Moana (2026) was worth watching!”
— Niko
“The movie was fun and endearing. Took my 88-year-old mother and she had a very good time and really loved the movie.”
— Robin 
