Kritikus Film Berikan Ulasan Beragam untuk Live Action Moana Disney

Sejumlah pengamat film internasional merilis ulasan pertama mereka untuk adaptasi live-action terbaru Disney berjudul Moana menjelang penayangan resminya di berbagai bioskop pada Jumat, 10 Juli 2026. Film garapan sutradara Thomas Kail ini dinilai menyajikan visual yang memukau namun memicu perdebatan mengenai urgensi pembuatan ulangnya.

Dilansir dari laporan Rotten Tomatoes dan The Hollywood Reporter pada Rabu (8/7), performa aktris pendatang baru Catherine Laga'aia sebagai Moana dan kembalinya Dwayne Johnson sebagai Maui mendapatkan banyak pujian meskipun alur ceritanya dinilai terlalu setia pada versi animasi tahun 2016.

Kritikus Rachel Leishman memberikan pandangan positif mengenai target penonton film ini.

"The people who love the animated version and kids who are experiencing it for the first time will absolutely adore it." kata Rachel Leishman, kritikus CBR.

Ia juga menambahkan pandangannya tentang bagaimana film ini mempertahankan esensi aslinya.

"Moana captures what made the animated film such an instant classic." ujar Rachel Leishman.

Sementara itu, Tessa Smith melihat sisi hiburan yang ditawarkan meskipun tidak menampik adanya perbandingan dengan versi terdahulu.

"While it is not as amazing as the animated version (which no one expected), it is still a really fun watch." kata Tessa Smith, kritikus Mama's Geeky.

Ia juga merasa terhibur dengan beberapa humor baru yang disisipkan.

"I found myself laughing out loud as new jokes were introduced." ujar Tessa Smith.

Tessa Smith kemudian menyimpulkan pandangannya mengenai kebutuhan akan adaptasi ini.

"Did we need a live-action remake? Not really. But I can’t say I am all that mad at it." kata Tessa Smith.

Di sisi lain, Liz Shannon Miller mengungkapkan rasa frustrasinya terhadap kemiripan yang terlalu identik.

"Watching this was not a terribly unpleasant experience… Still, it’s hard not to get frustrated by watching something so determined to be the same, just slightly different." kata Liz Shannon Miller, kritikus Consequence.

Ia juga menyayangkan tidak adanya pendalaman materi yang lebih kontekstual.

"Those familiar with the 2016 original won’t be surprised by any plot twists or turns here… A Moana that dove harder into its climate change allegory would be that much more relevant to today." ujar Liz Shannon Miller.

Molly Freeman menyampaikan kekecewaannya terhadap eksekusi keseluruhan yang dianggap datar.

"I so desperately wanted this movie to surprise me, to justify itself, to prove me wrong. Unfortunately…while there’s nothing horrifically wrong with the film, there’s nothing particularly excellent about it either, with most of the elements falling disappointingly flat." kata Molly Freeman, kritikus Screen Rant.

Ia menegaskan bahwa medium baru ini tidak memberikan banyak perbedaan.

"For better or worse, Disney’s new Moana is exactly the same movie, just told in a new medium." ujar Molly Freeman.

Ia juga berpendapat bahwa ini adalah salah satu adaptasi yang paling aman.

"This is perhaps Disney’s most inoffensive live-action remake." kata Molly Freeman.

Namun, ia memberikan kritik pada visualisasi adegan tertentu yang dinilai terlalu gelap.

"The Kakamora scene, especially, is egregiously brown and difficult to follow as a result. But that’s the price you pay for realism, I guess." ujar Molly Freeman.

Kritikus Ian Sandwell memberikan komentar singkat yang membandingkan kenyamanan menonton.

"It leaves you wishing you were watching the animation instead." kata Ian Sandwell, kritikus Digital Spy.

William Bibbiani memberikan komentar tajam mengenai aspek finansial dari produksi ini.

"The best thing you can say about the new Moana is that the long, long list of people name-checked in the closing credits got paid." kata William Bibbiani, kritikus TheWrap.

Ia menilai proyek ini terasa sangat berlebihan untuk diproduksi kembali.

"Moana is far from the worst Disney live-action remake, but it’s arguably the most redundant." ujar William Bibbiani.

Tyler Taing mengapresiasi upaya eksplorasi kebudayaan dalam film ini.

"The original Moana represented a homogenized take on Polynesian culture, and the attempt to flesh that out this time around is certainly admirable." kata Tyler Taing, kritikus Discussing Film.

Namun, ia juga mengkritik ketiadaan ide baru di dalamnya.

"Unfortunately, Moana doesn’t even try to pretend to have any fresh ideas." ujar Tyler Taing.

Nick Schager memandang sinis motivasi di balik pembuatan ulang film animasi populer ini.

"Identical to Disney’s 2016 feature in virtually every respect, it’s an endeavor designed solely to motivate kids to bug their parents into ponying up for something they’ve already seen—only this time in a more plodding, perfunctory form." kata Nick Schager, kritikus The Daily Beast.

Ia menambahkan bahwa film ini gagal menangkap semangat dari versi aslinya.

"As purposeless as big-screen summer spectaculars get—a would-be blockbuster driven purely by financial concerns and incapable of capturing its forerunner’s buoyant spirit." ujar Nick Schager.

John Nugent menyoroti hilangnya karakter khas penyutradaraan dalam karya ini.

"Where the original film felt vibrant and original, there seems to be no authorial voice detectable here." kata John Nugent, kritikus Empire Magazine.

Ia juga mempertanyakan alasan peluncuran film yang jaraknya terlalu dekat dengan versi asli.

"Few have felt so recent, or seemed so pointless, as Moana." ujar John Nugent.

Taylor Gates menekankan keunggulan mutlak dari versi animasi terdahulu.

"Everything it does well, the 2016 version already did better." kata Taylor Gates, kritikus Collider.

Owen Gleiberman memberikan penilaian tertinggi di antara deretan adaptasi sejenis.

"It’s the best of these movies I’ve seen." kata Owen Gleiberman, kritikus Variety.

Ia juga memberikan pujian khusus pada implementasi efek visual CGI yang digunakan.

"There’s a ton of CGI in the new Moana that’s executed quite artfully, and that helps to create a buoyant atmosphere of visual vibrance." ujar Owen Gleiberman.

Tim Grierson berargumen bahwa pembuatan ulang ini justru menghambat daya tarik asli film.

"The 2026 Moana demonstrates these flashy redos routinely stifle the charm that was in abundance in the original pictures." kata Tim Grierson, kritikus Screen International.

Jacob Oller memberikan catatan kecil yang membandingkannya dengan proyek Disney lainnya.

"At least there aren’t any dwarfs in this one." kata Jacob Oller, kritikus AV Club.

Nagier Chambers menekankan pentingnya representasi kebudayaan Polinesia dalam skala besar.

"It may not be essential as a remake, but as a celebration of Polynesian culture and people on a massive Disney canvas, it absolutely matters." kata Nagier Chambers, kritikus Big Gold Belt Media.

Michael Walsh menilai kualitas film ini berdasarkan kelayakan nilai hiburannya.

"Is being a “good cover” enough to justify a big-budget remake of a beloved movie that isn’t even that old? Probably not, but there are worse ways to spend a night at the movies." kata Michael Walsh, kritikus Nerdist.

Ia juga memuji kualitas efek khusus yang ditampilkan sepanjang petualangan Moana.

"The good news is that the film’s special effects are really excellent. The CGI, including Te Fiti, Hei Hei, the conscious water, Tamatoa, and a super fun and playful “You’re Welcome” sequence, all look great." ujar Michael Walsh.

Kristen Lopez menilai proyek ini justru menurunkan kualitas yang telah dibangun versi terdahulu.

"It’s wholly unnecessary and only diminishes what made the original work so well." kata Kristen Lopez, kritikus The Film Maven.

Peter Bradshaw mengkategorikan film ini sebagai produk komersial semata.

"This feels like a superfluous piece of monetisable content." kata Peter Bradshaw, kritikus Guardian.

David Rooney berpendapat bahwa ketiadaan ide baru bukanlah masalah besar bagi keindahan film ini.

"Does it bring new ideas to the material? No. Does that matter? Also no." kata David Rooney, kritikus The Hollywood Reporter.

Ia juga mengagumi kekayaan visual dan desain kostum yang digarap oleh Liz McGregor.

"It’s brimming with visual interest, vibrant color, gorgeous design elements (the fine detailing in Liz McGregor’s costumes is exquisite) and alluring tropical settings." ujar David Rooney.

Wilson Chapman merasakan kejenuhan saat menyaksikan penceritaan ulang yang sama.

"It’s so indebted to the original that watching it feels numbing, offering nothing that the original didn’t provide in 2016." kata Wilson Chapman, kritikus IndieWire.

Nell Minow memberikan pujian pada integrasi teknis dan sinematografi karya Oscar Faura bersama desainer produksi John Myhre.

"Cinematographer Oscar Faura integrates live action and CGI seamlessly… The production design by John Myhre is wonderfully inviting." kata Nell Minow, kritikus RogerEbert.com.

Cody Dericks mencatat aspek pewarnaan yang dinilai lebih unggul dibanding standar adaptasi Disney sebelumnya.

"It’s at least more colorful than what we’ve come to expect from Disney." kata Cody Dericks, kritikus AwardsWatch.