Dwayne Johnson is receiving some of the most negative reviews of his career for Disney’s live-action remake of “Moana,” a film that is also experiencing a difficult opening weekend at the U.S. box office. The original animated film, released a decade prior, grossed over $600 million globally and spawned a sequel in 2024 that earned more than $1 billion.
Catherine Laga’aia stars as the young Polynesian teenager in the remake, which closely follows the original narrative. Johnson reprises his role as the demigod Maui. Critics have specifically targeted Johnson's work, with The Independent's film critic Clarisse Loughrey stating that Disney has resorted to a “copy-and-paste” approach to its animated hits. Loughrey criticized Johnson for “repeating the exact same voice performance he gave a decade ago, only this time in live-action, and in the flat, softly tonged wig of someone in an Eighties mall photoshoot.”
In The Times, critic Kevin Maher described Johnson’s performance, including the “fright wig,” as “oddly lacklustre and restrained.” Maher added, “where his cartoon alter ego was goofy, rotund and gormless, Johnson is stuck with the wearisome mannerisms, cheesy grins and arched eyebrows, that linger from his time as a self-promoting wrestler. When he shouts his grating catchphrase, ‘It’s Maui time!’, the moment lands as one of this year’s cinematic lowlights.”
“Feeling as if he is on autopilot, like a piece of software.”
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw echoed this sentiment, describing Johnson as “feeling as if he is on autopilot, like a piece of software.”
While Vulture’s Alison Willmore was somewhat more lenient toward Johnson's performance, she did note that the live-action dynamic between Moana and Maui creates a “creepy” undertone. Willmore wrote, “Rendering their dynamic in live action makes it unignorable that this is a story about a grown man spending a lot of alone time with a teenage girl. Moana quivers with a certain discomfort about that, first unsuccessfully trying to angle them as older brother paired with bratty younger sibling, then as reluctant surrogate father teaching a girl whose dad is already supportive and present. Restaging the action with actors adds little to the story, and most of the time makes things look worse.”
The “Moana” remake follows an earlier attempt by Johnson to transition into more serious acting roles. Last year, he starred in Benny Safdie’s boxing drama “The Smashing Machine,” which garnered Oscar buzz at the Venice Film Festival, partly due to Johnson's expressed desire to move beyond franchise roles.
Featured names
- Dwayne Johnson
- The Independent
- Catherine Laga
- Clarisse Loughrey
- The Guardian
- Peter Bradshaw
- Alison Willmore
- Benny Safdie
- The Smashing Machine
