Disney's live-action Moana arrived with enormous expectations this summer, bringing one of the studio's most beloved animated stories back to the big screen. While the film generated strong audience reactions and renewed interest in the franchise, its critical reception proved far more divided. Now, nearly a month after the movie's release, Dwayne Johnson has finally addressed the mixed response surrounding the project.

The actor, who reprised his role as Maui in the remake, reflected on the criticism during a recent interview and made it clear that he is taking the reaction in stride. Rather than focusing on reviews, Johnson said he remains proud of what the film accomplished beyond the box office and critic scores.

Speaking about the film's reception, Dwayne Johnson recalled how early reviews initially appeared encouraging before the conversation shifted in a different direction. Laughing about the situation, he acknowledged that not every project lands the way filmmakers hope when working in the entertainment industry.

The Golden Globe nominee told PEOPLE that the Disney movie’s negative reviews, which currently sit at 32% on Rotten Tomatoes, are “just the way it goes” in the entertainment industry, and that what “really mattered” was that “the culture really stood up” in the Polynesian-inspired tale.

“Our first two reviews came out. I’ll never forget it… They were amazing. I was like, wow,” he said, adding that the reviews then “went another way, as sometimes happens.”

The live-action adaptation currently holds a significantly lower critics' score than audience ratings, becoming one of Disney's more divisive remakes in recent years. Despite the criticism, Johnson suggested that neither he nor his team wanted to get caught up in opening-weekend reactions, instead choosing to focus on the film's longer-term impact.

“That’s just the way it goes because we’re in this business,” added Johnson to PEOPLE.

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For Johnson, the most meaningful response came from Polynesian audiences who saw their culture represented on screen. The actor explained that seeing children connect with the story and its cultural roots ultimately mattered more to him than review scores or online discourse.

The numbers behind the response paint a mixed picture. Disney's live-action Moana currently holds a 31% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences have responded far more positively, giving the film an 88% audience score. The divide highlights the gap between critical reception and general viewer sentiment, with some reviewers, including The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney, describing the remake as one of Disney's stronger live-action adaptations.

At the box office, the film has earned roughly $266 million worldwide since its July 10 release against a reported production budget of around $250 million. Directed by Thomas Kail and starring Catherine Laga'aia alongside Dwayne Johnson, Rena Owen, John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Jemaine Clement, the remake has struggled to turn its audience enthusiasm into a major theatrical success. Even so, Johnson's outlook remains unchanged, with the actor insisting that the film's cultural impact and connection with audiences matter more to him than review scores.

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Have you watched Moana's live-action? Let us know in the comments!