Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board is a sequel to an old Disney channel film Johnny Tsunami from a few years ago. The lead Brandon Baker has grown considerably and really didn't convince me as a 17 year old. I'm not sure how it would have hurt the plot to have Baker be his real age of 22.
Still the film is pleasant to watch because it does carry over the main theme of the first film, the bond between young Johnny and his grandfather, a legendary Hawaiian surfer known as Johnny Tsunami. As I did in the first film, I did enjoy the scenes between Brandon Baker and his grandfather Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. They had me convinced they really were blood relations.
It's a Disney channel film so don't expect anything terribly profound or dramatic. Grandpa is getting married to a young widow and she's bringing an adolescent played by Jake T. Austin into the marriage. They have issues to resolve, the sort of ones you would find in a Disney production.
Of course they all get resolved in the end, still it's a pleasant enough film with nice New Zealand locations substituting for Hawaii. Can't go wrong there.
Still the film is pleasant to watch because it does carry over the main theme of the first film, the bond between young Johnny and his grandfather, a legendary Hawaiian surfer known as Johnny Tsunami. As I did in the first film, I did enjoy the scenes between Brandon Baker and his grandfather Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. They had me convinced they really were blood relations.
It's a Disney channel film so don't expect anything terribly profound or dramatic. Grandpa is getting married to a young widow and she's bringing an adolescent played by Jake T. Austin into the marriage. They have issues to resolve, the sort of ones you would find in a Disney production.
Of course they all get resolved in the end, still it's a pleasant enough film with nice New Zealand locations substituting for Hawaii. Can't go wrong there.