Watch the teaser for 'Moana' The Moana that hit theaters this Wednesday (8) is, essentially, the same princess without a prince that won over the public in the animation released in 2016. Disney's bet on transforming the box office success into live-action less than ten years after the animation's premiere seemed, at first glance, even bold. In practice, however, the studio ends up delivering a well-known experience: it reproduces scene by scene of the original feature, without adding almost anything to the story. For animation fans, it's true, this fidelity may not be a problem, but a relief. After all, live-action adaptations are usually judged primarily by the balance between offering something new that justifies buying another ticket for the same story and preserving the original material. Heart of the story remains the same If the live-action adds little, it at least preserves what has always been "Moana's" greatest asset: its story. On the island of Motunui, where her father is the great leader, Moana grew up knowing that one day she should assume this position, without having to marry any prince. The problem is that a curse begins to threaten the neighboring islands and reaches their own people, damaging fishing and planting. It is then up to her, entrusted with this destiny as leader, to cross the ocean in search of a solution. Catherine Laga?aia takes on the role of Moana, the determined young adventurer who drives the story. Disclosure But what is interesting to see in "Moana" was never this outcome, but rather the path taken by the character. The monsters and beauties of this crazy adventure. The film is a beautiful journey of a young girl trying to understand who she is, who she was born to be. Dwanne Johnson steals the show In this quest, the relationship between her and Maui continues to be one of the film's highlights. The demigod played by the giant — in every sense — Dwayne Johnson becomes a mentor, traveling companion and fundamental piece in the protagonist's heroine's journey. Selfish and kind, he mixes traits that are sometimes a hero, sometimes a villain. At first, he even captures Moana and tries to get rid of her several times. Then, he supports the girl's arguments. The relationship evolves in such a way that the demigod's armor cracks: behind, the audience discovers a child who just needed to be loved (aren't we all this child forever?) Dwayne Johnson returns as the cunning demigod Maui, a character that helped establish him in animation, and also signs the production of the feature. Disclosure If, ??in animation, Johnson already gave his charisma to the character with just his voice, in live-action he finally has the opportunity to embody it completely. The actor doesn't pull any punches every time he appears, making Maui less boring (especially in the first scenes in which he appears) and more witty. Charismatic indeed. The result is a character with sharp comic timing and even space to make jokes with a more adult tone. A bland Moana Catherine Laga'aia has a difficult mission: playing a character who, in animation, won over the public with her charisma and strong personality. The actress preserves the fearless essence of Moana, but delivers a version that is much less magnetic than the original. Catherine Laga?aia brings the determined adventurer Moana to life. Disclosure Laga'aia also takes over the songs in the English version, but different from the bland performance, getting the job done. Animation fans, sleep easy: the songs continue to shine. Beauty that CGI cannot achieve The same cannot be said about those beautiful landscapes in animation. Visually, the live-action is very disappointing. The attempt to recreate the lush beaches and mountains of Polynesia ends up being hampered by an excess of digital effects. The ocean, a fundamental character in the story, loses part of its charm in some interactions that sound too artificial. Scene from 'Moana 2' Disclosure Moana alongside Pua, her little pig. Disclosure Down with patriarchy! One of the very few changes in route that the live-action makes is the adjustment to try to continue dialoguing with current debates about feminism and representation — themes that, it is worth remembering, were already very present in the 2016 work. In the animation, Moana's father talks about his daughter's destiny following the tradition of "her father and her grandfather". In the new version, the film includes a female ancestor among the island's former leaders, suggesting that Moana would not necessarily be the first woman to command the village. Moana and her grandmother, Tala Disclosure There is yet another discreet and good-humored nod coming from Maui. When presenting himself as a hero, he makes a point of correcting his own speech to say that he is the hero "of women and men, without discrimination". These are very succinct changes, which do not change the direction of the story and may even go unnoticed, but they update details of the speech for an audience in 2026. Nothing new under the sun Moana, live-action from the 2016 animation, premieres this Thursday (9) Disclosure In the end, that's all it is. The live-action "Moana" is a reproduction in the flesh (and a lot of green screen) of a story that was already strong in itself, but nothing more. The adventure continues to be exciting. The songs remain unforgettable. Moana continues to be a necessary protagonist for the construction of the identity of girls and boys. Check, check and check. The question remains: if everything was already right and there was nothing to add, was it really necessary? Critical review card g1 Art/g1