Here s what makes Netflix movie Finding Ohana more than just a Hawaiian Goonies Lauren Saria, Arizona Republic
Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the actress who plays Leilani.
It would be easy to write off Finding Ohana as a Goonies redux that just happens to swap the misty Oregon coast for the stunning landscape of the Hawaiian Islands.
But the visibility the film offers for the complexity and beauty of Hawaiian culture makes it so much more.
The movie, which streams on Jan. 29, is a part of Netflix s Representation Matters collection. It tells the story of Pili (Kea Peahu) and Iaone (Alex Aiono, who has Arizona roots), Brooklyn-raised siblings who end up spending the summer on O ahu. Their mother Leilani, played by native Hawaiian actress and Kamehameha Schools graduate Kelly Hu, brings them back after her father falls ill. She moved the family away from the islands after her husband s
6 Things Parents Should Know Before Streaming Netflix s Finding Ohana With Kids 40 Shares
Watch out! This post contains spoilers.
Two siblings from Brooklyn, Pili (Kea Peahu) and Ioane (Alex Aiono), seem like an average brother and sister enjoying their life in Netflix s newest original movie,
Finding Ohana. That is, until they go back to O ahu, Hawaii, to explore their family s roots (with no cell service and internet) and find an old leather journal that leads to an epic treasure hunt with newfound friends Hana (Lindsay Watson) and Casper (Owen Vaccaro).
But it s more than just the geocaching game Pili is used to real danger waits around every bend. Directed by Jude Weng (
Finding ‘Ohana describe it as “
The Goonies but in Hawai’i” my immediate thoughts was “yes this idea is perfect, I hope they do it well.” The good news is that
Finding ‘Ohana doesn’t just live up to its great premise, it surpasses it, giving us a truly Hawaiian movie with thrills, laughs, loving homages, and an incredible amount of heart.
Finding ‘Ohana follows brother and sister Ioane (Alex Aiono) and Pili (Kea Peahu) along with their mother, Leilani (Kelly Hu) as they head from the home in New York where they’ve grown up back to O’ahu, Hawai’i after their grandfather, Kimo (Branscombe Richmond) suffers a heart attack. The kids don’t want to be in a run-down house with no wifi on an island they barely know, especially Pili, who misses geocaching and her friends at home. Not even meeting a new, rather odd local friend, Casper (Own Vaccaro) or Ioane’s instant crush on neighbor Hana (Lindsay Watson) make it worth it, until Pili finds a journal that might