Dwayne Johnson responded to mixed reviews of Disney's live-action Moana after the film earned $95 million in its opening weekend and $261 million worldwide as of the fourth weekend, against a $250 million budget. The movie received a 31 percent critic rating and an 88 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6/10 score from IGN.

The live-action adaptation of the 2016 animated feature opened in May and features Johnson reprising his role as Maui. He said he has experience dealing with criticism from a long career in entertainment.

Johnson told People that the first reviews were positive but that later reviews changed. He said, “Our first two reviews came out… They were amazing. I was like, wow. Then the reviews went another way.” He added that “if you love it, great. If you don’t, no problem.” He emphasized that the film's cultural representation mattered, stating, “the culture really stood up” and that the movie allowed Polynesian families to see themselves on screen.

His wife, Lauren Hashian, said the film's universal themes of family, love, loss and perseverance resonated with her, especially as a mother watching with her children.

The film's underperformance at the box office contrasted with Disney's continued development of live-action remakes, including a Tangled adaptation that is currently in production, as indicated by set leaks showing early cast looks. Johnson previously addressed criticism about his Maui wig, saying he laughed off the comments.

The situation illustrates how audience and critic reception can influence a film's commercial trajectory while studios continue to pursue adaptation projects.