In general, I’m not a fan of the let’s make a live-action adaptation of a classic animation because CASH. But you know, this was pretty good. And let’s face it. It’s all because of The Rock.
Almost Line For Line Identical To The Animation, and that’s okay
The original script obviously worked, so why try to improve it? There’s plenty of comedy that works without trying too hard. But I think the appeal of the movie comes from the message of believing and following your inner call that Moana follows, and the growth of Maui as he rediscovers his purpose and, most importantly, apologizes in the end for all the suffering he caused by stealing the creation stone in the first place.
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What surprised me was just how little singing there is in the movie. I really don’t like musicals and right off the bat in this movie is a long song and dance that gave me dread for the rest of the movie. But that first song was practically the last. There’s a little singing here and there, but it doesn’t drag on. Like the point of the movie is to tell a story, not sing a song at every opportunity.
Catherine Lagaʻaia was great. Her performance actually seemed to get better as the movie went on. I’m very curious if they filmed this linearly, because that’s rarely done.
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I’ve been using RunPee for a few years now and it’s basically a requirement of going to the movies for me. The best part of course are the “pee times” that give you cues, synopses and times for when you can pee without missing the most important parts of the movie. There is also information about the credits- length, extras and if there are any extra scenes at the wayyy end. Super helpful to just know that it is or isn’t worth staying. There is a timer function that will buzz your phone when it’s a good time to pee. I also appreciate that the app is very conscientious about it being an app you use in a theater- dark background, all silent alarms etc. I will always enjoy the experience of the theater even if I could watch things at home- but I’ve even used it at home to check for things like after credit scenes or other information too.
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Best Character Fit Ever?
When I’m geeking with my friends, a common question I like to ask is, “If you could pick one actor who made a fictional role entirely impossible for anyone else to ever play, who would it be?” When I think of this, the two that leap to mind are:
– Chris Hemsworth as Thor
– Ian McKellen as Gandalf
– Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine
– Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool
Now, I have to add Dwayne Johnson as Maui. I can’t imagine there’s another person on the planet who has the charisma and physique to play Maui.
Grade: A-
About The Peetimes: Read a synopsis of first 3 minutes of this movie.
There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of Moana.
| Rated: | (PG) Brief Thematic Elements | Action/Peril | Rude Humor | Some Scary Images |
| Genres: | Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy |
| USA release date: | 2026-07-08 |
| Movie length: | |
| Starring: | |
| Director: | Thomas Kail |
| Writer(s): | Jared Bush, Dana Ledoux Miller |
| Language: | en |
| Country: | US |
Plot
Moana answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people.
Creator and developer of the RunPee app. When something doesn’t work right in the app it’s pretty much his fault. 🙂
Aspiring author. Would like to finish his “Zombie Revelations” trilogy if he could break away for working on RunPee and the cottage he’s building for RunPee Mom.