Finding 'Ohana was released almost one year ago, and I must apologize for being so slow in writing about it. I'll blame that on having a son who was born in March of 2020, who now is a toddler and makes it hard to find time for watching movies and writing. That, in fact, makes a good transition into the thoughts that I have about this film.
This movie has lots of references to The Goonies and Raiders of the Lost Ark, which I like. That even includes an appearance by the actor Ke Huy Quan.
In contrast to those movies, this one has a diverse cast of heroes. That is important.
Like The Goonies, this is a treasure hunter story. It has less of an edge, though, probably due to the lack of villains like the Fratellis.
The primary set of clues for this hunt is a journal—written first in Spanish, and then translated into Hawaiian. I think it works well for moving the action forward in this treasure hunt, and the character's interpretations of the text are quite amusing. What is more, I think this kind of device would work well in a treasure-hunting scenario for young players.
The movie makes good use of its natural setting, both with beautiful cinematography and in creating obstacles for the heroes to bypass. The narrow tunnel, the lava chamber and others would require player strategy and Trait tests, making for action that doesn't require violence.
This film also has a sense of reverence, both for the natural setting of Hawaii and as a sense of family and community. That is a refreshing change from stories such as Angels & Demons, about which I wrote earlier.
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