What a load of rubbish. Lousy acting. Poor story. Minimal surfing action. Unbelieveable storyline. White dude turns up in Hawaii to live. Immediately gets picked on by the "native" Hawaiians because he's different. Suddenly gets on well with some of the natives who takes him into their confidence. Of course then comes the inevitable meeting of the native chick, who just happens to be a relative of one of the good guys. And of course he gets to save one of her brothers which indears him even more to her. What garbage!!
May 29, 2008 |  | A good review from a Local!! |  |
I must say I saw this film with a group of friends here in Hawaii and the theatre was jam packed. This movie shows both the good and bad sides of Hawaii. Where movies like "Aloha Summer" and "North Shore" failed "Beyond Paradise" succeeds. The story focuses on California native Mark[Roy Newton] as he moves to Hawaii to live with his mother. He is befriended by three local students named Zulu[Kalani], Ronnie Boy[Lorenzo Callender] and Keao[Daryl Bonilla]. We then are taken on a journey of both beauty and violence and what a journey it is. Aside from one flaw[which I'll talk about a little later]I thought this movie was excellent. The cinematography is superb and the story is brutal but utterly endearing and touching. But the thing that stands out most is the acting. This film showcases some young talented actors. I'd take these actors over any from the "Dawson Creek", "Scream" crowd. Newton is okay but shows little depth and even lesser growth as Mark[this being the flaw I mentioned earlier]. Being on the screen with talented actors as he was only made his so-so performance stand out more[which in his case was not a good thing]. Kalani is a charmer as the storytelling Zulu[not a bad surfer as well]. Callender delivers a solid yet heartbreaking performance as Ronnie. He's got talent. Bonilla distinguishes himself as Keao. He is a scene stealer. This guy is something special to watch as the crowd just ate him up. Priscilla Basque[Lehua], Troy Ignacio[Aku] and Eric MacArthur[Jason]do good work in supporting roles. I seriously recommend that people see this film for just the great acting alone as this movie delivers 9/10
February 18, 2007i enjoyed this movie...it shows the different kinds of people living in Hawaii...some things are a little exaggerated, but there is some truth to it. It's a good movie about real friends.
August 6, 2004This was a great movie about the struggle of a young man from the mainland United States who experiences the harsh realities of the Hawaiian islands and its' culture. The director of this movie used graphic representations of the "local" native hawaiian's views on foreigners to depict a society based on drugs, violence, and crime. This however, is not the total truth. Being from the islands, I was able to see the contrasts between what is and is not factual. However, being foreign to the Hawaiian islands might lead one who views this movie to stay away from this paradise. All in all, this is one of those must see movies for anyone who enjoys watching raw, on the edge action about an incredible society in the middle of pacific ocean.
March 8, 2004Aloha! I think the directors portrayal of a mainlander's transition to the local Hawai'ian life was exaggerated. I'm a mainlander from the east coast who relocated to Hawaii and had no problem being accepted by the locals (with the exception of understanding the pidgin). Although I am not a "haole"(I am Filipino) I was raised in a white environment and call myself a coconut (brown on the outside, but white on the inside). Even the pidgin spoken in the movie wasn't quite right. However, I do commend the casting crew on their choice of character casting - I would definitely say Zulu (Kalani) is a heart throb and my personal favorite is Ronnie Boy (Lorenzo Callender). I've run internet searches on Lorenzo but have not been able to come up with much information. Maybe someone out there could help me? I was wondering about his current projects, personal info (hobbies, interests, pasttimes, age, location, etc...). Does anybody out there have any information on Lorenzo? He's definitely EYE CANDY and I'd like to learn more about him - better yet, seeing that I live in Hawaii, any possibilities I could meet up!!! Please get back to me if you can help "ShezGotGame@aol.com&quo t;. Much Mahalos!!!
February 1, 2004More reviews at Amazon.com ...
Daily Birthdays
(7 reviews)
