The Legend of Johnny Lingo
by Steven Ramirez
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DVD details
Actor: Alvin Fitisemanu, George Henare, Joe Folau, Peter Sa'ena Brown, Rawiri ParateneDirector: Steven Ramirez
Brand: MGM HOME VIDEO (UNDER FOX)
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1 EX; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 91 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-05-11
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product features:
- From one of the producers of Hook and Jurassic Park comes this satisfying, eye-catching family adventure (The Movie Reporter)! Based on the beloved story, this wholesome coming-of-age tale is a wonderful family film full of tender moments, exciting adventure and good, old-fashioned values ( The 700 Club )! Far away on a tropical island, an orphan boy named Tama is cursed by his tribe and finds co
DVD Reviews of The Legend of Johnny Lingo
DVD Review: The Legend of Johhny Lingo
Summary: 4 Stars
I strongly recommend this movie for a family night. The story is a positive, uplifting one that ephasizes loyalty, faithfulness, unconditional love and the estimation of the value of others. While the story is truly inspiring, the acting is mediocre at best. It soon becomes obvious that the Noni juice industry has funded the film - some parts have the feel of an infomercial. Fortunately, they are brief and do not detract much from the basic message of the film. So, if you are a persnickety perfectionist, look elsewhere. However, if you can live with imperfection to view an enjoyable, endearing tale set in the South Pacific, it's worth purchasing. Our family found it worthy of more than one viewing.DVD Review: A surprise gem of a movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a serious DVD collector, over 2,000 in my collection right now. I stumbled onto "The Legend of Johnny Lingo" after it was recommended by a DVD store manager to me. She said that I, being originally from Hawaii, that I might enjoy it. It was one of the best recommendations that I've received.
I had seen the DVD cover several times before in stores but frankly the cover did not draw me to it. It was a little misleading. After my wife and I enjoyed watching it I must have gotten about 20 extra copies of the movie to send to my brother and sisters and friends.
Later on I did buy a copy of the LDS version which has an extra DVD with features on it which made the movie even more enjoyable. The two-disc LDS version has a much nicer and more appealing cover that would have made me buy the DVD much sooner. The cover, especially, and the back of the DVD case sells the movie to me. I have bought lots of movies by just looking at the cover and the copy on the back - especially if I'm not familiar with the title.
Take a chance on this movie. It was quite refreshing and so colorful with the scenery where it was shot.
DVD Review: Makes a heart happy
Summary: 5 Stars
Film critic, Pete Croatto, wrote: "There's no adventure or fun anywhere in Johnny Lingo, which is odd because this is kid friendly fare...There are no truly funny, scary, or heroic characters and no memorable visuals." No heroic characters?!! Crazy talk. Young boy made a promise and kept it years later. Sounds pretty heroic to me. (This is a fine example of why I do not trust film critics. Nothing more than one person's opinion rendered through a narrow scope of one's own personal taste. Better to have a composite view from many different opinions to weed out the foolishness.)
Not every movie (even "kid-friendly") needs CGI gimmicks, sexed up women, idiotic quips, or bogeymen jumping out of bushes to capture interest and hold attention. With reviewer opinions like Croatto's, it's no wonder studios now make movies devoid of emotional inspiration, have flat characters, and droll storylines. Movies today are made for drooling buffoons with short attention spans. If a car doesn't go boom or someone doesn't get shot within the first 15 seconds, the movie is a failure. So when faced with a movie like Johnny Lingo--one that is based around characters and real emotions not booming parlor tricks--like a monkey with a computer, most don't know what to make of it. They shake it. When it doesn't make noise, they lose interest and throw it against the wall then lumber off.
The cover shot and title are misleading in marketing the movie. The crux of Johnny Lingo is about love and commitment, which may be beyond the depth of most youngster these days. There's no real "legend" to speak of; that is a misnomer. No swashbuckling journey or legendary adventure. The legend angle was nonexistent and had no meaningful part in story. If you are expecting to see a movie about a frolicking Polynesian "Peter Pan", you'll be disappointed.
The story is the thing in Johnny Lingo. A tale of two outcasts finding life in each other. Good old-fashioned love story. No extraneous effects are required to tell it.
DVD Review: Johnny Lingo
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful family movie. Full of adventure, humor and fulfilling a promise.DVD Review: Great family entertainment
Summary: 5 Stars
The "Legend of Johnny Lingo" is actually based on a real south seas legend and was already the topic for another film about this legend some years ago.
This is a more modern interpretation of the legend, and it boasts with a number of famous Pacific Islands & New Zealand Maori actors like Rawiri Paratene (Whale Rider), which are of course mostly unknown to the US and European audience. The film was shot at various locations, mainly in NZ and Rarotonga and Aitutaki (the two latter both belong to the Cook Islands) and the beauty of the locations is breathtaking.
The story is quite simple: orphant boy leaves his home island but vows to return one day to marry the daughter of his foster father, boy meets the famous and benevolent trader Johnny Lingo who later makes the boy to take his name, and finally returns as the (new) Johnny Lingo to get his bride who has been patiently waiting for him all these years. However, this seemingly plain story is witty with some very nice twists and contains lots of humour. The film music is by the famous group "Te Vaka" from Tuvalu and supports and enhances the story, adding to the typical South Seas touch.
As I have lived in the Cooks Islands for some years I have particularly enjoyed recognizing some of the places I know. But even without this personal interest of mine this film is great family entertainment and will be enjoyed both by young and old (5+ years).
The film was sponsored by the Mormons (Latter Day Saints) and a Tahitian company that exports Noni juice. Whilst I could not detect any mormon-specific preaching or message in the film (in fact, there are no biblical or church themes in the film at all), the Noni juice is quite prominently mentioned throughout the film, probably due to this sponsorship.
The one thing worth criticising is the German synchronisation which is substandard at the very best (but this really only affects those who don't want to listen to the English master soundtrack).
Description of The Legend of Johnny Lingo
Based on the beloved story, this wholesome coming-of-age tale is "a wonderful family film full of tender moments, exciting adventure and good, old-fashioned values" ("The 700 Club")! Far away on a tropical island, an orphan boy named Tama is "cursed" by his tribe and finds comfort in a fellow outcast: Mahana, a feisty girl shunned for herragged appearance. When Tama sails off in search of a new life, he promises a tearful Mahana to return for her someday. But Tama's journey leads him to Johnny Lingo, a wealthy trader who makes Tama his apprentice and heir. Now, as Tama embraces his new life, he must learn that the measure of a man is not in his possessions but in love, friendship and in Tama's case honoring a promise from the past.The 1969 short movie of the beloved Johnny Lingo receives feature-length treatment in this heartwarming family film by veteran producers John Garbett and Jerry Molen. Filmed in New Zealand, this seafaring adventure expands the legend of the wealthy island trader by tracing back to childhood the boy, Tama, who eventually becomes Johnny Lingo's namesake. When a storm casts ashore a tiny canoe carrying the infant boy, Tama's tribe receives him as a gift from the gods. But when misfortune strikes, Tama is cursed and cast out to live with a feisty girl, Mahana, and her drunken father. Mahana and Tama forge a friendship and when Tama is old enough to sail away from the island, he vows one day to return for her. Good fortune takes Tama to the isle of Johnny Lingo, who teaches him life lessons of fair trade, hard work, and honor. Tama eventually returns to bestow dignity on Mahana in an ashes-to-beauty love story. Steven Ramirez, in his directorial debut, retains the spirit of Patricia McGerr's original story, "Johnny Lingo's Eight Cow Wife," underscoring the power of second chances. (Ages 6 and older) --Lynn Gibson
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