2021 is barely recovering from 2020, but Netflix keeps on churning out those kid-friendly movies.
‘Finding ‘Ohana,’ takes you on adventure trip from the mean streets of New York to the tropical islands of Hawaii, but it’s worth hopping on, if you want to learn a few Hawaiian words and get the traveller in you excited, once again. Mahalo!
Pili’s, (new comer, Kea Peahu) exciting New York life takes a sudden turn, when she has to accompany her single mother Leilani (Kelly Hu) and elder brother Ioane (Alex Aiono) to see their grandfather, Kimo (Branscombe Richmond) in the lush green town of Oahu in Hawaii.
While Kimo is struggling with his health and finances, his love for Oahu and independence, doesn’t allow him to move in with is daughter in the New York City, much to her chagrin.
But such is the charm of Hawaii’s pristine and scenic beauty (captured superbly by Cort Fey) that its residents never want to leave. And it doesn’t take long for Leilani’s children to find their own calling in the picturesque town.
Ioane starts crushing over local hottie, Hana (Lindsay Watson) and Pili finds an old journal of exploratory pirate stories, seeking an exciting treasure hunt (think, The Goonies!). She, along with Hana’s kid brother Casper (Owen Vaccaro) make a daring plan to find the treasure and are soon joined by their elder siblings, who come looking for them.
The hunt for the treasure and ‘Ohana (meaning family) dovetail one stormy night as the youngsters climb mountains and work out the clues while father and daughter bond in hospital.
The adventure with all the Indiana Jones references, including melting Nazi faces, pulleys and counterweights are fun. Speaking of Indiana Jones references, Ke Huy Quan, Short Round from Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, stars in the film.
The shadow warriors are suitably ominous, and the ending has a ‘spirited away’ feel to it. The recreations of what happened to Brown (Chris Parnell), Robinson (Marc Evan Jackson) and Monks (Ricky Garcia), the mutinous crew aboard The Peruvian is inventive and funny from when the kid’s tell the story, bringing an added charm to the film.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This rollicking adventure has lots of appeal. What kid hasn’t dreamed of going on a treasure hunt? The story is sweet and a family-sized popcorn worth of treats, and especially for the younger children.
While the conversations of cultural heritage could have been slightly more in depth, Finding ‘Ohana has its heart in the right place.
3.5/5 STARS