The Legend of Johnny Lingo
Picture: C Sound: C+ Extras: D
Film: C-
Evaluating a film where
you are not the intended audience presents numerous difficulties for a
reviewer. As a result, for a film such
as the Legend of Johnny Lingo, I must
foreground all my criticisms with the assumption that this film is intended for
children and family viewing. Even one
with a cynical edge accustomed to the stylized depression of the Italian New
Wave can enjoy and appreciate family and kids films. Many Disney films are wonderful stories and artistic triumphs;
and so far, Pixar can do no wrong.
Personally, I believe the world is separated by people who love E.T. and those who detest it; I do not
truck with the latter. Unfortunately, The Legend of Johnny Lingo falls well
short of any criteria one would use to judge a children’s film.
The film’s endorsements
boasts that Johnny Lingo is from one
of the producers of Jurassic Park
and Hook (as well as Schindler’s List, but I guess that is
not cheery enough for a family audience) and is celebrated by The 700 Club
as “a wonderful family film full of tender moments, exciting adventure and
good, old-fashioned values.” Rest assured, they are indeed old-fashioned. The film is a feature length adaptation of a
short film (and story) produced at the Brigham Young University film school and
is helmed by a number of members from the Mormon Church. The film is shot on location, primarily in
the South Pacific and New Zealand with an entirely Polynesian cast. The scenery is gorgeous, but woefully under
utilized, which maybe a result of the full-frame presentation (another drawback
of films marketed exclusive to children).
The Legend of Johnny Lingo follows the story of Tama, a baby who washes
ashore on a small South Pacific island after a devastating storm. The island chief believes the child is a
gift from the gods and adopts him as his own; making him heir to the chiefdom,
despite already having a son. Amid
protests from his wife and island gossip that suggests the baby was sent from
the god of mischief, he offers Tama to another family. As luck would have it, Tama screws up and
burns down his new family’s house.
Again, he is sent to another family; this time to the island drunk who
has not sobered since his wife died giving childbirth to Mahana, who is blamed
for the death of her mother and is teased by the other island girls for her
physical appearance. Both outsiders,
Tama and Mahana forge a strong bond.
Yet, Tama feels obligated to seek fortunes elsewhere and leaves,
promising to return and take care of Mahana. Adrift at sea, Tama lands on an
island occupied by the great Johnny Lingo, the wealthiest and most benevolent
trader in the area (in one scene, Johnny tells Tama that his workers were once
slaves he bought and freed and that wealth must be used for the betterment of
others; the following scene shows his accumulated treasures. Unintended irony, the best kind). Tolerant of his mischief and bad luck,
Citizen Lingo “adopts” Tama as an apprentice, where he works off his debt over
a period of seven years. Naturally,
Tama learns the benefit of hard work, fulfilling promises and the importance of
character.
Through a series of plot
contrivances, Tama learns that Johnny Lingo is not the real Dread Pirate Roberts,
sorry, Johnny Lingo. The real Johnny
Lingo died years ago and handed the namesake and the wealth to his adopted
misfit, who he crafted into a man, just as he will do for Tama. With Johnny now gone, Tama adopts the name
and heads to his home island to find Mahana.
In simplistic Cinderella-type story, Tama the prince, surveys the women
of the island to choose a bride. One
can only assume how it ends.
Although the spirit of the
film is honest, it is hard to overlook the amateurish feel to its direction. The story is clearly derivative, from Cinderella to the Princess Bride to Pygmalion,
the film really says nothing new. Even
though it is a film intended for children, that does not excuse it for a lack
of inventiveness. Also, the portrayal of women leaves a little to be desired.
With the exception of Mahana, all women are catty, shallow, and trite. Moreover, the film almost valorizes the
dowry system the culture operates under (this criticism should not be construed
as pure ethnocentricism given the borderline condescending portrayal of the
island culture in the film). There are
plenty of opportunities to develop a film that is realistic, inventive, and
culturally insightful; the 2003 film, Whale
Rider, comes to mind.
The DVD itself presents
the film in full frame, which really harms its aesthetics. The images are also grainy and drab, odd
considering the setting. The sound is
in 5.1 EX Dolby Digital and lacks subtly; the voice track overwhelms all other
sounds, including all the luscious sounds of the ocean. The DVD also grossly lacking in extras; the
original theatrical trailer and trailers for other MGM releases should not
count as bonus features. Overall, if
you would like to enjoy a family night at movies, you would be better served to
watch Toy Story for the eightieth
time.
- Ron Von Burg
