Story

Moana (Catherine Laga’aia) is the daughter of the chief of Motunui. Moana feels called to explore the ocean, but her father, Chief Tui (John Tui), forbids it. He says her duty as future chief is to stay on the island and learn how to lead her people.

When a darkness begins to kill her island, Moana discovers that her people once explored the sea as Wayfinders. This was before the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) stole the heart of Te Fiti, causing a blight on the surrounding islands.

Realising that she is being called by the ocean to return the heart, Moana sets sail to find Maui and restore the heart of Te Fiti before it’s too late for her people.

Themes

Environmental disasters; cultural connection; mythology; grief; loss of a grandparent; child abandonment

Violence

Moana (2026) has some violence. For example:

• In several scenes, a large, scary lava monster attacks and injures Maui and Moana. They’re always unharmed, but Maui’s hook is damaged. This affects his ability to shapeshift.
• Moana’s father shouts at her.
• Maui often belittles and berates Moana because he think she’s inexperienced and naïve.
• In a comic sequence, the ocean stabs Maui in the bottom with a blow dart, which paralyses him.
• Scary coconut creatures attack Moana, shooting at her and Maui with spears and paralysing darts. Moana and Maui narrowly escape without injury.
• A scary crab character chases and nearly kills Moana and Maui.
• Maui steals Moana’s boat and tries to trap her on the island he was stuck on for centuries.
• A monster character says that he ate his grandma.
• Maui mentions that he has ripped off another creature’s leg.
• Maui shoves Moana into the ocean on several occasions. This is presented as funny.

Sexual references

There are no sexual references in Moana (2026).

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Moana (2026) shows some use of substances. For example, a character says, ‘You sound like a drunk’.

Nudity and sexual activity

Moana (2026) has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:

• Maui is shirtless throughout and sometimes flexes his chest muscles.
• Many men are shirtless. This is culturally appropriate and not sexual.

Product placement

There’s no product placement in Moana (2026).

Coarse language

Moana (2026) has some insults, including ‘dumb’. There’s also some crude behaviour. For example, Maui urinates in the ocean while Moana has her hand in the water.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Moana (2026) is a live-action remake of Disney’s 2016 animated movie of the same name. It presents a culturally rich story with entertaining musical numbers, which differs slightly in content from the original animated movie.

Moana (2026) is entertaining, and many families will enjoy it. But because of its scary scenes and violence, it isn’t suitable for children aged under 7 years. We also recommend parental guidance for children aged up to 10 years.

The main messages from Moana (2026) are that you must be true to yourself and discover who you are.

Values in Moana (2026) that you could reinforce with your children include family, teamwork, resilience, determination, perseverance and independence.

Moana (2026) could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues and questions like the following:

• Moana’s father desperately wants to keep Moana on the island, and it’s revealed that this is partly because of a traumatic event in which he lost his cousin. What could Moana’s father do instead? You could also talk about how past experiences shape present behaviour.
• Moana loses her grandmother, but she’s comforted and guided by memories of her grandmother. You could talk with your children about healthy ways to cope with grief and loss.
• Maui is abandoned by his human parents. When he becomes a demigod, he does everything he can to make humans love him. This leads to his theft of the heart of Te Fiti, which causes the events in the story. Why is it not OK for Maui to take this item? You could talk with your children about how good intentions don’t make bad behaviour OK.
• The movie explores themes of environmental damage. You could talk with your children about the importance of taking care of nature.