Moana (in theaters) 

Live-action remakes of animated classics fall into one of three categories: the terrible ones that ruin the original, the precious few that add something mildly interesting, and the absolutely pointless ones that just copy the original movie. 

The new “Moana” is sadly in the third category, only with a worse version of Maui. Yes, it’s voiced by the same actor as the animated movie (one of the few who is), but in the original Maui was a reckless, immortal young man struggling with acceptance. In this version, he’s an old man in a bad wig who still acts like he’s in his 20s, making the character far less sympathetic. When you add in the slightly off timing that happens every time you copy an original scene, and there’s no reason to watch this version when the animated one still exists. 

The movie is basically an exact remake of the original, only with shorter and less dynamic action scenes. The replacement singers are mostly good,  though the live-action grandma couldn’t quite capture the energy of the original. The CGI is all solid, but not really an improvement on the animation. Any emotional weight is due to the semi-successful replication of a moment from the original. 

Then there’s the problem of Maui. His work in the animated original is his best onscreen performance to date, apparently because the animators handled all his facial expressions. His turn in the live-action is weak in comparison, with all his line deliveries leaving you longing for the original. 

Smart viewers will cut out the middle man and just stream the original on the biggest TV you can. The only thing it’s missing is real movie theater popcorn, and these days you can get that delivered. 

Grade: Two stars (out of four)

Enola Holmes 3 (Netflix)

It’s always fun to hang out with Enola Holmes 

The third entry in the series about Sherlock’s little sister remains as charming as ever, offering up its spin on Enola’s attempts at a wedding. The movie dips into deeper wells of emotional and social maturity, exploring those complications while still offering up plenty of adventure. The mystery aspect does suffer, feeling more like an afterthought stuffed in the middle of all the excitement, but fans of the series will appreciate the reappearance of an old enemy. With a delightful performance from Milly Bobby Brown as Enola and an excellent supporting cast, there’s plenty here to love even if you don’t scratch the mystery itch.

The movie opens with Enola’s wedding to her sweetheart Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) which is complicated by the discovery that Sherlock (Henry Cavill) has been kidnapped. In the process of finding him, Enola has to confront fire, assassins, the darker side of British history, and her feelings about marriage. When an old enemy makes an appearance, things get even more complicated. 

Brown adds layers to Enola as she wrestles with family and emotional issues, while Partridge is sweetly serious as a struggling Tewkesbury. Himesh Patel does an excellent and welcome turn as Watson, his first real appearance in the series, while Cavill makes the most of his time as Sherlock. Helena Bonham Carter is her usual eccentric self as Enola’s mother, though she adds some emotional nuance as well. 

All together, it makes for a charming adventure that’s worth securing an invite. 

Grade: Three stars (out of four)

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Denver Film Critics Society and the Utah Film Critics Association. Drop her a line at [email protected].