Tag Archives: Polynesia

Moana (2026) – Movie Review

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TL;DR – For better or worse, it is almost beat-for-beat the same film as 2016.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Moana and Tala walk along the beach.

Moana Review Introduction

Well, here we are with a live-action remake of an animated film that was only released ten years ago. Disney’s track record with live-action remakes is not great, and that is before we even consider the ones they quietly dumped onto Disney+ like straight-to-DVD sequels. Which puts me in a kind of odd situation, as I am on record with how much I like the original Moana; indeed, it is still one of My Personal Top 10 Animated Films of All Time, and I even kind of liked the flawed sequel. However, last year’s How to Train Your Dragon showed that you can make that transition work, so I am here to see if You’re Welcome lands as well in 2026 as it did in 2016.  

So, to set the scene, deep in the Pacific Ocean, the demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson) attempted to harness the power of life from the goddess Te Fiti. He steals her heart, but instead of having the power over life, Maui is instantly defeated by the lava demon Te Kā and the heart and his magical fishing hook are flung into the ocean, separating Maui from his power and releasing death into the ocean. Or at least that’s the story that Tala (Rena Owen) tells to scare the children of the village, but it has been so many years since then, and surely these are just stories. But it is these stories that drive Moana (Catherine Laga’aia) to see what exists outside the reef that rings her island; however, her father Tui (John Tui), the chief, has banned people from leaving the island and the protection of the reef because of the dangers that lurk in the open ocean. But when death and disease come to her island, Moana will have to make a journey past what she knows and into the great abyss that surrounds every island.  

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Moana 2 Review: A Visual Spectacle with Emotional Depth

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TL;DR – While the plot might be a bit convoluted in places, and the music does not hit quite as hard. When the story, emotion, and characters collide, you can’t help but feel that joy wash over you.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Moana blows a shell horn.

Moana 2 Review –

This is a good day for me because I honestly believe that Moana is the best-animated film that Disney has made in their current era. I loved the world that they built, the narrative they created, and the music they crafted. Coming back into this world was always going to be a joy for me, but given how much I liked the first film, can it ever live up to what has come before?

So, to set the scene, it has been a number of years since the events of Moana, and Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) has spent that time exploring out from Motunui to find new foods, new resources, but also to reconnect with the people that Te Fiti had cut off. However, no matter how many islands she discovers, she can’t find any people. But when Heihei (Alan Tudyk) stumbles across some pottery that shows that there are people out there, Moana puts together a team of Loto (Rose Matafeo), Kele (David Fane), and Moni (Hualālai Chung) to explore. However, there may be a god out there who does not want them to succeed, hoping she will end up like her ancestor Tautai Vasa (Gerald Ramsey), the last Wayfinder who failed to find the fabled island.

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Māori First Look and Analysis – Civilization 6: Gathering Storm

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Kupe of The Māori. Image Credit: Firaxis Games

Māori Bonuses


Civilization Leader: Kupe
Civilization Capital: Te Hokianga-nui-a-kupe
Civilization Bonus: Mana – Begin the game with Sailing and Shipbuilding unlocked, +Stregth & Movement to Embarked Units, Bonus production to unimproved Woods and Rainforest. Fishing Boats provide +food and culture bomb adjacent tiles, but can not build Great Writers.  
Leader Bonus: Kupe’s Voyage – Begin the game on an Ocean Tile, first city gets a free builder + 1 population, Palace gets bonus Housing and Amenity, Science and Culture production starts before you settle your first city. 
Unique Unit: Toa – Enemy units adjacent get – Combat Strength. Can build the Pā – Built on Hills, + Defence Bonus and Healing for units that end their turn on it. 
Unique Building: Marae – +Culture and Faith to a city tiles with a passable feature. +Tourism after Flight. No Great Art Slots 
Mountain Ranges: Tiritiri-o-te-moana,

Māori Analysis

Today the Maori join Civilization 6 in the Gathering Storm expansion. 

The Maori have appeared before in Civilization 5 as part of the Polynesian Civ, with both Maori Warriors as their unique unit and several locations appeared on the Polynesian City List. However, this is the first time they have been the focus of a civilization in the Civilization series. 

Their big bonus is that you can get some time to float around the ocean and pick your best first city site without being penalised, this gives the Māori an incredible flexibility.

Māori First Look

You can check out all the Features in Civilization VI: Gathering Storm HERE and join in the discussions at the Civfanatics Forums

You can check out our Civilization Full Map HERE

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

What Civs would you like to see in Civ 6 Gathering Storm?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day.

Movie Review – The Breaker Upperers

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TL;DR – At times hilarious, at times incredible farcical, and at times a deeply moving look at the trials of friendship.

Score – 4 out of 5 stars

Post-Credit Scene – There is a post-credit scene

The Breaker Upperers. Image Credit: Piki Films/Madman.

Review –

For a long time, there has been this growing bubble of particular dry absurdist comedy coming out of New Zealand. You see it in the work of Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, Rhys Darby, Rachel House, and also some of Peter Jackson’s early films. These are films that mix comedy and emotional understanding in equal measures. Whenever one of these movies like Hunt for the Wilderpeople (see review) or Hibiscus & Ruthless (see review) make it across the ditch I always really look forward to seeing it. Well, today we get the chance to look at a new entry into this wonderful genre The Breaker Upperers, from the comedic team of Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek.

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Movie Review – Hibiscus and Ruthless

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TL;DR – A beautiful, funny film of charting family expectations

Score – 4 out of 5 stars

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit sequence as the credits roll

Hibiscus & Ruthless. Image Credit: M2S1 Films.

Review –

‘Families are complicated’, I think that is a phrase that just about anyone in the world can relate to. There is pressure to conform to your parents wants, and there is pressure to try and help the next generation succeed more than you did, and sometimes those two drives crash into each other in explosive fashion. Today we will be looking at a film that deals with just this very issue, as we explore this fascinating film from New Zealand from the same creative team behind Three Wise Cousins. There will be laughter, there will be tears, and there will be bread rolls on people’s heads for some reason.

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Moana Review: Powerful Story and Beautiful Animation

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TL;DR – A beautiful film from the animation, to the story, to the characters, a must watch this holiday season

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene

Moana. Image Credit: Disney.

Review –

Moana is a powerful story which is brilliantly animated, wonderfully acted and tells a great story. All of that would have been enough for me to recommend it to you, but on top of this Disney took a big risk in telling a story from Polynesia a place that rarely gets a look in this modern media landscape yet it is full of fascinating stories. I highly recommend you check Moana out at the movies if you can.

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