Australia (2008)

We were expecting to have to fast-forward through Australia, and it lived up to our mediocre expectations.

The first hour and 45 minutes plays like some hideous offspring of Out of Africa and City Slickers, with Kidman in the mashup role of Karen Blixen and Mitch Robbins (I had to look that up), and Hugh Jackman in the mashup role of Denys and Curly (though he manages to not die).  While I'm slightly intrigued by the idea of Billy Crystal and Jack Palance making out, let's move on.  So anyhoo, they drive the cattle to Darwin, and I'm like, what are they gonna do for the next hour?  And Sarahmac (who reads the netflix movie description before putting the disc in, even though we know these descriptions are often misleading) says, "WWII has to happen".

So the next hour is some horrible ripoff of how I imagine Pearl Harbor, and interspersed throughout the entire film are these poorly coded messages about the nobility of the aboriginals and What Harm We've Done Them that were better examined in Rabbit Proof Fence.

All in all, nothing new to see here, and very disappointing for a Baz Luhrmann effort.