Kangaroo Jack Review

Kangaroo Jack

Release Date: 10th April 2003 – Australia

Production Companies
Castle Rock Entertainment
Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Warner Bros. Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 89 minutes

Budget: $60,000,000

Box Office Gross: $88,929,111 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Two friends from Brooklyn have been sent to Australia by a mobster to deliver $50,000. Complications arise when the pair accidentally run over a kangaroo, and one of these two puts his jacket on the wild animal for a joke. The kangaroo runs off, but not before the two realise that the money they were supposed to deliver was in the jacket now being worn by the marsupial, causing them to head out on a wild goose chase across the Outback.

Cast
Jerry O'Connell – Charlie

Carbone

Anthony Anderson – Louis

Booker

Estella Warren – Jessie

Michael Shannon – Frankie

Lombardo

Christopher Walken – Salvatore "Sal" Maggio

Marton Csokas – Mr. Smith

Dyan Cannon – Anna Carbone

Bill Hunter – Blue

David Ngoombujarra –

James "Mr. Jimmy" Inkamala

Marco Sellitto – Blasta

Damien Fotiou – Baby J

Christopher James Baker –

Crumble

Ryan Gibson – Hoon

Denise Roberts – Tansy

Antonio Vitiello – Toot

Mario Di Ienno – Tommy

Tony Nikolakopoulos – Sal's

Capo

Robert Reid – Young Charlie
Shawn Smith – Young Louis

Brian Casey – Young Frankie

Emma Jane Fowler –

Outback Bartender

Helen Thomson – TV Announcer

John McNeill – Customs Officer

Paul Wilson – Interrogation Room Officer

David Walsman – Beach Lifeguard

Lara Cox – Cute Girl on Plane

Terrell Dixon – NY Cop

John Gibson – Sal's Goon #1

Nick Jasprizza – Sal's Goon #2
Adam Garcia – Kangaroo Jack

(Voice) (Uncredited)

Crew

Director – David McNally

Story/Screenplay – Steve Bing

Story – Barry O'Brien

Screenplay – Scott Rosenberg

Script Supervisor – Sophie Fabbri-Jackson

Executive Producers – Chad Oman and Mike Stenson

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager –

Barry H. Waldman

Producers – Andrew Mason and Jerry Bruckheimer

Casting Directors – Ronna Kress

and Shauna Wolifson

Production Designer – George Liddle
Supervising Art Director – Brian Edmonds
Australian Art Director – Richard Hobbs

U.S. Art Director – Guy Hendrix Dyas

Set Decorator: Sydney – Lisa Milgate
Costume Designers – Daniel Orlandi

and George Liddle

Australian Costume Supervisor – Eliza Godman

U.S. Costume Supervisor – Jon Boyden

Director of Photography – Peter Menzies, Jr.

First Assistant Director – Chris Webb

Second Unit Director – Peter Bloomfield

Stunt Coordinator – Glenn Boswell

Sydney Vehicle Supervisor – Darren Loveday
Special Effects Supervisor – Tad Pride

U.S. Special Effects Coordinator - David Fletcher
Creative Supervisor: Animatronic Characters –

Neal Scanlan 
Visual Effects Supervisor – Hoyt Yeatman
Senior Visual Effects Supervisor & Designer:

Asylum – Nathan McGuinness
Associate Visual Effects Supervisor:

The Secret Lab – Darin Hollings

Visual Effects Producer: The Secret Lab –

David P.I. James

Head of Production: The Secret Lab –

Dean Wright
Animation Supervisor: The Secret Lab – Mike Belzer
CG Supervisor: The Secret Lab – Steve Yamamoto

Digital Compositing Supervisor: The

Secret Lab – Brian Leach

Editors – Jim May, John Murray and
William Goldenberg

First Assistant Editor – Jason Hellman

Supervising Sound Editors – R.J. Palmer

and Robert L. Sephton

Sound Mixers - Kevin O'Connell

and Greg P. Russell

Additional Sound Mixers – Gary A. Bourgeois

and Greg Orloff

Special Vocal Effects – Frank Welker

Music – Trevor Rabin

Music Supervisors – Kathy Nelson

and Bob Badami

Review
KANGAROO JACK is not only terrific but also a special treat that we Aussies watch as it is a hopping kind of comedy film. Though mistakenly advertised as a talking animal feature for kids in its trailer, KANGAROO JACK is more of an adult comedy film, which explains the mobsters and some rude jokes. I remember seeing this as a youngster when I rented it on DVD. I didn't care if the movie was at least slightly offensive or stereotypical since I am Australian (or Aussie for short).

Jerry O'Connell and Anthony Anderson were a great comical duo, while Christopher Walken maintained an intimidating presence when the same kind of gangster was typical for the actor. I enjoyed the hilarious scene when Charlie and Louis put the jacket on the kangaroo they mistakenly run over, and then Charlie gets kicked in the face by the marsupial.

I don't care what others think of KANGAROO JACK. Its hysterical humour makes it one of my favourite comedy films. I consider it a guilty pleasure and recommend watching it.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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