Why the live-action Moana is more than just another remake

Critics have dismissed the live-action remake of Moana as a redundant cash grab, arguing it offers nothing new compared to the original animation. However, this perspective overlooks the immense labor and cultural weight brought to the production. The film serves as a vehicle for hundreds of Pacific Islanders, including dancers, weavers, tattoo artists, and navigators, to project their traditions onto a global stage.

Unlike an animated feature, the live-action version relies on physical craftsmanship that goes beyond pixels. Costume designer Liz McGregor sourced museum collections across Samoa and New Zealand to create over 2,000 handcrafted garments. The production utilized traditional techniques, such as constructing structures using lashing made from coconut fibers, performed by Tongan master lasher Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi. These details translate into a visual reality that animation cannot fully emulate.

For participants like Jade-Len Makana Kaanoalii Taimalietane Iulio, a principal dancer in the film and director of an Alameda-based Polynesian dance group, the project provided a sense of pride. Seeing real people from these cultures perform specific, learned movements represents a form of reclamation. It moves away from historical stereotypes by putting actual practitioners in the center of the narrative.

With Pacific Islanders representing less than one percent of the U.S. population and remaining among the least represented groups in Hollywood, this film serves a specific purpose. It offers a tangible reflection of traditions that audiences might otherwise only encounter in textbooks or museums. The value of this remake lies in the people, the art, and the authenticity of the cultural practitioners present on set, rather than the plot alone.