The Australian-American co-production Back to the Outback deals with a topic that is actually relevant. While cute animals enjoy special protection like VIP stars, ugly and dangerous animals are released for filming. Animal welfare organizations have been complaining for years that this is a real problem. The most famous example is undoubtedly the sharks, which as a result of the movie hit The Great White Shark were suddenly chased and almost exterminated as monsters, although they rarely pose a threat to humans. In contrast, popular animals are repeatedly taken to indirectly protect other animal species with their help. An example is the honey bee, which served as a figure in the fight against insect death, although in itself much less endangered than the animals that were actually involved.
The movie is popular among families and children because it had a well-known zoo keeper named Chazz (Eric Bana – King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword, The Finest Hours, etc.). One of the zoo’s main attractions was a cute and adorable koala bear named Pretty Boy (Tim Minchin – Robin Hood version 2018, etc.). In addition, there was a bunch of wild animals that visitors dread like Maddie’s venomous snake (Isla Fisher – Godmothered, Visions, etc.), Frank’s spider (Guy Pearce – Without Remorse, Mare of Easttown mini series, etc.), the thorny devil Zoe (Miranda Tapsell), scorpion Nigel (Angus Imrie) and crocodile Jackie (Jackie Weaver – Silver Linings Playbook, Animal Kingdom, etc.).
Feeling tired of being seen as terrifying animals and treated like monsters, Maddie and the others decided to run away from the zoo and return to Outback where they would be able to live freely.
So how would the story end? Find everything in this fun movie.
Back to the Outback Movie Review, Plot
So, just like I guessed, this “Back to the Outback” movie was really fun. There were plenty of moments when we laughed out loud. The main part was hilarious, it was the look of these wild animals because they were the complete opposite of the terrible ones. We were amused by their colorful bodies, like the orange color of a scorpion or the purple color of a spider, not to mention their childish faces.
In addition, their characters were also very likable. Maddie was very soft-hearted, while Zoe was very intelligent, plus Frank’s behavior because it was mating time for him, or Nigel who would sometimes make funny remarks. These attributes have made us quite engaged for animals and where we start cheering for them. And obviously it was a lot of fun to watch them do their best to get to Outback.
As for the story, it may not have been very original because we saw a similar one where animals at the zoo had to survive the outside world and go wild (I’m sure you’re aware of which film I’m thinking about as it was very successful and made in a few sequels and spin-offs). But the interaction between these animals was what made me like the film, supported by some fun scenes as well.
For me personally, what I liked most about “Back to the Australian Wilderness” was the cast because I thought their work was fantastic and that they managed to bring life to these characters. As this is a joint American-Australian production, many actors were Australians like Isle Fisher, Tim Minchin, Eric Bane, Jackie Weaver and others. Even some Australian singers like Kylie Minogue and Keith Urban briefly appeared here. The animation was pretty good with realistic Australian scenes. It lasts only 95 minutes, including the final spikes in which there were no scenes in the middle or after the end.
All in all, “Back to the Outback” was a fun film, with a simple enough story, interesting characters, an exciting adventure and safe for children. It is quite comfortable and a good option for the whole family. So, if you are looking for this type of movie, then you can try it and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Movie IMDB rating: 6.7 / 10. Release date December 10, 2021 (United States)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy.
Back to the Outback cast and characters
- Isla Fisher as Maddie (voice)
- Guy Pearce as Frank (voice)
- Jackie Weaver as Jackie (voice)
- Eric Bana as Chaz (voice)
- Kylie Minogue as Susan (voice)
- Gia Carides as Doreen
- Tim Minchin as Pretty Boy (voice)
- Angus Imrie as Nigel (voice)
- Keith Urban as Doug (voice)
- Diesel La Torraca as Chazzie (voice)
- Aaron Pedersen as Clive (voice)
- Celeste Barber as Skylar (voice)
- Miranda Tapsell as Zoe (voice)
- Charmaine Bingwa as TV Reporter (voice)
- Jack Charles as Greg The head Frill Neck (voice)
- John Leary as Additional Character Voices (voice)
source: IMDB