‘Moana’ movie review: Attractive newcomer Katherine Lagaia and Dwayne Johnson’s game liven up one of Disney’s best live-action remakes

Floating like a refreshing Pacific island breeze, Moana It comes just 10 years after the animated film on which it’s based, and while the live-action remake knows better than to tinker with the strong bones of the story, this charming new iteration stands confidently on its own. Chalk it up to a winning starring role for Australian newcomer Katherine Lagaia as a Disney princess without needing a prince to know who she is or what she wants; And a winking backup from a self-deprecating Dwayne Johnson, reprising his voice role from the 2016 original, the cocky demigod of wind and sea, Maui.

I admit that I will always be skeptical about the need for Disney’s live-action assembly line as anything beyond simply extracting money from proven screen properties. But at their best, like Kenneth Branagh CinderellaFor example, they can bring a new luster to beloved material, allowing a new generation to discover and comfort the warm comfort of childhood memories for audiences old enough to experience them the first time.

The film, directed with verve and lavishness by Thomas Kail, has more CGI-heavy elements – cute animals, coconut pirates, magical ocean forces or the wrath of a volcanic demon – which raise the usual question: How is this different from digital animation? But such concerns subside when a film has so much heart and humor, not to mention its respect for South Sea cultures, the creativity of its mythology, and an infectious sense of wonder at nature’s miracles. Does he bring new ideas to the material? No. Does this matter? Also no.

Played at four by Emma Buahi Shabazian, eight by Amaya Masoli and 16 by Lagaia, Moana is lovingly raised in the idyllic Polynesian community of Motonui by her parents Tui (John Tui) and Sena (Frankie Adams). But her deepest spiritual connection is with her grandmother, Tala (Rena Owen), who shares stories of their ancestors on the island and has an intuitive understanding of Moana’s magnetic pull of the ocean.

Screenwriters Jared Bush and Dana LeDoux Miller vividly paint the legend that hovers like a storm cloud waiting to be blown to life in green coconut groves and on golden beaches. A thousand years ago, in a misguided attempt to bestow the gift of creation on humanity, Maui stole the heart of the nature goddess Te Fiti and then lost it to the bottom of the sea, along with a magical silver fish hook that enabled him to shapeshift his powers. With Te Fiti gone, a terrible darkness slowly began to take over the islands and surrounding waters.

The Motonui have withstood the curse for a long time, but trouble follows them when a disease spreads through the coconut trees and a fisherman reports that their once abundant catch has disappeared. Local tradition forbids anyone from venturing beyond the reef, so when Moana volunteers to face this danger and venture out into the ocean in search of new food supplies, Tui steps in, fiercely protective of the strong-willed daughter who is set to succeed him as chief of Motonui.

But Tala learns that the sea has chosen Moana to find Maui and force him to recover the heart of Te Fiti, saving the islands from destruction. She takes her granddaughter to a secret cave filled with boats, revealing that their ancestors were once travelers, until Te Fiti’s disappearance made the oceans unsafe. Moana sneaks away and sets sail, the ocean guiding her every step. Even when she’s caught in a violent storm and washed up on the shore of a deserted island, it’s for a good reason, taking her straight to Maui.

Johnson is a great sport as the cocky demigod, flaunting his massive muscles and flipping his long, luxurious curls as he invites the “little human” to worship him. But Moana is unimpressed. He considers her mission reckless and fears facing Te Ka, the fire and earth demon who has long rendered him powerless. Instead, he took off in Moana’s boat, but found it impossible to rock her.

The film could cut 10 minutes of its middle section on the setting, which often suffers from having too many flat, green-screen backgrounds. But much of the fun comes from the tense relationship between the seemingly mismatched travellers, as Maui continues to fend for himself and Moana refuses to let him shirk his responsibility. She appeals to his ego by talking about his ability to become a hero to humanity again; Even the tattoos that cover his upper body and have a life of their own, like animated hieroglyphs, agree with her.

Johnson and Lagaia are great together as reluctant companions who, whether facing disaster or adventure, often break into catchy songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Obitaya Fuai of the ambient music group Te Vaca, and Mark Mancina, who composed the score. Sure, many songs could almost be recycled from tunes Hamilton — a famous previous collaboration between Miranda and Kyle that you may have heard about — but the actors inject so much personality into the numbers that it seems churlish to dodge them.

Standouts include Moana’s gorgeous ballad “How Far Will I Go,” which tweaks the traditional Disney Princess song “I Want” as a hopeful anthem for the captain and leader she will become; and Maui’s powerful expression of self-love, “You’re Welcome,” with the rapper’s fun-rock interlude. As in the original film, one of the most enjoyable musical moments is “Shiny,” a gentle piece of glam rock sung once again by Jemaine Clement as Tamatoa, a giant crab with a shiny fetish. At the top of the mountain of crustacean treasures from the ocean floor lies Maui’s missing hook.

While the film belongs to Laga’aia (his father is of Samoan descent) and Johnson, there are invaluable contributions from Tui and Adams as Moana’s proud parents. It’s an interesting touch that Sena acknowledges and subtly encourages their daughter’s tremendous drive before the boss is willing to accept her independence. And Owen – the New Zealand actress who first came to attention as a victim of domestic violence in Lee Tamahori’s brutal film Once upon a time they were warriors – Brings warmth and earthy wisdom to Tala, providing a living link to the ancestors.

There’s been some discontent online – when isn’t there? – about it being too early to remake a widely beloved film from 2016. In principle, I would agree with that, but the new Moana is captivating family entertainment that deserves to find an audience – full of visual interest, vibrant colours, gorgeous design elements (the fine details in Liz McGregor’s costumes are exquisite) and an inviting tropical setting. The main location filming was on Oahu, the third largest island in Hawaii. The uplifting final act makes it almost feel like a vacation there.