Parents' Guide to Moana (2026)

Releasing only 10 years after the terrific original, this live-action remake feels pretty unnecessary, given that it features the same jokes, the same songs, and the same Maui. The average number of years between Disney's other remakes of their post-1990 films is nearly 24 years; with only a decade separating the two Moana films, it feels like the only reason to do this now (besides the obvious desire for profit) is to capitalize on the enduring popularity of Johnson, who is still ideally cast as the larger-than-life Maui but might not have been as able to reliably reprise the role in another 15 years. Laga'aia is also charming as Moana, holding her own with Johnson and doing a good job of making the songs her own. And Owen steals the show early on as Moana's influential, wise grandmother.

Those who miss Auli'i Cravalho (Moana's original animated voice) will be happy to know that she sings lead with Laga'aia on "Along the Way," a memorable new original song that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote for both stars (Johnson also contributes). Heihei will continue to make audiences laugh, as will Tamatoa, the giant crab once again voiced by Kiwi actor Jemaine Clement. And the Kakamora (the little coconut-armored pirates) still manage to be adorably vicious as computer-generated creations. As with all of Disney's live-action remakes, the peril and violence hit harder, and the battle sequences with the Kakamora and the fire demon Te Kā are notably darker and more impactful than in the animated original. Bottom line? This remake is entertaining for what it is, but it never makes a convincing case for why audiences needed to experience Moana and Maui's voyage again so soon.