Disney’s live-action Moana (C-) directed by Thomas Kail is one of those rare remakes that might have worked better as a radio play. Without having to stare at its relentlessly artificial soundstage settings, audiences could simply enjoy the songs, the story and the engaging vocal performances. Newcomer Catherine Laga’aia makes for a warm, charismatic title character, while Dwayne Johnson remains an effortlessly appealing Maui whose cocksure screen presence transcends the film’s digital overload. Like the animated original, the first act charts an inviting course before the adventure drifts into increasingly repetitive waters. Kail rarely summons a convincing visual language for bringing this fantasy world to life, leaving the production looking more like synthetic surf and turf than ever magical. Nearly every frame feels smothered in effects that flatten rather than expand the sense of wonder. Ironically, the two leads provide enough charm to keep you listening even when your eyes are pleading for mercy. Had Disney trusted our imaginations instead of these atrocious visual effects, Moana might have sailed much farther.