Finding 'Ohana (2021)

 Finding 'Ohana (2021)

7/10

Starring

Kea Peahu
Alex Aiono
Lindsay Watson
Owen Vaccaro
Kelly Hu

Directed by Jude Weng

Finding ‘Ohana is one of those feel-good movies we all need. The movie pays homage to all the fun adventure movies of the '80s and '90s, with many ideas drawn from the 1985 adventure comedy The Goonies. Think of this movie as The Goonies remastered to fit into modern times, and it definitely delivers the laughs, adventure, mystery, and all-around enjoyment needed during these pandemic times. Who would have thought that in March 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak became a pandemic, it would carry on into most of 2021? Here is a feel-good movie you can watch that will take your mind off the craziness outside and warm your heart.

I have to give kudos to the child actors in this movie. The two of them managed to convey the needed emotions for each scene, especially Owen Vaccaro, who was the lead in The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018).

The movie is well-written, and the pacing is good, with some nice cinematography of the island of Hawaii. Even though the movie extends toward two hours, the editing and directing make you either captivated by the current adventure, laughing at what’s happening, or amazed by your surroundings.

The movie starts with an intro to our lead, a young adventure-hunter girl around twelve, named Pili (Kea Peahu). She and her brother, Ioane (Alex Aiono), along with their widow mother, Leilana, travel to Hawaii. This isn’t a vacation, but a trip to visit their grandfather, who Leilana believes isn’t taking good care of himself. While there, Pili continues exploring the house and discovers a journal belonging to a man named Monks, who, along with two other men, buried treasure in the mountains. Her discovery of this journal, hidden away by her grandfather, also leads her to meet Casper (Owen Vaccaro), another young person her age. She convinces Casper to help her find the treasure’s location and save her grandfather from financial woes.

They run off, and later Hana (Casper’s friend) and Ioane go searching for them. Soon, the four of them are deep in the mountains, searching for the treasure and trying to find their way out.

This movie would have received a higher rating if they had removed two things that were just too cheesy to ignore and became annoying. The first was the grumpy old man trope. There was no need for this forced father-daughter, not-getting-along dynamic. Or the mean old grandpa who later turns into a sweet grandpa for his granddaughter. The second was the cheesy romantic angle they felt the movie needed. It was forced and became very annoying watching Ioane try to win Hana’s affection, and her falling for him without any real reason for it. The romance felt unnecessary.

I recommend this movie to anyone who liked The Goonies and to anyone who just loves feel-good movies.