Australia Review

Australia is an Epic Adventure....
.........to a place most of us will never see, in a time we can't go back to.   This high-budget drama goes all out to depict the drama that plays out from a vastly remote cattle station in the Aboriginal-inhabited outback, just prior to World War II.   NIcole Kidman is perfectly cast as a well-to-do English lady who flies around the globe only to step into a mess that's far from her comfort zone.  She quickyl pulls on her big girl panties, however, and goes after the bad guys with the competent direction of Jackman's character Grover, a free-wheeling cattle wrangler.  

Characters, Style and Pace
There's not a character in this film who isn't well developed, well cast and thought out.   Viewers will recognize Brian Brown, of the Thorn Birds, and will surely fall under the spell of young Brandon Walters as Nullah.   The movie starts out a little odd:  highly stylized, with some odd directorial decisions . . . you feel like you're not sure what you're getting into, and you won't like Kidman's character at all.   Hang in there: in short order, the film settles down into an amazing drama with a little magic realism mixed in for good measure. 

Anyone who finds the open range thrilling, or thinks of a horse as a beautiful beast is in for a treat   Frankly, the action of Jackman's gang moving a herd of cattle across the country is worth the ticket price alone.  Heck, one nail-biting scene involving 2,000 panicked head and a nasty cliff is worth the full ticket price!   Australia has something for everyone:  action, humor, history, romance, thrills, and lots of eye candy.  

Visually Stunning
The film's special effects are simply amazing, and you won't realize until you read the (world's longest?) credits how much of what you saw was digitally manipulated or created.   Director Baz Luhrman (Moulin Rouge) also co-wrote the screenplay, and did a great job of conveying a very large story.  Even Elton John got involved, and scored some of the music.  (Fans will recognize his signature chord progressions in one of the final tunes).   You come away from this film quite satisfied, a little bit smarter, and appreciative of what had to be a monster effort.   I will watch this film again someday.

The Bottom Line:  Libby Loves It!