[.ca] Kangaroo Jack (Widescreen)

this has a price tag?!?!?!?!?!?!?:
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.

Uninspired: Bruckheimer's "Family Picture" Is No Fun:
No fun, I say, probably even for kids, for the plot is not simple and the situation is too labored. New York city hairstylist Jerry O'Connell and his buddy Anthony Anderson get in trouble when they accidentally caused a big financial damage to the local mobster (and Jerry's step-father) Christopher Walken. Walken (who obviously does not read script before signing contract), orders the two bumbling Americans to deliver a bag of $50,000 to Australia. Now, they arrive at Sydney, but soon loses the money in the most ridiculous and incredible way -- a kangaroo wearing a red jacket that contains the envelope runs away in the middle of the deserts! In the meanwhile, unknown to them, gangsters are also sent there to follow Jerry and Anthony, possibly to get rid of them. The cartoonish idea of two adults chasing the hopping kangaroo is not a bad one, but there is no fun in the chase scenes which are shot like an action movie. Such classic cartoons featuring Road Runner or Willy O Coyote are far superior and ingenious, and the director David McNally (of, incidentaly, the ordinary drama "Coyote Ugly" fame) should have learned a thing or two from these masterpieces. I see nothing great in actors; they are just OK. Jerry O'Connell looks better than in cult comedy "Tomcats" and Anderson is always fun to watch even though his character (and Jerry's too) tend to scream to each other (like ten times) without particular meaning. Thankfully, Oscar winner (yes, he was, in "Deerhunter") Christopher Walken fare better simply because his role is small, and you get lovely Estella Warren and her swimming in the water (in the middle of Australia, right?) is eye candy for adults. As is often the case with Bruckheimer films, the film is costly, and you can feel it everywhere. The city of "New York" is actually made in Sidney with the yellow cabs brought to the place for that purpose only, and "Kangaroo Jack" is convincingly made when he (and his pals) speak in rap music. But the awfully insipid and uninspired gags and actions are boring to me, and the character actors like Bill Hunter or Marton Csokas are painfully wasted.

One of the Most Surprising Entertainers of 2003!:
When this film came out in theaters I thought it looked too darn silly. Tonight I saw it on Cinemax for the first time and found it very entertaining and funny. The commercial advertisement for the movie did cheat. They made it seem like Kangaroo Jack would be talking all through the film. It turned out he only talked in Charlie's ( Jerry O' Connell ) dream. This film is a very new approach to comedy. You don't get the cliched formula of most buddy films. Unlike other actors who've tackled the buddy films, ( Eddie Murphy & Owen Wilson, Chris Tucker & Charlie Sheen, Skeet Ulrich & Cuba Gooding Jr. ), Anthony Anderson and Jerry O'Connell are the only two I've seen with TRUE chemistry since the good old days of Pryer and Wilder. Both actors are hilarious in their roles. There are a few plot holes when it comes to the criminals in the end but this film is so entertaining you won't care if it gets a little unbelievable. You'll just want to go along with the ride. I strongly recommend this for comedy lovers and fun films for the family. Enjoy! Good clean fun!

Kangaroo Dumb(dee):
A one-joke premise is what describes the plot of KANGAROO JACK, a predictable low-brow film that is helped by the two main characters in the film, Charlie and Louis (Jerry O'Connel, and Anthony Anderson respectively). Jerry O'Connel is good at playing the loveable timid good guy (as he did way back in STAND BY ME) so, he was perfectly cast is this film. Anthony Anderson can play all types of personas, in different types of films (dramas, comedies etc..), so this wasn't much of a stretch to play off O'Connel's character and the two have pretty good onscreen chemistry.The two are sent to Australia by Charlie's gangster stepdad, Sal (Christopher Walken in a thankless cameo)to deliver a cash package to a certain Mr. Smith. As the two arrive down under and drive the outback, by some dumb-tourist-luck, the money ends up hopping away on a certain kangaroo along with Louis' "lucky jacket". They hire a pilot to fly the territory to find the marsupial, and finally enlist the aid of an American wildlife expert, Jessie (Estella Warren) to help them find the errant kangaroo. Warren's character is also very endearing and not too hostile as she empathizes quickly to the plight of her cohorts and helps them out. The three form an immediate (predictable..yet effective) bond and friendship. The kangaroo is obviously CGI which is purposely made to act a little cartoony because of the nature of the film and the movie has a predictable premise which is clearly stated because Walken's character is a mob boss. The film fairly works due to the likeability of the trio's partnership. It is fun and harmless entertainment with some great Australian outback scenery, some pretty good comedy and action sequences, and a predictable happy ending.

Horrible:
The commercials were a turnoff. The jokes were a turnoff. The actors were a turnoff. Conan O-Brian, for once, was right. This movie is not worth your money, time, or thought. Did the Raspberry Awards catch this one? I hope so.