Like many others, I loved the original Johnny Tsunami (1999), which was a part of my childhood. Somehow, this sequel never got on my radar. I didn't get around to watching it until 2024. Why they took so long to make this sequel is strange, but anyways ...
The returning cast members - Johnny, his grandfather, and his parents - are all great, and they really remind me of why the first movie was so good. The scenes where Johnny has light-hearted banter with his grandfather, for example, are so natural and charming. The movie has a decent plot
That said - In my review of the original Johnny Tsunami (1999), I gave a 10/10 score . There are several problems that block this movie from the same score ...
firstly, the character Sam reappears in this movie, but Lee Thompson Young isn't here. They use a different actor, which is distracting. I believe that they should have not have included the Sam character if Lee Thompson Young didn't come back.
Secondly, this movie, like the original, concludes with a big race. But whereas the original movie, from start to end, seemed to build up to the big race between Johnny and his rival, the big race in this movie feels more random, tacked-on, and awkward.
Thirdly - there is a character named Val, who is vaguely implied to be Johnny's romance interest but not quite (if that seems confusing, it is). Their relationship felt half-hearted, as if the movie doesn't know what to do with it. I ended up wondering where Kirsten Storms' character from the original was.
Fourthly - the relationship between Johnny's grandpa and his new wife is way too awkward because of the huge age gap. The movie includes some romantic drama scenes between them. Those scenes are hard to watch.
Fifthly - the character Chris (Johnny's new uncle, a 12 year old boy) is unlikable to the point of annoyance. I get that his behavior was necessary for the plot and the character arc, but there was a point where I just wanted his mother to give him a spanking
6.0/10.
