Australia

I had quite the adventure tonight driving my grandparents' minivan out to the movie theater to see Australia with 5 of my cousins in the back. I have come to the conclusion that I should review movies I see. This decision was reached partly due to boredom and the other part due to the fact that I like to share my opinions. So here we go...

Australia

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman Director: Baz Luhrmann Release Date: November 26, 2008 Running Time: 165 mins MPAA Rating: PG-13 Distributors: 20th Century Fox

It seems there are very mixed reviews of this film but overall I would say this is a decent flick. I went in with somewhat low expectations and once again my cynicism paid off. I would describe it as a John Wayne film-meets-Gone with the Wind-meets-Pearl Harbor type of movie. I have to admit that it was pretty long and almost seemed like it could have been split into two separate movies. There were also scenes that I thought were a bit melodramatic and weren't convincing in the least. However, I really think that Baz Luhrmann did a great job shooting the film. The scenery was amazing and it seemed to really capture the feel of the land there. I also thought the plot was pretty good and the character development was decent, but I would describe neither as phenomenal. I really think that the strong cast in the movie helped to make it for me. Luhrmann also made excellent use of some very heavy themes in the movie, such as the racism and the "stolen generations." I think that if you liked Moulin Rouge, you will definitely like this film. Even if you didn't, it seems like this movie has more to offer a wider audience than did Moulin Rouge. All in all, not the Oscar nominee of the year but I would say it's worth seeing at least once.