Kangaroo Jack (Widescreen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: 3.5 stars of rediculous fun
Review: This movie is being bombed by reveiwers all over ,but myself and guess ,along with the whole theatre found plenty of nonsence too laugh at.
In a nut shell two kids become friends when one saves the others life.20yrs later...the two buddies end up boshing up a delevery job that cause the ones stepfather (mob head) ..To be investagated by the police.So without a second thought the Stepfather sends his son and friend on a trip too Austraila too make a Delivery.There told not too look in the envolope...do they obey no ofcourse not..before they get off the plane they find out they are delevering a illgal amount of $50,000.So after slipping through customs and hitting the road they hit a Kangaroo.They start taking pictures.They put on the friends jacket with the money envolope,Only then do they relize the Kangaroo is still alive and literally kicking.Bye ,bye Jacket ,candy ,passport and $50.000.So its up too our hapless pair too recover the goods.After a completely failed attempt too catch Jack on there own they get, parcill aid from a drunk pilot and later full aid from a wildlife worker from America. There off to countinue the chase. They are also on a time limit too get there passports before they expire& too make the delivery before they get caught by the recieverof the money and stepdads goons.Good fx and just a playfull fun movie.
Don't see if you want something anywhere near remotely serious. .Do see if you just want too laugh out loud with(@) nonesence.

Rating:
Summary: this has a price tag?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Review: let me get this straight....a kangaroo is beating up and out smarting humans(ok,jack is only dealing with oconnell and anderson)???????this junk should be included in some buy 1 movie get this one free deal.

Rating:
Summary: Lowbrow comedy, sometimes funny
Review: When lifelong friends Charlie Carbone (Jerry O'Connell) and Louis Booker (Anthony Anderson) accidentally get mixed up in the mob, they are forced to deliver a large sum of money to some shady characters in Australia. When a wild kangaroo "steals" the money before it can be delivered, it's an all-out race to catch him to get the loot back before the mobsters find out it's missing. Silly slapstick ensues, but Anderson and O'Connell make a good comedy team.

A mix of real and animatronic kangaroos were used.

Staci Layne Wilson
Author of Staci's Guide to Animal Movies


Rating:
Summary: Well, It was Pretty Sweet
Review: Kangaroo Jack is a pretty good movie. Not one that you want to buy really, but one that's nice to rent on occasion.

Jerry O'Connel plays Charlie, aboy who grew up with a step-father who never really loved him. Anthony Anderson plays Louis, a lovable jelly-bellied black man who constantly gets Charlie into scrapes. And Estella Warren plays Jessie, and attractive guide who helps them find their money.

KJ has a very sensual scene in the desert which did not have to be there. To me, it detracts from the goodness of the movie. There is one hilarious scene in which Louis, overweight and blubbery, farts really loud and long. But there are other funny moments too.

KJ is a good movie, but gives off the feeling that you can't even make a family movie without sensuality in it.

Rating:
Summary: You better run, you better take Cover
Review: "Let him who has understanding reckon the number of the Beast, for it is a human number, its number is Six hundred and Sixty-Six." Revelation 13:18

I never thought in a million years that I would see "Kangaroo Jack", let alone review it---to say nothing of buying the DVD for the infernal thing. But I have now done all three.

I remember watching the trailer for this thing in some moviehouse in a midwestern town: there I was, chuckling at the mob-heavy introduction, giggling at the wicked Christopher Walken (who does his Christopher Walken baleful-glare-and-purr thing as New York mob boss Sal Maggio)---and suddenly there was a talking, rapping, Ray-Ban wearing kangaroo on the screen. Because my youth slumbers fitfully, and because this Gentle Reviewer misspent said youth (and possibly, when heavily blasted, *saw* rapping Kangaroos back in the Day), I vowed I would never see this deranged flick.

Thank God for HBO! The other morning---or rather, late afternoon---I staggered home, reeling from a night of depravity and debauchery, and stumbled into the huge comfy lounging chair in front of my TV. I watched the last few minutes of a thoroughly wholesome flick about jewel thieves. Then, to my horror, the announcement: next up was "Kangaroo Jack". My body was dead. I couldn't move. It was either get up and grab the remote (a big No-No) or watch helplessly. I chose the latter.

Surprise! "Kangaroo Jack" is the most infernal of inventions, a true harbinger of the Apocalypse and a sign of the End of Days. Having watched it---twice, now---I am convinced that the Antichrist walks among us, not as some blabbering high-profile Prince or Politician, but as some anonymous Suit at Warner Brothers, giggling insanely as he greenlights tools of the Devil like "Kangaroo Jack". Or possibly the Antichrist is Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced this affront to humanity.

But everything said, like most infernal devices spat forth from the Hellpit, "Kangaroo Jack" works. It's inventive. Sparklingly shot with a high degree of aplomb. And look, it works because it conforms to the ancient writings of Aristotle, who in his essay On Comedy listed the four essential elements integral to classic comedic form. They are:

1) Midgets hitting each other with sticks;
2) Anything involving Chris Farley;
3) Big fat men with poor hygiene falling down;
4) A variation on #3: a big fat man with poor hygiene falling down PAIRED with a skinny, serious, "straight guy" who serves as foil to the big fat dude; both are menaced by a) gangsters; b) classic movie monsters; c) anthropomorphic animals;

Happily, "Kangaroo Jack", like a great Chinese dinner, serves up a little #3 and #4 (I can't remember if there was a midget in here. Maybe). Jerry O'Connell plays the straight guy Charlie Carbone, a hairdresser with mob relations who unwittingly leads the cops right to the Mob's local Manhattan warehouse. Bad move. Anthony Anderson plays his best buddy Louis, and plays the fat guy with bad hygiene to O'Connell's straight guy. Basically, Anderson is Costello. What works here is that the two have remarkably good comedic timing: they're funny. Yeah, O'Connell sometimes shoots past funny and into goofy, but Anderson's schtick is impeccable. That counts for a lot.

Mob Boss Sal (Walken) dispatches the two to Australia, to deliver a package (which Louis opens, and which contains 50 grand)to a mysterious Aussie known only as "Mr. Smith" (Marton Csokas, who thinks he's in "The Limey". He's not). Naturally they're doomed. The two hire a landrover, go bouncing over the sand, scream "Land Down Under" (Hades?) at the top of their lungs, and hit a kangaroo.

Now here's where the movie shows its hand as an agent of Hell: what do our two Disney heroes, in this "family" flick, do with the roadkill? They dress it up in Louis's lucky jacket and shades, and take pictures.

That's what I call blindsiding bored, naive parents and burrowing right into that slumbering pineal gland of pure evil every 7-year-old possesses. Guess what you do when you hit a cat, Little Johnny? Yeah, you play dress-up and have a tea party! Brilliant.

Fatality! The Kangaroo, christened "Jackie Legs", isn't totally dead; he gets up, opens up a can of marsupial whup-a** on O'Connell, and takes off into the Outback---carrying the 50 grand in the envelope. The movie just gets more insane from there.

It's enjoyable stuff. It's funny. I laughed. I showed it to my dour, scowling, wicked former Marine drill instructor father, who laughs at absolutely nothing in this life---and he was sniggering. The kangaroo is absolutely adorable when it isn't talking and rapping (and note: the kangaroo raps to O'Connell when he's hallucinating from starvation and thirst---much like the Devil did to St. Anthony in the wilderness. Hmmm). Estella Warren, who plays an American expatriate big into animal husbandry, is 13 stripes and 50 stars of hotness. Growl.

Camera-work by Peter Menzies Junior is just as slick as it needs to be. The kangaroo is fun to watch: frankly, I could have sat back an enjoyed 90 minutes of the funky marsupial rodent galumphing across the Outback. Did I mention Warren is hot? Walken is in this movie---a kid's movie! Walken, who never appears on screen unless he's about to kill someone. Director David McNally has directed only one other movie: "Coyote Ugly". I rest my case.

A word of caution, though: while you simply *must* buy the full DVD (if only to enjoy the feature "Behind the Gas"---about synthetic camel flatulence), if you have young children you must absolutely ensure that they don't try to emulate the hideous child dancer going through the motions on "Jackie Leg's Dance Grooves". Warn them: this is not cool. This is the Devil's work. Showing off Jackie Leg's dance grooves at school will get them beaten and laughed at. Then again, perhaps this is Bruckheimer---and Satan's---will.

G'day, Mate.

Rating:
Summary: Kangaroo Wack!!!
Review: I happen to find a copy of this DVD in the library, and I'm so happy I was able to borrow this for FREE, because I would have been too angry if I had spent my hard earned money renting this garbage. Can a movie be any worse? Bruckheimer needs to stick with action movies and not attempt another Family type movie.

The problem I had with this movie is too much going on and the ingredients did not mix well. Kangaroo Jack was trying to be an action movie, a comedy, a cute animal movie and a family movie. It did not work!!! This movie is in no way a family type movie with all the sexual innuendo thrown around. I actually like Jerry O'Connell (Scream 2, Crossing Jordan), and Anthony Anderson (Barbershop, Romeo Must Die, Cradle to the Grave), but I did not enjoy them in this film.

Jerry O'Connell plays Charlie, and he pretty much owes his life to his friend Louis (Anthony Anderson) for saving his life at the age of 8. Problem is Charlie did not realize he would always have to keep Louis out of trouble. Charlie is a hairstylist and when Louis's latest scheme gets them into trouble, they are sent to Australia to deliver fifty thousand dollars to some business man that is an associate of Charlies step dad played by Christopher Walken. While driving, they hit a kangaroo and think they killed it. For some stupid reason, Louis puts his jacket (with the money still inside) on the kangaroo and start taking pictures. The kangaroo was not killed, and wakes up and takes off with the money. The movie is spent trying to locate the kangaroo, and get the money back.

If you want to watch good family animal movies then do yourself a favor and rent the following titles:
1. Dr. Doolittle
2. Stuart Little
3. Stuart Little 2
4. Snow Dogs.

Leave Kangaroo Wack, ummmm I mean Jack on the shelves.


Rating:
Summary: Kangaroo got jacked
Review: What can one say about a film where the best performance was by a digitally created animal? That's right--Kangaroo Jack was the best performance in this movie, especially with his Australian accent, facial expressions, and the scene where he raps. I wish the movie would feature more of the Kangaroo and less about the childish plot using every Hollywood formula cliche they could throw in there, including mismatched buddies who have no real basis for a true friendship. I'm glad that this DVD has commentary by the Kangaroo himself, for maybe he can explain this movie to the audience. Although I didn't particularly find this movie all that funny, I bought the DVD just because I liked the kangaroo in the film (I'm a sucker for talking animals). Pair him up with Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin and you might have a much better movie.

Rating:
Summary: it should have been called 2 guys in austrailia.
Review: the kangaroo is very much absent from this film.you cant just go make a kangaroo movie and not have a kangaroo in it.i mean its there just not very much.theres this really big fat black guy who when he was little saved this little boys life.they grew up as friends.the black guy uses this at every oppurtunity to manipulate the white guy from joes apt into going on stupid and highly illegal adventures.thier latest exploit lost the white guys dad a crapload of money.to make matters worse,hes a big time mob boss.hes a mob boss in all his movies.joe dirt more recently.so,the mob boss says he wont have them sleeping with the fishes if they deliver a crapload of money to this guy in austrailia.so they go there.the 2 friends rent a jeep.the reckless black guy hits a kangaroo with it.he wants to take a picture.so they put some shades on the kangaroo and the black guys lucky red jacket.when the flash goes off,the kangaroo springs to life and runs away.not so bad but the mob money was in the jacket.so now they are kangaroo hunting.the kids probably wont like it so well since the kangaroo isnt on it that much.kids over like 6 should like it though as thier attention spans will be longer.there is this one nasty part where thier camels fart a bunch.the chick they hire as a guide is sexy.the guy from joes apt is very uptight throughout the whole movie.the black guy is very self centered and oppurtunistic.even the chick makes old joes apt white guy practicly kill himself just to be nice to him.i would say joes apt isway better than this one.at least you can see the roaches.