Kangaroo Jack Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)January 14th, 2003
KANGAROO JACK
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2003 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
If you've ever wondered what producer Jerry Bruckheimer (COYOTE UGLY) could do with a PG-rated kids' comedy, the slapstick KANGAROO JACK provides the answer: a beautiful woman in a wet T-shirt and lots of farting camels.
Charlie Carbone (Jerry O'Connell, TOMCATS), a hairdresser, and Louis Fucci (Anthony Anderson, BARBERSHOP), a bad, small-time crook, have been friends since childhood. Charlie's stepfather, mob boss Sal Maggio, played in a nicely done, tiny cameo by Christopher Walken, doesn't like Charlie or Louis. "If these were medieval times," Sal says, Louis "would have slain the maiden and saved the dragon," which is probably true.
When Charlie and Louis screw up one of Sal's jobs, he makes them go to Australia to deliver fifty thousand dollars to a shady character known only as Mr. Smith. Along the way, our doofus lads lose the cash to an outback kangaroo, whom they nickname Kangaroo Jack. The movie is a chase picture with the guys, assisted by a beautiful blonde, Jessie (Estella Warren, PLANET OF THE AGES), chasing the kangaroo while two sets of bad guys chase them. Although Jessie is supposed to be a naturalist, she manages to keep full make-up on, day and night, even when swimming.
No matter what the trailers lead you to believe, none of the kangaroos sing, talk or dance, save in a dream sequence and in the closing credits. Still, the rapping kangaroo dream did draw the second biggest laugh from our young audience. The biggest roar of laughter came from the long and noisy farting camels sequence.
I've got to admit it. The movie wasn't quite as bad as I thought it was going to be. If you're a parent, you'll survive, and, if you haven't made it to the third grade yet, you'll probably think it's funny.
KANGAROO JACK runs 1:24. It is rated PG for "language, crude humor, sensuality and violence" and would be acceptable for all ages.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, January 17, 2003. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC and the Century theaters.
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