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Dwayne Johnson in the live-action Moana remake and Moana in Moana 2. / Disney
Why did Disney sabotage the Moana franchise?
The live-action Moana remake hits theaters this weekend. And things are looking bad.
Early reactions went live on Wednesday, with critics calling the remake a “soulless, miserable financial decision,” “soulless and inauthentic” and “one of the ugliest movies of the year.” “Producing slower and uglier versions of movies we’ve already seen is solidifying as Disney’s core business,” The AV Club’sJacob Oller wrote, “and if Moana still manages to be disappointing, it’s because the source material is just that good.”
In a piece titled “Please Stop,” Vulture’s Alison Willmore exposed what’s rotten at the core of these remakes: “Most of the truly memorable moments in the first Moana, like the scene in which the heroine, at her lowest moment, is visited by her luminescent ancestors emerging from the quiet ocean, or the final confrontation, a gorgeous instance of empathy and grace instead of violence, end up looking like utter dog shit in this version, which is the greatest sin of all.”
I’m sure Disney would accept savage reviews like that if the live-action Moana remake was going to earn the studio hundreds of millions of dollars. Unfortunately for the studio, the film is on pace for a domestic opening weekend in the $60 million range. (Read more)
James and Goomi in Minions & Monsters. / Universal Pictures
Minions & Monsters debuts to franchise low opening weekend
After ignoring the Despicable Me/Minions franchise for fifteen years, I finally saw one of the films in theaters this weekend. It turns out a ton of the rest of you went in the opposite direction, with Minions & Monsters opening with the lowest domestic debut in franchise history.
With several of the Despicable Me/Minions movies opening over a July 4 weekend, it gets a bit tricky to exactly compare their first frames, but anyway you slice it, Minions & Monsters was a huge drop-off for the franchise. (Read more)
Bags of Sweet Stash Sour Jams and Sweet Stash Rock Jams. / Snackology
Sweet Stash gummies goes platinum with Sour Jams and Rock Jams
It’s gummy mania at Snackology. Over the past year, gummies have taken over the newsletter. Haribo! Trolli! Swedish gummies! Organic gummies! For today’s review, we’re returning to a favorite of mine from last year: Sweet Stash Jams.
The gummies, created by brothers Adeev Potash and Ezra Potash and actor Martin Starr, were one of my favorite new snacks of 2025. (They earned an honorable mention in the candy category for the inaugural Snackies.) The trio has now expanded the Sweet Stash lineup with Sweet Stash Sour Jams and SweetStash Rock Jams. (Read more)
McDonald’s McCrispy Strips. / Snackology
I tried the revamped McDonald’s McCrispy Strips. Or, at least I’m pretty sure I did.
When McDonald’s introduced McCrispy Strips last May, it was a huge deal. A massive deal. McDonald’s fans rejoiced over the return of chicken strips to the chain’s menu for the first time since Chicken Selects disappeared.
But some diehard Chicken Selects fans weren’t sold on the new McCrispy Strips. Jake, my youngest brother, was one of those people. After trying them once, he swore to never again get chicken strips at McDonald’s until they were truly what was lost in the absence of Chicken Selects.
McDonald’s quietly rolled out a revamped version of McCrispy Strips this month, noting on their website that they’re “now crispier.” Would that do the trick? (Read more)
Campbell’s and Banza team up for a gluten-free soup
As an adult, my soup game has moved on to sophisticated options. Soups that come in jars. Soups that are homemade. Soups that are served in bowls made of bread. But there’s something incredibly classic about a can of Campbell’s condensed chicken noodle soup. It’s the soup that your mom ladled into a giant mug after you played in the snow.
You can now get that iconic soup in a gluten-free version thanks to Campbell’s Gluten Free Banza Chickpea Pasta and Chicken Soup. (Read more)
The Omnicosm is written and produced by Bill Kuchman. Copyediting by Tim Kuchman.
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The Omnicosm founder. Snackology, Popculturology and The Cold Open writer. A Rochester, N.Y., native now living in the Washington, D.C., area. Won’t pass up a Genny Cream Ale.
The live-action remake is a critical disaster and on track to be a box office disappointment. PLUS: New trailers for ‘Dune: Part Three’ and ‘Godzilla Minus Zero,’ the ‘Supergirl’ bakeoff, and they’re rebooting ‘Free Willy.’
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