00:00If you restore the heart, you'd be everyone's hero.
00:04Maui, Maui, you're so amazing.
00:06Look at the definition, there's girls.
00:09Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at differences between the Moana live-action remake and its animated predecessor.
00:15Yes, we actually found 10, although we really had to dig deep on this one.
00:20Spoilers, we guess?
00:27Are you ready to be the hero?
00:28Let's go save the world.
00:31Number 10, Hei Hei's Introduction.
00:33In the original film, we initially see Moana's chicken companion passing by with a coconut on his head during the
00:39Where Are You musical number.
00:49Here, we're introduced to Hei Hei a few minutes earlier.
00:52During Grandma Tala's story about how Maui stole the heart of Te Fiti, a chickling Hei Hei is seen wandering
00:57in the background,
00:58bursting in and scaring the little ones.
01:06Not a huge difference, but as we mentioned at the top of this video, Disney didn't give us a ton
01:11to work with here.
01:12We'll take whatever changes we can get.
01:20Like the animated film, the remake opens with a young Moana eagerly listening to Tala's tales and answering the call
01:26of the water before her overprotective father intervenes.
01:29Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, thank you, mother, that's enough.
01:32Papa!
01:33No one goes outside the wreath.
01:35We are safe here.
01:37The one difference is that this Moana seems slightly older.
01:41While it isn't spelled out exactly how old Moana is in the first movie, she looks like a toddler no
01:46older than two.
01:47This is reflected in her limited vocabulary.
01:54In the remake, newcomer Emma Puahi-Shapazian first appears as Moana, who's supposed to be closer to four years old.
02:01We guess that makes sense, as these scenes would have been harder to do with a two-year-old in
02:05live action.
02:06Moana, come on.
02:08Let's go back to the village.
02:10Number 8. Briefly Checking In With Dad
02:12When Moana sets out on her journey, we don't see her father again until the end when they're reunited.
02:18That is, except for a nightmare sequence.
02:20Moana!
02:21Dad?
02:23Moana!
02:25Mom?
02:27Help!
02:30No!
02:32Moana!
02:34The remake gives Chief Tui one extra scene.
02:37While Moana is traveling across the ocean, we briefly cut to her father looking out at the sea with a
02:42concerned expression.
02:45My island.
02:47My people.
02:48There's no dialogue, but it's clear that he is thinking about his daughter and what awaits on the horizon for
02:53his people.
02:54So, in case you were wondering what was going on back on Motunui, not a whole lot.
02:59Mom! Dad!
03:00Moana!
03:05Number 7. The End Of Tweeting
03:07When the live-action Moana remake was announced, we all had the same thought.
03:11They're gonna have to cut the tweeting line, right?
03:13Okay, maybe that's not where all of our brains went.
03:16When you use a bird to write with, it's called tweeting.
03:21Still, it's surreal to think that since the first film's release, Twitter became X and tweeting became posting.
03:27Although, absolutely nobody calls it that except maybe Elon.
03:30Even in 2016, though, we kind of knew this joke would become dated sooner rather than later.
03:35I want to know about you.
03:37Tell me about your hopes and your dreams.
03:40Well, I guess I kind of dreamt.
03:41Time's up. I gotta bounce.
03:43Its removal was perhaps inescapable.
03:46As corny as the gag was, we still miss it, just as we miss the blue bird logo.
03:51It almost sounded like you don't like me, which is impossible.
03:54Number 6. Threatening To Burn The Boats
03:56When Moana learns that her people were once voyagers, she confronts her father about the boats that he's been hiding.
04:02You told me to help our people.
04:04This is how we help our people.
04:07Dad? What are you doing?
04:09I should have burned those boats a long time ago.
04:12The scene plays out pretty much as it did in the animated film, albeit with one change.
04:16The original sees Chief Tui preparing to burn the boats, ensuring that nobody will ever leave the island.
04:22He stops when Moana finds Grandma Tala's cane, and a villager alerts them that she's fallen ill.
04:33Chief! It's your mother!
04:36The remake skips over this exchange, cutting straight to the villager calling out to the chief about his mother.
04:47Again, not a massive difference, but it does remove some of the escalating tension as Moana is pushed into a
04:52difficult position, having to set off on her own.
04:56Number 5. No Sven Cameo
04:58Maui uses his magic fish hook to transform into all the animals we'd expect, from a giant hawk to a
05:04shark head, although this one is of the hammerhead variety.
05:07Is there something MIT?
05:08One familiar animal is missing from Maui's repertoire in the remake.
05:12When Maui gets the hook back, he's out of practice.
05:15He can still take on the appearance of animals, just not the ones he intended.
05:19Trying to work out the bugs, he shapeshifts into a variety of creatures.
05:23In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, he becomes Sven the Reindeer.
05:27What do you say, little buddy?
05:29Giant hawk? Come on!
05:31Tahu!
05:36Tahu!
05:37Tahu!
05:37Tahu!
05:39Although this made for one of the funniest easter eggs in the original, Sven doesn't pop up here.
05:44We'll just have to wait for the inevitable Frozen remake.
05:48Yay?
05:49Number 4. Where's Tamatoa's post-credits scene?
05:52For a remake that essentially recreates its predecessor almost shot for shot and line for line, the filmmakers do cut
05:59one scene.
06:00And we really do mean just one.
06:02The first movie had a funny post-credits scene with Tamatoa the giant crab.
06:06Still on his back, Tamatoa breaks the fourth wall, throwing shade at Sebastian from The Little Mermaid.
06:12Can we be real? If my name was Sebastian and I had a cool Jamaican accent, you'd totally help me.
06:18You would. You know you would.
06:19If you waited throughout the remake's credits as we did, you didn't get a Tamatoa stinger.
06:24Instead, we got a whole lot of nothing.
06:26Pick an eye, babe. I can't concentrate on what I'm saying.
06:34Maybe Disney simply didn't have the budget for one more scene.
06:37The Rock's wig could not have come cheap.
06:40It's true, I do have beautiful hair.
06:42Number 3. Bring Pua Next Time
06:44If there was one minor issue with the 2016 film,
06:47it's that the advertising heavily promoted Moana's pet pig Pua,
06:51only for him to get left on the island while our heroine is on her quest.
06:55Poa! Poa! Poa! Poa!
07:00Thus, the remake corrects this oversight by still leaving Poa behind.
07:04The 2026 version does add one line addressing the pig's limited screen time, however.
07:09When Moana returns to Motonui, she's greeted by her loved ones, including Poa,
07:13whom she says can come next time.
07:15She stands apart from the crowd.
07:20She isn't lying, as Poa does play a larger role in Moana 2.
07:23Oh, jeez, is Disney already thinking about remaking that sequel?
07:27Remaking a film that's 10 years old is one thing, but two years? Seriously?
07:34Hey, you wanted to come this time.
07:36Number 2. The Way Moana Drops Her Rock
07:39How Far I'll Go is another iconic number that the remake basically follows the same blueprint for.
07:44If I go, there's just no telling how far I'll go.
07:48I know everybody on this island seems so happy on this island.
07:55Everything is by design.
07:57There is a tweak that comes during a crucial moment, though,
08:00as Moana contemplates putting her rock atop her predecessors.
08:03In the animated feature, Moana sets the rock down upon gazing out at the ocean,
08:08excitedly rushing out to it.
08:10But the voice inside sings a different song.
08:13What is wrong with me?
08:18See the light as it shines on the sea.
08:21It's flying deep.
08:23Here, she abruptly drops her rock with a look of shock on her face,
08:27realizing that this isn't where she's meant to be.
08:29I am a girl who loves my island.
08:34And the girl who loves the sea.
08:37It may not seem like the most significant change,
08:40but it's one of the remake's few moments that offers a slightly different perspective,
08:44with Moana's decision coming off as more sudden
08:46rather than having inspiration gradually pull her to the irresistible water.
08:50The story has just begun.
08:55Before we continue, be sure to check out WatchMojo's 24-hour livestream.
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09:02Always on, always live.
09:04Are you not entertained?
09:07Number 1.
09:08One new song.
09:09Over the credits.
09:10Typically, when Disney gives one of their animated musicals the live-action treatment,
09:14they'll throw in a couple of new songs.
09:17Moana is no exception.
09:18Although, by a couple of new songs, we mean one,
09:21and it's played over the end credits.
09:23Lin-Manuel Miranda returned to write along the way.
09:26So we thought, what if there's a musical conversation
09:28between Auli'i's Moana and Katie's Moana?
09:31That became the idea for the song along the way.
09:34Auli'i Cravalho, the OG Moana, also came back to perform the song
09:38with Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Lunga-Aya.
09:40Miranda approached the song as a conversation between the two Moanas.
09:43Find yourself along the way.
09:46Along the way.
09:48Along the way.
09:52Cravalho saw the tune as a way of passing the torch to Lunga-Aya.
09:55Of course, that doesn't mean that Cravalho is leaving Moana behind.
09:58She's expected to reprise her role in Moana 3,
10:00which we are sure will also get a live-action remake we'll be making a list for.
10:05We have been on this journey of honoring our culture,
10:08of going far beyond the reef.
10:10This really is a celebration of just how far we can go.
10:15Like, I'm on the way.
10:17I'm on the way.
10:21Woo-hoo!
10:22Woo-hoo!
10:22Let us know in the comments if you noticed any other differences,
10:25or if we got them all.
10:26In any case, told you we'd get to 10.
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