The Legend of Johnny Lingo

"What if you were born a king and didn't know it?"

2003 1h 31m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

🥫

13%

ROTTEN

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 41🥫13%Rotten Tomatoes★6.2IMDB · 894

FamilyActionAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When a storm washes a canoe bearing an infant boy ashore upon a small South Pacific island, he is at first well-received as a gift from the heavens, even to the point of the tribal chief adopting him as a successor. However, with time as hardships are blamed upon Tama (as he is named), he is finally outcast to live with the poorest people on the island, Mahana and her drunken father. Mahana is considered homely and undesirable, but Tama feels differently, so when he is old enough to build a craft to sail away, he vows to return for her one day. A lucky stroke brings him to land upon the island of the legendary Johnny Lingo, the wealthiest trader in the islands, and after years of service to him, Tama has learned much about life and himself as he dreams of honoring his pledge to Mahana.

“What if you were born a king and didn't know it?”

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Cast

George Henare
Johnny Lingo
Rawiri Paratene
Malio Chief
Joe Folau
Tama
Alvin Fitisemanu
Chief Steward
Kayte Ferguson
Mahana
Hori Ahipene
Pioi
Sima Urale
Hoku
Peter Sa'ena Brown
Miriama's Father

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Steven Ramirez
Writers: Riwia Brown, John Garbett, Patricia McGerr
Languages: English
Countries: New Zealand, Cook Islands

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: New Zealand, Cook Islands.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Steven Ramirez, shot by Allen Guilford. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Kevin Kiner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Steven Ramirez shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

George Henare and Rawiri Paratene and Joe Folau carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "What if you were born a king and didn't know it?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0367960 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Steven Ramirez directs. Allen Guilford behind the camera. Kevin Kiner scores. Steven Ramirez cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in New Zealand, Cook Islands. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 23 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: New Zealand, Cook Islands.
3Directed by Steven Ramirez, shot by Allen Guilford. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Kevin Kiner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Steven Ramirez shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6George Henare and Rawiri Paratene and Joe Folau carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "What if you were born a king and didn't know it?".
8IMDB entry: tt0367960 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 41 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.