Weekend Reviews : Movies : ‘Surf Ninjas’: Elementary Story Line Strictly for Kids

“Surf Ninjas” (citywide), a strictly-for-the-kiddies action comedy, has as its biggest assets the sunny personality of its star Ernie Reyes Jr., a martial arts wiz, surfer and rock singer, and the simple but important fact that it’s a mainstream movie featuring Asian-Americans in central roles.

Reyes’ Johnny, his younger brother Adam (Nicolas Cowan) and their pal Iggy (Rob Schneider) enjoy an idyllic existence in Ocean Park when the brothers’ adoptive father Mac (John Karlen) is abruptly kidnaped. A mysterious man, Satch (Ernie Reyes Sr.), who has the power to make himself disappear, pops up and tells the brothers they are royal princes from the South China Sea island kingdom of Patu San (where Karlen now languishes imprisoned in the Fortress of Death).

Years before the evil Col. Chi (Leslie Nielsen), a buffoonish cross between Genghis Khan and the Terminator, invaded Patu San and overthrew the monarchy, Satch managed to hand over the brothers, both too young to have memories of their native land, to Mac to raise in America. But now as Johnny approaches his 16th birthday, he must return to Patu San to fulfill his destiny, overthrow the colonel’s cruel regime and assume the throne.

Dan Gordon’s script is elementary in the utmost, boasting only the most minimal characterization, but at least director Neal Israel keeps “Surf Ninjas” (rated PG for comic martial arts action and mild language) moving.

‘Surf Ninjas’

Ernie Reyes Jr.: Johnny

Rob Schneider: Iggy

Nicholas Cowan: Adam

Leslie Nielsen: Col. Chi

A New Line Cinema presentation. Director Neal Israel. Producer Evzen Kolar. Executive producers Sara Risher, Dan Gordon, Kevin Moreton. Screenplay by Gordon. Cinematographers Arthur Albert, Victor Hammer. Editor Tom Walls. Costumes Deborah La Gorce Kramer. Music David Kitay. Production design Michael Novotny. Art director Curtis W. Baruth. Set decorator Janis Lubin. Sound Ike Magal. Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes.

MPAA-rated PG (for comic martial arts action and some mild language).