Who asked for a slightly worse version of Disney's Moana?

Remember that vibrant, catchy Disney musical you enjoyed not that long ago? Now what if you could watch it again, but just a little bit worse?

It is, of course, not ideal to judge a remake of a film by comparing it to the original. But Disney's "live-action" Moana is so close to a shot-for-shot, beat-for-beat remake of the 2016 animated original that the massive "Why?" looming over it is unavoidable.

The new Moana is not a disaster, per se: The music is fine, because it's pretty much the same. The jokes that worked the first time around sort of mostly work the same. The story is about as punchy, because it's nearly identical.

And a film that celebrates Polynesian mythology and exploration - especially one laden with New Zealand actors - will no doubt still pull the heart strings of plenty of Kiwis.

But the feeling that you could just be watching a better version of the same thing is unshakeable.

Moana, for those who missed it the first time around, follows the titular teen daughter of a village chief who has to single-handedly sail across the ancient Pacific ocean to rescue the shape-shifting trickster demi-god Maui and lift a curse threatening her idyllic home island.

It's a tight, fun adventure as the pair battle coconut-themed mini pirates, giant treasure-hoarding crabs and lava giant on their way. The cocky Maui learns some lesson's about humility, and Moana learns the skills of sailing and ancient Polynesian wayfinding - gaining both independence and an appreciation for her heritage.

It's the exact kind of high-tempo, uplifting, kid-friendly ride you turn to Disney for. You'll be singing the songs for days.

But it also feels like much of the animated version's vibrancy has been lost in the translation.

The visual elements of the musical numbers are significantly less bold than in 2016, the gags land much less consistently, and the only thing the remains as heightened and fun is the spectacular CG action sequences (which are just as animated as they were a decade ago).

There's something telling about the fact Heihei, Moana's exceptionally dumb, animated rooster, is the funniest character in the film.

What it does have going for it is a standout performance from Australian actress Catherine Laga'aia as Moana in her film debut. It's not a subtle performance, but it's one pitched just right for the film and so brimming with energy and youthful optimism that by the end it's infectious.

If there's one argument for the Moana remake, it's seeing Laga'aia as the titular character.

On the other end of the spectrum, Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine, Black Adam), reprising his role as Maui, just doesn't work.

The performance is low-energy and so overly serious that it's hard not to wonder if Johnson doesn't know what film he's in. The charm and goofiness that made his character so lovable in the original are palpably absent.

A cast of Kiwis, including Rena Owen, John Tui and Frankie Adams all do a lot with not a lot of screen time to bring life to Moana's home (despite the bizarre choice to burden them with American accents), and Jemaine Clement returns as the giant, treasure-obsessed crab Tamatoa (balancing the scales with one of the thickest New Zealand accents put to film).

But while the cast battle for reality, the sets, props and lighting choices often come off as a bit plastic, especially for something with an estimated US$200m budget. The cold smoothness feels a missed opportunity to add real texture in a "live-action" remake dense with sunlight, weaving and wood. It feels no more tactile than the animated version.

In a universe where the original doesn't exist, it would be easier to argue for the new Moana.

But it's not the universe we live in.

This is a film that makes so few choices, adds so little, and comes up so short that it's hard to say why you wouldn't just put on 2016's Moana instead.

Boris Jancic is a member of RNZ's digital team and reviews films.