Kangaroo Jack

Starring: Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson, Estella Warren, Christopher Walken, Michael Shannon
Directed by: David McNally
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
2003

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two friends (Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson) lose $50,000 in mob money in the pocket of a jacket worn by a kangaroo in Australia. They go on a frantic search to find the kangaroo and get the money back.

Review:

Tim: Kangaroo Jack was hard for me to finally sit down and watch because it just looked so stupid. I didn't even know what the movie was about, but already, it looked like a poorly constructed film. I didn't have high hopes. Unfortunately, my fears were well founded. This is a stupid movie, and not a very good one at all. I'm actually surprised that I didn't hate it more.

The story is clever, if you allow yourself to suspend all logic and disbelief. Two friends put a jacket on a kangaroo they think is dead. The jacket contains a lot of money owed to the mob. The kangaroo isn't dead, and it wakes up and jogs off. Now, the two friends hunt the kangaroo all over the Outback, trying to retrieve the lost money. Funny premise, but it's just so crazy and hard to believe (even if it's based on a supposedly "true" urban legend).

The best part of the movie is actually Jerry O'Connell and Anthony Anderson (I can't believe I actually just wrote that). These are two actors who seem to be destined for a life of appearing in movies that will quickly end up in discount DVD bins at Walmart. I don't think either has a lot going for them as actors. However, in this film, with the lowered expectations that go with it, they worked well together. Their relationship was interesting and a lot deeper than I would have expected in a throwaway children's movie like this one. They played well off each other, and I found myself somewhat enjoying their on-screen chemistry. Neither is great, as they're both prone to overacting, but the dynamic of their friendship saves this movie from a much worse fate.

Estella Warren's presence is welcome, but she gives a fairly bland, forgettable performance. She added very little. I'm still shocked that Christopher Walken agreed to be in this film. His part is full of cliches, but I'm guessing the pay was right. Why he'd agree to appear in this film, I honestly have no idea. Also, watch for a small role by Michael Shannon. The supporting cast is decent, but they don't have a lot to work with.

While I kind of enjoyed the central plot of trying to track down the kangaroo (simple premises are usually stronger), the movie tries to cram all these subplots in around it. There's this ridiculous story about the mob in New York, then there's these Australian thugs, something about breeding endangered rabbits, a whole mess of other things that didn't add to the story, but took up screen time. Plus, the movie tries a bit too hard to appeal to younger audiences. I'm all for making movies kid-friendly, but not by watering down or dumbing down the quality of the film. There's an odd scene halfway through where in a dream sequence, Kangaroo Jack actually talks. There's also a scene during the credits where he speaks again. These scenes felt forced and as if they were pandering to kids. It was like the film was saying, "Hey kids! So, this isn't really a kids' movie, but look at this funny, sunglasses-wearing, talking kangaroo!" The whole thing was absurd and detracted from the film.

Kangaroo Jack has a little more depth than I was expecting, but this is still a very flawed, bad movie. There's too much ridiculousness and stupidity for this movie to be any good. I tried to give the movie a chance, and I did find a few things to like. Unfortunately, those were buried in a giant mound of flaws and failures. This is a stupid movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 4.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Mighty Joe Young