Disney’s live-action reimagining of Moana sails into theaters on July 10, and the first wave of reviews has arrived carrying some very rough seas. The film, starring Catherine Laga’aia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson reprising his voice role as Maui, has opened to one of the lowest critical scores of any Disney live-action remake to date.
A Historically Low Score
As critics filed their first verdicts, the film settled around the mid 30s on Rotten Tomatoes, with only a small fraction of reviews landing positive. That places it beneath even last year’s poorly received Snow White and near the very bottom of the studio’s remake rankings, a dramatic fall from the 2016 animated original’s 95 percent score. It is a startling result for a movie celebrating the tenth anniversary of one of modern Disney’s most beloved films.
Critics Point To A Familiar Problem
The most common complaint is that the remake is a nearly shot-for-shot recreation of the animated film, offering little reason to exist. Several reviewers criticized the photorealistic visuals as a downgrade from the vibrant animation, while others took aim at Johnson’s return as Maui. A handful of critics were more forgiving, with Variety’s Owen Gleiberman among the outliers who felt the film largely worked, though even the kinder notices were rarely enthusiastic.
Box Office Trouble Ahead
The reviews arrive alongside soft box office tracking. Current estimates point to a domestic debut in the 60 to 65 million dollar range, with some rival projections landing even lower against a reported 250 million dollar production budget. With a third Moana film already confirmed, Disney is betting audiences will show up regardless of the critical reception. We recently covered the confirmation that Moana 3 is officially in the works at Disney Animation, and you can track the live-action film’s full critical standing at Rotten Tomatoes.
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