The Legend of Baron To'a

"An all-star Pasifika and Māori cast, a state house cul-de-sac setting and great local soundtrack (Church & AP, SWIDT) combine to lend a distinctive flavour to this Aotearoa entrant in the action-comedy genre. While the poster artwork may look to have liberated the font from Fast & Furious, The Legend of Baron To’a feels more indebted to the likes of Hong Kong action pics in structure and fight sequences, perhaps even some of its characterisations, but fuses its disparate elements together to prove a unique, kick-ass crack-up."

"A strange but enjoyable hybrid of martial arts movie and folksy comedy from first-time New Zealand director Kiel McNaughton."

"…like a bombastic graphic novel brought roaring to cinematic life, where every punch, beat and quotable piece of dialogue is a certified haymaker."

"There are points when The Legend of Baron To’a feels like one big in-joke, designed mainly to entertain the filmmakers, along with viewers who know the setting well enough to get an automatic kick out of seeing extravagant action sequences staged in their own backyard. But even to outsiders the film has the charm of a homemade object, not quite like anything else."

"...like a bombastic graphic novel brought roaring to cinematic life, where every punch, beat and quotable piece of dialogue is a certified haymaker."

"Less hardy viewers may find it too violent and insufficiently funny, and it’s true that for most of the movie Baron To’a delivers more of a well-acted if violent drama than a slapstick comedy in the spirit of Three Wise Cousins or Take Home Pay."

"While very much a lighter look at South Auckland life than Once Were Warriors and What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?, Legend still packs a narrative punch. That it will likely appeal to both younger audiences and those who grew up watching pro-wrestling on TV in the 1970s and '80s just makes it even more of a triumph."