What are critics saying about the Moana live action?

Disney's Moana has been given the live action treatment, 10 years on from the original animated film - but does it live up to expectations?

"Leaving her island for the first time, young Moana embarks on an epic seafaring adventure to restore prosperity to her people," the plot synopsis reads which is set in ancient Polynesia.

So if you've seen the 2016 original animated film, then you'll know the story.

Disney

Catherine Laga'aia stars as Moana, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - who is an executive producer - reprises his role from the animated films as Maui, along with Jemaine Clement who also reprising his role as Tamatoa from the original, and the cast also stars Rena Owen, John Tui and Frankie Adams.

What are critics saying?

Disney

Critics have weighed in with their thoughts on the live action remake which are mixed to negative, and the film has received a critics score of 33 per cent on film ad TV aggregate website, Rotten Tomatoes, while it has achieved a 90 per cent audience score.

The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey said in her one-star review, "Dwayne Johnson’s terrible wig is just one low point of a film that has all the visual allure of a Febreeze advert."

"The story might be the same, but there’s none of the original’s vibrancy or charm. It’s pointless, a cashgrab as conspicuous as a giant, singing, treasure-hoarding crab," said The Standard's Hannah Pettit.

Empire's John Nugent said, "Where the original film felt vibrant and original, there seems to be no authorial voice detectable here. Even kids will feel shortchanged," giving it a two out of five rating.

"Moana never makes live action more captivating than animation. On some level these movies will always be unnecessary. The remake of “Moana” can’t, and shouldn’t, replace the original. But it earns a place alongside it," Variety's Owen Gleiberman commented.

Indie Wire's Wilson Chapman noted, "The bones of the original Moana are strong enough that this remake is perfectly watchable. But it registers as incongruous that this story, all about exploring the unknown, plays things so painfully safe," grading the film a C.

When is the release date?

Disney

Moana live action film was released in cinemas on July 10.

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