Formulaic Aussie flick Kangaroo saved by charming ensemble

The difference between Australian and New Zealand films is they’re not afraid to tug at the heartstrings in their movies. All those years of popular TV soaps have given them a healthy regard for giving audiences what they want. A film like Kangaroo.

Kangaroo is based on a real-life story, it says here, but I wouldn’t take that too literally.

We meet our two protagonists, both at opposite ends of Australia. There’s Charlie (Lily Whiteley), getting over the death of her dad, and taking in young kangaroos as an obsessive hobby.

And in Sydney, there’s cynical weather-man Chris (Ryan Corr) – think a less over-coated Bill Murray in Groundhog Day – who’s sick of his job and wants to make a big splash on a big TV show.

Well Chris certainly makes a splash, when he accidentally causes the death of a dolphin at Bondi. He goes viral in the worst way; he’s fired and must take a job at the opposite end of Australia.

It’s a long drive. A very long drive. Even if you don’t collide with a kangaroo – which the hapless Chris does.

Popping out of the late Kanga comes a little Roo. All right, I admit my knowledge of Australia’s favourite marsupial is limited to various Winnie the Pooh characters.

In fact, baby ‘roos are called “joeys”, and young Charlie is impressed to see Chris carry his into town looking for a vet.

There's no vet, and in fact not much sympathy for Chris either – his anti-dolphin reputation precedes him, and the colourful villagers, led by Kiwis Rachel House and Roy Billing, welcome the chance for a few cracks.

Adding injury to all these insults, Chris’s car will take weeks to fix after its accident.

So, Chris and his baby joey – he calls her Liz - crash out at a nearby shack.

Charlie tells Chris that native custom demands that he take care of the young kangaroo until she’s ready to be sent out into the wild.

Charlie’s family is a star-studded mob, featuring national treasures Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair and Crocodile Dundee’s mate Ernie Dingo.

And by the time they’ve told Chris the native custom’s been entirely made up, he’s already committed to both Liz the joey and to Charlie.

The film couldn’t be more formulaic, thanks to veteran director Kate Woods and writer Harry Kripps, as well as appealing first-timer, Lily Whiteley as Charlie.

But it can’t be denied, for what it is, it’s very well done. And who doesn’t want to spend an hour or so basking in the Northern Territory sun with kangaroos?

If you like kangaroos, big city weathermen being accepted in a town with virtually no weather, cute kids and lovable adults - and you don’t mind lingering for nearly two hours - then Kangaroo is definitely for you.