Johnny Tsunami

Giving a nice message of tolerance in an obvious but engaging way, the 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie “Johnny Tsunami” takes a 13-year-old champion surfer from the North Shore of Hawaii to the ski slopes of Vermont – and everybody learns a lesson in the movie. Variety said in their review, “Parents and grommets can paddle out and enjoy the ride together on “Tsunami’s” light waves.”

Living in Hawaii is pitch perfect for teen Johnny Kapahaala, who adores his grandfather, legendary surfer Johnny Tsunami, played by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, named because of the respected Tsunami surfing medal he won so long before.

However, the Kapahaala family is kind of damaged, the result of Johnny’s adolescence and passion for surfing along with his father Pete’s estranged relationship with his dad. Pete, played by Yuji Okumoto, is a hardworking businessman who always lectures Johnny about the struggling lifestyle of a surfer like his grandfather. Mom Melanie, played by Mary Page Keller, is stuck in the middle.

Paradise is lost as Pete gets a contract for his computer business in Vermont, and moves his family to New England, hoping to get Johnny out from under the influence of easygoing Grandfather.

Energetic Johnny is devastated, but he tries to fit in and soon finds out the class differences in his new town. He’s dubbed a “Sky” because he attends the superior Skyline Academy. Because he’s a Sky, he has to ski, but only down one side of the mountain. The other side is reserved for the “Urchins,” the public-school kids who snowboard.

Being an outsider, Johnny is bullied by the more Aryan Skys, played by Noah Bastian, and faults to the friendly, more fun and multicultural Urchins, who teach him to snowboard.

Movie climaxes with a race down the mountain between Johnny and the most Aryan – and bratty – of the Skys, Brett, played by Zach Bostrom, with the movie’s several issues riding on the deck of Johnny snowboard. Guess who wins?

Variety mentioned, “Writers Doug Sloan and Ann Knapp take a cliched situation and don’t do much with it, but script’s brisk pacing moves the plot along swiftly enough to keep interest. Similarly, director Steve Boyum moves events at a speedy pace, while polished but not spectacular footage of skiers, snowboarders and surfers — obviously talented stunt doubles, but small fry won’t care — adds a gee-whiz factor.”

The movie surfs easily on young adolescence Brandon Baker’s charisma, and he and fellow teen adolescence Lee Thompson Young, as Johnny’s best Urchin friend Sam, go above the childish material, making “Johnny Tsunami” an unreal but enjoyable film. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is wise and mysterious and every way a surfing legend.

Good use is made of scenic locations in Hawaii and Utah, which is a nice substitute for Vermont.

In all honesty, this film is fine, but I don’t think adults will want to watch this after one viewing. Don’t get me wrong, kids can watch it and enjoy it fine, but there are things in this movie where you will be saying that no kid would do that in real life. However, as a surfing/skiing/snowboarding flick for kids, give it a watch and enjoy the ride. This is not a difficult film to watch for adults as they can get through it with no problem, but after one viewing, I don’t think they will want to view it again.

Check in tomorrow when I review a film that is realistic, but farfetched and overboard, in “Disney Month 2021.”