Dwayne Johnson saves the trip in 'Moana', a live action that adds nothing to the animation; g1 already seen

Watch the teaser for 'Moana'
The Moana that arrived in theaters this Wednesday (8) is, essentially, the same princess without a prince that won over the public in the animation released in 2016.
Disney's bet on transforming the box office success into live-action less than ten years after the animation's debut seemed, at first glance, even bold.
In practice, however, the studio ends up delivering a well-known experience: it reproduces scene by scene from the original feature, without adding almost nothing to the story.
For animation fans, it's true, this fidelity may not be a problem, but a relief.
After all, live-action adaptations are usually judged basically by the balance between offering something new that justifies buying another ticket for the same story and preserving the original material.
Heart of the story remains the same
If the live-action adds little, at least it preserves what has always been "Moana's" greatest asset: its story.
On the island of Motunui, where her father is the great leader, Moana grew up knowing that one day she should assume this position, without having to marry a prince some.
The problem is that a curse begins to threaten the neighboring islands and reaches their own people, damaging fishing and planting. It is then up to her, entrusted with this leader's fate, to cross the ocean in search of a solution.
Catherine Lagaʻaia takes on the role of Moana, the determined young adventurer who drives the story.
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But what is interesting to see in "Moana" was never this outcome, but rather the path taken by the character. The monsters and beauties of this crazy adventure.
The film is a beautiful journey of a young girl trying to understand who she is, who she was born to be.
Dwanne Johnson steals the show
In this quest, the relationship between her and Maui continues to be one of the film's highlights.
The demigod played by the giant - in every sense - Dwayne Johnson becomes a mentor, traveling companion and a fundamental piece in the protagonist's heroine's journey.
Selfish and kind, he mixes traits that are sometimes a hero, sometimes a villain.
In the beginning, he even captures Moana and tries to get rid of her several times. Then, he supports the girl's arguments. The relationship evolves in such a way that the demigod's armor cracks: behind, the audience discovers a child who just needed to be loved (aren't we all forever this child?)
Dwayne Johnson returns as the cunning demigod Maui, a character that helped establish him in animation, and also signs the production of the feature.
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If, in the animation, Johnson already imprinted his charisma on the character with just his voice, in live-action he finally has the opportunity to embody it completely.
The actor does not make a fuss every time he appears, making Maui less boring (especially in the first scenes in which he appears) and more witty. Charismatic indeed.
The result is a character with sharp comic timing and even space to make jokes with a more adult tone.
A bland Moana
Catherine Laga'aia has a difficult mission: playing a character who, in animation, won over the public with her charisma and a very strong personality.
The actress preserves the fearless essence of Moana, but delivers a version that is much less magnetic than the original.
Catherine Lagaʻaia gives life to the determined adventurer Moana.
Disclosure
Laga'aia also performs the songs in the English version, but different from the bland performance, getting the job done. Animation fans, sleep easy: the songs continue to shine.
Beauty that CGI cannot achieve
The same cannot be said about those beautiful landscapes in animation. Visually, the live-action is very disappointing.
The attempt to recreate the lush beaches and mountains of Polynesia ends up being hampered by an excess of digital effects.


The ocean, a fundamental character in the story, loses part of its charm in some interactions that sound too artificial.
Scene from 'Moana 2'
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Moana next to Pua, her little pig.
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Down with the patriarchy!
One of the very few changes of route that the live-action makes is the adjustment to try to continue dialoguing with current debates about feminism and representation - themes that, it's worth remember, they were already super present in the 2016 work.
In the animation, Moana's father talks about his daughter's destiny following the tradition of "her father and her grandfather".
In the new version, the film includes a female ancestor among the island's ancient leaders, suggesting that Moana would not necessarily be the first woman to command the town.
Moana and her grandmother, Tala
Disclosure
There is yet another discreet and good-humored nod coming from Maui. When presenting himself as a hero, he makes a point of correcting his own speech to say that he is the hero "of women and men, without discrimination".
These are very succinct changes, which do not change the direction of the story and may even go unnoticed, but update details of the speech for an audience of 2026.
Nothing new under the sun
Moana, live-action from the 2016 animation, premieres this Thursday (9)
Disclosure
In the end, that's all it is. The live-action "Moana" is a reproduction in flesh and blood (and a lot of green screen) of a story that was already strong in itself, but nothing more.
The adventure continues to be exciting. The songs remain unforgettable. Moana continues to be a necessary protagonist for the construction of the identity of girls and boys. Check, check and check.
Then the question is: if everything was already right and there was nothing to add, was it really necessary?
Critical review card g1
Art/g1

Source: G1

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