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By
ETHAN CUHULINN
I was fully prepared to hate
"Kangaroo Jack." I remembered the controversy over
the marketing of this Jerry Bruckheimer-produced
blockbuster-wannabe when it was theatrically
released -- how it got a PG rating and featured a
talking kangaroo in the trailer that gave the
wrong impression about the film's plot, direction
and potential audience. Besides it looks like it
was made with a Hollywood cookie cutter, a film
conceived and executed by an executive committee.
Now, there was one bright spot: I cannot resist
watching any movie with Christopher Walken,
regardless of how lame it is. I find all his
performances totally entrancing.
So, should I now admit that I didn't hate it?
Well, I didn't. But I didn't like it either. And I
still think the marketing of this thing was
inappropriate and deceptive. Indeed the dancing
and rapping kangaroo only shows up twice and I
don't think this is a movie made for kids despite
its misleading MPAA rating (is there another type
of MPAA rating? In any case, check out the
kids-in-mind.com review if you plan this as a
kids' entertainment).
And the bottom line? It's the sort of thing that
you shouldn't make a special point of renting, but
after watching it you won't feel that you were
cheated of a $1.99 either.
The plot goes like this: The stepson (Jerry
O'Connell) of a Mafia boss (Walken) is considered
a serious disappointment since he has chosen to
become a hairdresser -- plus, he has inadvertently
led the police to his stepfather. To redeem
himself, he does his stepfather's bidding and
travels to Australia with his best friend (Anthony
Anderson) to deliver a package. But a kangaroo
ends up taking off with the package, and they
chase the critter all over the Outback while being
pursued by mafiosi hell-bent on taking them out.
Estella Warren provides the romantic subplot (you
thought there wasn't one?).
Hopping right along, we do have more than a few
solid extras: There are two screen-specific audio
commentaries, a "regular" one with actors
O'Connell, Anderson and Warren and director David
McNally and visual effects supervisor Hoyt
Yeatman, and one with Kangaroo Jack himself who
talks only for 10 minutes or so providing
information for the few scenes which feature him.
A two-minute feature with the "animal auditions"
for Kangaroo Jack, a three-minute explanation on
how flatulent effects were created for the film, a
few outtakes, a six-minute course on how to dance
like Jack, a feature on how Jack was digitally
created, filmographies, and the film's trailer,
round up the specials. |
