Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Goofy animated caper with lots of pratfalls, potty humor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day USA!
What's the Story?
Louis (Ahmed Best), Charlie (Josh Keaton), and Jessie are in the Australian Outback, on a quest to find a new shampoo formula while looking for their favorite kangaroo, Jackie Legs. Their plans are scuttled when poachers capture Jackie and fly him to Las Vegas. These three friends must break Jack out of his cage, and once they manage that, they need to figure out a way to keep him from wreaking havoc all over the Strip and casinos of Las Vegas. As they're doing this, they become ensnared in a jewel heist planned by none other than Outback Ollie, a TV entertainer who pretends to love kids and wild animals. Now they must prove their innocence in the jewel heist, rescue Jack, and return the stolen jewels to the Aborigines who originally possessed them.
Is It Any Good?
KANGAROO JACK: G'DAY USA! is a very silly movie that, on occasion, veers into obnoxious humor. In other words: This movie is unafraid to use flatulence to garner some laughs. Much of its humor is derived from food fights, one-dimensional portrayals of, say, "surfer dudes," and slapstick-style violence.
None of this is quite enough to carry the movie, but it's enough to keep families entertained, assuming this is their style of humor. Even when showing the plight of exotic animals captured by poachers, this is still, at its core, a cartoon caper. For families, the entertainment value of the film is inevitably dependent on how much they enjoy this kind of thing, and how much silliness they're willing to tolerate.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about cartoonish violence. Where did the violence seem unrealistic, and what would happen to people and animals if such violence occurred in the real world?
How is the plight of exotic animals hunted and captured by poachers portrayed in the movie?
How were animals in general shown in the movie? Do you think this is how they behave in real life?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 16, 2004
- Cast : Ahmed Best , Jeff Bennett , Josh Keaton
- Director : Ron Myrick
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Home Video
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Run time : 75 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 10, 2021
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