Dwayne Johnson Addresses Mixed Reviews of Disney’s Live-Action ‘Moana’

Dwayne Johnson remains unfazed by the negative reviews surrounding Disney’s live-action ‘Moana’.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor discussed the film’s mixed critical reception, acknowledging that not every movie resonates with critics. Instead of dwelling on the reviews, Johnson emphasized the importance of the film’s impact on audiences, particularly within the Polynesian community.

Reflecting on the film’s release, Johnson shared that the initial reviews filled him with optimism. “Our first two reviews came out,” he recalled. “I’ll never forget it… They were amazing. I was like, wow.” However, that positive momentum was short-lived.

“Then it went another way… as sometimes happens,” he chuckled. “That’s just the way it goes because we’re in this business.”

Rather than getting swept up in the fluctuating reviews, Johnson and his wife, Lauren Hashian, consciously chose to tune out the surrounding noise during the film’s debut. He explained that they focused on the bigger picture rather than reacting emotionally to every headline.

“The challenge was, okay, let’s remember, though, what’s going to be beyond this opening weekend,” Johnson said. “Let’s remember what’s happening right now and the noise that’s happening right now.”

Many of these discussions took place privately at home after their children were asleep. “We had a lot of these conversations at home, at the kitchen island late at night when the babies are asleep,” he said.

Johnson also expressed understanding for those who may not have enjoyed the film. “If you love it, great. If you don’t, no problem,” he stated. For him, the film’s significance transcends review scores.

“What really mattered” was that “the culture really stood up,” he elaborated.

Johnson, whose mother is Samoan, emphasized that authentic Polynesian representation was central to the project. He noted that allowing Polynesian families to see themselves on the big screen was the film’s primary goal.

“Because of me and our kids who can now look at the big screen and go, ‘That’s us for the first time on a big screen,’” he remarked. “‘That’s us up there. How cool is that?’”

His wife echoed this sentiment during the interview. Hashian expressed that the cultural representation was significant, regardless of critical feedback.

“The whole community, the whole culture really showed up and they understood,” she shared. “Even if you’re not Polynesian, I think we can understand family and love and loss and perseverance — especially as a mom. Having kids and watching it through their eyes, for me, it’s very magical.”

The live-action ‘Moana’ has sparked a divide among critics and audiences. As of now, the film holds a 31% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, while verified audience ratings are significantly higher at 88%. On Metacritic, it has a critics score of 42 and a user score of 3.3.

The film has also encountered challenges at the box office. According to Variety, it reportedly cost around $250 million to produce, with an additional $120 million spent on marketing. So far, it has earned approximately $265 million worldwide, surpassing Disney’s ‘Snow White’ remake but falling short of billion-dollar successes like ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and ‘Aladdin’.

Despite the mixed reception, Johnson’s comments indicate he remains proud of the project. While critics may not have fully embraced the remake, he believes its celebration of Polynesian culture and its impact on families will be what truly matters in the long run.

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