Disney's new version of 'Moana' faced sharp initial reactions from critics. The company revisited one of its most successful animated films of recent years and adapted it into a live-action movie, but the majority of reviewers criticized this new interpretation of the 2016 'Moana.'
In the film, Dwayne Johnson returned as the demigod Maui, and the lead role of Moana, the teenage daughter of a Polynesian chief, was played by 19-year-old Australian-Samoan newcomer Katherine Lagai'a. The film, which premiered on Friday, was described by critics as 'flat,' 'boring,' and 'dull.'
Nevertheless, there were more enthusiastic voices among the reviews. For instance, Owen Gleiberman from Variety stated that the film 'avoids the dreariness of remakes—in fact, it surpasses them.' Gleiberman added that the picture 'truly captures Moana—the beauty, the comedic individuality, the magic of the fairy tale,' and Johnson's 'match' to the film was 'perfect.'
However, Peter Bradshaw expressed the opposite view, calling the picture a 'competent, yet meaningless and unengaging remake in basic style' in his review for The Guardian, giving it two stars. He found Johnson's performance 'automatic, like software' and criticized the use of CGI, noting that it was 'so deeply woven in' that it felt like 'another animation.' Bradshaw concluded his analysis by stating that the film 'feels like superfluous monetized content.'
Clarice Lowrey from The Independent gave 'Moana' one star, calling it a 'waste of time and talent.' She also criticized the animation style, noting: 'Presumably, some scenes were shot on locations in Hawaii rather than in a studio in Atlanta—I couldn't tell where it was.'
According to John Nugent of Empire, Johnson's role 'feels like an AI interpretation,' and he believes it is inaccurate to call the picture 'live action' due to the heavy use of animation. His two-star review argued that the remake seemed 'so meaningless' because the original film was a 'fun, funny, touching coming-of-age story with fantastic music and a triumphant Polynesian take on the Disney princess template.' Kevin Mayer of The Times noted that Johnson, at 54, 'is too old to play Maui,' and his performance was 'strangely lifeless and restrained.' In his one-star review, Mayer called the picture a 'lazy way to make money for shareholders,' writing: 'This live remake takes everything that was alive, expansive, and ambitious [in the original] and makes it heavy, limited, and dull.'
Robbie Collins of The Telegraph was equally disappointed, stating that the film 'could have been created by request to ChatGPT.' Giving the picture two stars, he wrote that 'there is hardly a moment that could not be achieved by entering the prompt: 'What if this scene from Moana were re-shot in live format?'.'
Positive reviews were rare, but one came from David Rooney of Hollywood Reporter, who called the film 'a captivating family entertainment that deserves to find its audience—abundant visual interest, vibrant colors, magnificent design elements, and alluring tropical landscapes.'
Original screenwriter Jared Bush made changes to the story, while Lin-Manuel Miranda's music remained the same, and director of the musical Hamilton, Thomas Kail, debuted in cinema. Over the past 15 years, more than 20 live remakes of classic Disney works have been made with varying degrees of success. 'The Little Mermaid' did not perform well at the box office in 2023, but the company recovered in 2024 thanks to 'Mufasa: The Lion King.' Last year, Disney lost $170 million on its live remake of 'Snow White,' but quickly compensated for the losses within a few months when the live 'Lilo & Stitch' became one of the biggest films of the year, earning a billion dollars.
Despite a shaky start, actress Sharvari continues to gain audience support. Her attention is drawn by upcoming projects, including the film 'Alpha,' which is the first female lead picture in the spy universe that previously featured films like 'Pahan' and 'War.'
Currently, most of the focus on promoting 'Alpha' is concentrated on Alia Bhatt. However, the public is also showing significant interest in the second lead actress, Sharvari. Although her image was deliberately hidden in the 'Alpha' trailer, the plot twists are directly related to her character, which is drawing close attention from viewers.
Sharvari's popularity is growing as audiences want to see her stronger in Bollywood films. Thus, 'Alpha' and this year could be breakthrough moments for her.
Sharvari began her career with the remake of the classic film 'Banti and Babli,' where she created a charming pair with Sindhant Chaturvedi, and her work was highly praised. Nevertheless, the film 'Banti and Babli 2' (2021) did not receive a large response from the audience.
Three years passed after her debut before her next film was released. In the horror film 'Munjya' (2024), her performance received positive reviews, and this film became an unexpected hit. The song from this film, 'Taras,' became very popular, making Sharvari a recognizable face. Additionally, she appeared as a special guest in the debut film of Junayd Khan, Amir Khan's son, titled 'Maharaj.'
In her next film 'Veda' (2024), Sharvari demonstrated her acting skills in the action genre, once again receiving recognition for her work. In this film, dedicated to caste rights, her talent was noticed, although the film itself turned out to be a flop.
In Imtiaz Ali's film 'Mai Vaapas Aunga,' Sharvari impressed both critics and the general public. After watching this film, people cannot forget her face and await her appearance on screen again. In 'Alpha,' she plays a completely different type of role.
Regardless of the success of the spy universe, it is evident that after the trailer release, people notice Sharvari's influence. But this year she has not only these two films; another of her films, 'Ye Prem Mol Liya,' releases in November, in which she will star opposite Ayushmann Khurrana in a family drama film by Suraj Baddajja. Baddajja presents his signature family romance after a long time. Such films are becoming rarer, but recently, the family audience has provided good box office success to these films.
Thus, the prospects for 'Ye Prem Mol Liya' look promising. Even if 'Alpha' and 'Mai Vaapas Aunga' do not achieve massive success, Sharvari will remain on screen, which will strengthen her popularity.
