Moana Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Moana Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 6, 2026

Why, Disney, why? Is there really such a dearth of original ideas that endless live action remakes of previous animated successes are the only way to generate box office receipts? (Maybe we don't want an answer to that one.) I joked (?) in my review of a previous Disney live action remake, The Little Mermaid, that all the people becoming ballistic over Disney supposedly going "woke" with that entry may have missed the point that Disney has been engaging for decades in one of the most "woke" activities of all time, namely recycling. But this whole live action remake thing is a Heihei of a different color, and seems to ignore the fact that at least supposedly (we'll dive into that in a moment), the original animated version had some semblance of originality (maybe suggesting someone with a creative spark was around at some point). Now with regard to that "semblance of originality" comment, there's no denying that most (maybe all) of the so-called "Disney Princess" movies follow a certain template, and if over the past several years Disney has sought to offer diverse cultures and ethnicities in these stories to provide some kind of contextual variances, the basic story is often decidedly rote. Even given that perhaps slightly subliminal form of recycling, many of Disney's animated efforts have really struck resonant chords with audiences, and the original Moana and even the relatively recent Moana 2 are certainly prime examples of that proclivity. But this live action remake of Moana is weirdly listless a lot of the time, and somewhat hilariously the surplus of CGI and even actual animation (as in one of Maui's "living tattoos") means even a "live action" descriptor itself may be slightly inapt.

In a perhaps slightly sad state of affairs vis a vis the above comments about originality, our Moana Blu-ray review of the original animated version will provide a general enough plot outline to handle this remake as well. The changes here are largely production design and tonally based, with less of an emphasis on, well, cartoonish palettes and characters, even though Dwayne Johnson's (re)take on Maui comes close to buffoon territory a lot of the time. Now, in terms of "cultural representation" and how the first Moana film was received by various Pacific Islanders (something covered in some detail in the supplement accompanying this release), it may be worth noting that as meaningful as the original animated film was to these peoples, there is at least some history of indigenous peoples being used (sometimes in important roles) in previous films. The sadly underappreciated (in my not so humble opinion) 1962 Mutiny on the Bounty pretty famously utilized thousands of Tahitian extras and native Tarita Teriipaia portrayed Princess Maimiti (famously marrying Marlon Brando in real life). A few years later the also sadly underappreciated (in my not so humble opinion) Hawaii also featured hordes of native extras but featured the wonderful Jocelyne LaGarde as Aliʻi Nui, Malama Kanakoa, a performance that garnered LaGarde a Best Supporting Actress nomination at that year's Academy Awards, making her the first Pacific Islander so feted (trivia lovers may know Tarita was similarly celebrated in the same category at the Golden Globe awards for 1962 films). With regard to that 1966 George Roy Hill opus, some may find that outing's opening prologue narration about the "genesis" of the islands and various divinities to be rather remarkably similar to the way this film begins, in yet another example of (in this case "extracurricular") recycling.

Moana Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Moana is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Captured with both Arri Alexa and Red cameras (at source resolutions of up to 8K), and with a 4K DI (all data points courtesy of the IMDb), this is another gobsmacking presentation from Disney "even" in 1080 and SDR, though I would certainly recommend anyone interested in this title who has the appropriate equipment to opt for Disney's 4K UHD release (which includes a 1080 disc). Detailing on CGI characters like Heihei tends to beautifully rendered, though I might be pressed to argue that some of the "living water" effects are a bit cartoonish looking and may frankly look a bit more believable at the lower resolution Disney's 1080 release offers than in 4K. If water effects don't always pass muster, some of the fire effects are quite impressive. All of the practical sets and costumes, as well as actual human beings, offer commendably precise detail levels throughout. While, as mentioned above, the palette is arguably a bit more tamped down here than in the original animated version, it's still incredibly impressive quite a bit of the time, and some of the cooler teal to blue to green tones in both water and foliage are consistently evocative. There's also a rather nice emphasis on earthier browns and taupes, all of which look natural and expressive. The jade green hues of the "heart" of the story are quite lustrous in SDR, though again I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that all of the palette nuances are more impressive in the 4K disc's HDR / Dolby Vision grades.

Moana Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As has tended to be the case now for some time with Disney 4K / 1080 combo packs, their 4K disc features a Dolby Atmos track, while this 1080 disc has a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. Also as with several previous similar combo releases I've reviewed, I wouldn't argue that the Atmos track is significantly different from the 7.1 track, although there are some clear moments of verticality that it can offer, including the opening shape shifting vignette documenting Maui's transformational abilities, but at least intermittently throughout thereafter, including some of the ocean set material and then again quite noticeably during the big "meet and greet" between Moana and Te Fiti late in the film. All of that said, the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track here delivers quite impressive immersion, and the outdoor setting of the film as well as the musical moments provide great opportunities for side and rear channel engagement. While the (pre-existing) song score is rightly celebrated for its celebration of native singers and themes, I'd also point out that with regard to the two above linked other island set films, both Bronislau Kaper's score for Mutiny on the Bounty and Elmer Bernstein's score for Hawaii also utilized various native elements. There's some engaging panning activity with regard to ambient environmental effects in particular. Dialogue is rendered without any issues. Optional subtitles in several languages are available.

Moana Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Beyond the Reef (HD; 53:57) is a multi part making of featurette that gets into a host of background details.


• Song Selection allows access to the individual tunes.


• Sing Along with the Movie mode is accessible under the Play Menu.

A DVD and a digital copy are also included. Packaging features a slipcover.

Moana Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As mentioned in the opening comments of my Hawaii Blu-ray review, at the time of its writing I had never visited Hawaii, but I'm happy to report that sad state of affairs has just been rectified by an absolutely paradisiacal vacation my wife and I took to O'ahu (we stayed at a wonderful vintage midcentury motel in Waikiki to hopefully get some authentic flavor). We also rented a car and spent a day traversing the entire perimeter of the island (with the exception of the northwestern section, where the roads literally do not go through), getting to see some of the lesser traveled areas and maybe getting a bit more of an authentic experience than the tourist dominated Honolulu beachfront offers. One way or the other, though, the Island Spirit is certainly not a myth, and there's at least an echo of it running through this probably needless remake. Fans of the original animated film may well want to just stick with that version, but this one at least offers some sumptuous visuals and well designed audio. The supplement on the 1080 disc will also be of interest for anyone considering making a purchase.