Kangaroo Jack (2003)

Director:

David McNally

Writers (WGA):

Steve Bing (story) &
Barry O'Brien (story) ...

Release Date:

17 January 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

He stole the money... and he's not giving it back.

Plot:

Two childhood friends, a New York hairstylist and a would-be musician, get caught up with the mob and are forced to deliver $50,000 to Australia, but things go haywire when the money is lost to a wild kangaroo.

Plot Keywords:

Mob | Kangaroo | Money | Australia | Jacket

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 27

7:00 AM

HBO

Cast

Jerry O'Connell	...	Charlie Carbone
Anthony Anderson	...	Louis Booker
Estella Warren	...	Jessie
Christopher Walken	...	Salvatore 'Sal' Maggio
Marton Csokas	...	Mr. Smith
Dyan Cannon	...	Anna Carbone
Michael Shannon	...	Frankie Lombardo
Bill Hunter	...	Blue
David Ngoombujarra	...	Sr. Sgt. 'Mr. Jimmy' Inkamala, Australian Police
Marco Sellitto	...	Blasta (as Mark Sellitto)
Damien Fotiou	...	Baby J
Christopher Baker	...	Crumble
Ryan Gibson	...	Hoon
Denise Roberts	...	Tansy
Antonio Vitiello	...	Toot

Also Known As:

Down and Under (Australia) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for language, crude humor, sensuality and violence.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | USA:PG (certificate #39365) | Netherlands:AL | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | France:U | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Denmark:A | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | India:U | New Zealand:PG | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | South Korea:All | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Switzerland:8 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer added a scene where the title kangaroo talks after seeing the success of the Disney release Snow Dogs (2002), which used a similar plot device.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the airplane is about to crash the left wing strikes a chimney and breaks off. In the next shot the wing is back on.

Quotes:

Frankie Lombardo: [Cocks gun; points it at Charlie] This is from Sal Maggio.
Charlie: Frankie! We got the money. We got it back!
[picks up the package]
Charlie: We got it!
Frankie Lombardo: You don't get it, do ya, Charlie? Sal not dissapointed because he cares about the money. He's disappointed because you two aren't dead! What do think he was paying Smith fifty grand for?
Louis: You mean to tell me that traveled halfway across the world to pay for our own execution?
Frankie Lombardo: Yeah. You two were the bag men for your own hit. Pretty clever, eh?
Charlie: Not on our part.
Frankie Lombardo: Say, "Good Night."

Movie Connections:

References "The Flintstones" (1960)

Soundtrack:

Kangaroo I

Not as bad as everybody says it is- it's about average

Let's get to the point. Kangaroo Jack is necessarily the worst film of all time, but neither is it the greatest. It's not even close. What it is though is fairly humorous, though usually silly.

The story is a bit good at parts, but far-fetched at others. Charlie and Louis were best friends ever since childhood, after one saved another from drowning. One of their fathers was a gangster or something, and the two are sent with a job to deliver the money to some other dude. The story isn't quite a bad one, and does take a little twist. (The twist is related to the job.) The main flaw in the story is that the movie is supposedly aimed at kids. Do you think kids will understand anything about mafia or anything like that?

Despite that, there are other moments not aimed at kids. One of the jokes includes Charlie grabbing on of the other character's chest. Another scene includes a homophobic joke. ("We're having an intimate, non-gay moment.) The film is a bit funny and entertaining, but the farting and homophobic jokes, along with the strange storyline makes it less than what it could have been, but I still enjoyed it more than other films such as The Cat in the Hat, Scary Movie and Dude, Where's My Car?

5/10

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