One thing I heard about the live action Moana remake is that it would have a new Lin Manuel Miranda song. And I was interested to see how they incorporated a new song into the existing plot. It turns out, they did not. Instead, it is over the credits.

I want to be clear that I like Moana. It’s pretty great all the way around, and not a pain to rewatch. (Which is good, since I have small children and a Disney+ subscription.) But the placement of the new song tells you everything you really need to know about the remake, which is that it is unnecessary. There is nothing wrong with unnecessary things. I got to sit in a darkened room watching flickering lights on a screen with my kid[1][2], and I got to eat popcorn. That’s pretty great.

But yeah, there’s no question that The Rock in a flowing wig or not, this is an unnecessary movie.

[1] “But you have two kids. And a wife!” Yes, and they were multiple seats away, having their own shared experience. I was on an end, and I got what I got.
[2] I understand that “going to the movies” has become unpopular. I don’t think I’ll ever lose the urge or the wonder, though.