Kangaroo Jack
Encyclopedia
Kangaroo Jack is a 2003 American comedy film directed by David McNally
, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
, and starring Jerry O'Connell
, Anthony Anderson
, Christopher Walken
, Estella Warren
and Adam Garcia
. An animated sequel, Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.!
, was produced and released direct-to-video
on November 16, 2004.
) is about to become the stepson of a mobster named Salvatore Maggio (Walken
). On that same day, he meets his new best friend, Louis Booker (Anderson
), who saves him from drowning. The mobster's apprentice, a recently released ex-con named Frankie Lombardo (Shannon
), had tried to drown Charlie intentionally by throwing a football deep into the surf, which would make it look like he wasn't responsible.
Twenty years later, in 2002, Charlie has his own beauty salon. Yet, Sal's goons arrive every week and take at least 80% of the profits, barely letting Charlie keep enough money for future improvements. Louis is still Charlie's best friend. After they botch the job of hiding some stolen goods (resulting in some of Sal's men getting arrested and many of his stolen goods being recovered by police), Sal gives Charlie and Louis one more chance. Under the instructions of Frankie, they have to deliver a package on the next flight to Sydney
, then to Coober Pedy
to meet a man named Mr. Smith. Frankie also tells them that if they should run into any trouble, they should call Mr. Smith at the cell phone number, that he gives them. Unbeknown to Charlie and Louis, Sal tells his Capo that he is "cancelling their return trip". On the plane, Louis peeks into the package, only to find $50,000.
Whilst driving through the Australian Outback
(on their way to Mr. Smith), Charlie and Louis inadvertently run over a red kangaroo
, and seemingly killing it. Louis feels interested and puts his "lucky jacket" on the kangaroo with Charlie's sunglasses; they think that the kangaroo looks like Jackie Leggs, one of Sal's goons. When they are taking the picture, the kangaroo then comes back to consciousness and hops away, with just one problem: The $50,000 was in the jacket. Charlie and Louis hop into the jeep and chase the kangaroo attempting to grab the money from the jacket on the kangaroo, but the ensuing chase ends with the duo driving through a field of termite mounds and crashing into a pile of rocks. When they reach a nearby bar called the Old Alice Inn in Alice Springs
Louis calls Mr. Smith (Csokas
) and tells him about the situation. Mr. Smith maliciously tells Louis that they had better have his money when he comes after them or he'll kill them and feed them to saltwater crocodile
s.
Louis gets advice from a local animal sanctuary and is told by Jessie (Warren
) that the best way to catch the kangaroo is to shoot it with a tranquillizer dart
fired from the air. They enlist the help of an alcoholic bushplane pilot named Blue (Hunter
). Unfortunately, an unexpected jolt causes Louis to shoot Blue with the dart rather than the kangaroo, and the plane crashes. When Blue radios for help, his air traffic controller, Tansy (Roberts
), has been taken hostage by Mr. Smith's minions and, upon hearing the location of the aircraft, they destroy the radio, gag Tansy and head off in that direction.
Back in New York City
, Sal gets a call from Mr. Smith, saying that Charlie and Louis haven't arrived yet. Thus, Sal sends Frankie and his minions to Australia to look into this. When Frankie and his minions arrive in Sydney, they're met by a man called Mr Jimmy who drives them into the desert.
Meanwhile, Charlie and Louis attempt to reclaim the money, but end up stranded in the desert. They are met with many adversities including a pack of wild dingoes, a sand storm
, and then Charlie starts to hallucinate because of the heat. He first sees their jeep and starts to relax in it, but then realizes it is a mirage
. They finally get rescued by Jessie, who Charlie thinks is another mirage, so he foolishly grabs her breasts. Jessie knocks him out, and he has a delusion about the kangaroo, who starts rapping in front of him. After he awakens, he asks Jessie to help them find the missing animal. She declines at first, but when Charlie offers to pay her, she graciously accepts. The next morning, they set out on camels to find the kangaroo.
Quite unexpectedly, they get attacked by Mr. Smith and his henchmen. Charlie and Louis outsmart them, only to find that Frankie and the men join in on the battle. After getting the money back from the kangaroo, and after Charlie saves Louis from falling off a steep cliff, they learn from Frankie that Sal really sent them to Australia to pay for their own execution. All of a sudden, Mr. Jimmy (who turns out to have been an undercover police officer) and the police come at the right moment and arrest Frankie, Mr. Smith, and their respective minions and Charlie reclaims Louis' lucky jacket from the kangaroo.
One year later, Charlie and Jessie are married and sell their new shampoo and they put a picture of Jack on the bottle, Frankie and his men are imprisoned for life which Sal Maggio has also failed at avoiding, and Louis is currently Charlie's advertising partner. As for the kangaroo (now called Kangaroo Jack), he is still hopping around the outback.
. Jerry Bruckheimer started working exclusively with Disney following the release of Bad Boys II
six months later.
Kangaroo Jack earned two Razzie Award nominations for both Anthony Anderson and Christopher Walken as Worst Supporting Actor.
, Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.!
, was released direct-to-video
on November 16, 2004.
David McNally (director)
David McNally is a Canadian director of film and television. He is best known for directing the films Coyote Ugly and Kangaroo Jack .-Career:...
, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
, and starring Jerry O'Connell
Jerry O'Connell
Jeremiah "Jerry" O'Connell is an American actor, best known for his roles in the TV series Sliders, Andrew Clements in My Secret Identity, Vern Tessio in the film Stand by Me, Charlie Carbone in Kangaroo Jack, and Detective Woody Hoyt on the drama Crossing Jordan...
, Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The...
, Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
, Estella Warren
Estella Warren
Estella Dawn Warren is a Canadian actress, former fashion model, and a former synchronized swimmer. Her swimming career includes time on the National Canadian Team including 3 national titles. Her work in modeling is known through publications such as Sports Illustrated as well as working for...
and Adam Garcia
Adam Garcia
Adam Garcia is an Australian actor and tap dancer of partial Colombian descent .-Career:...
. An animated sequel, Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.!
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.!
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.! is an animated sequel to 2003's Kangaroo Jack that is directed by Emory Myrick and Jeffrey Gatrall . It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and sister company Castle Rock Entertainment and was distributed by Warner Bros. and released direct-to-video in 2004...
, was produced and released direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
on November 16, 2004.
Plot
In the summer of 1982, a boy named Charlie Carbone (O'ConnellJerry O'Connell
Jeremiah "Jerry" O'Connell is an American actor, best known for his roles in the TV series Sliders, Andrew Clements in My Secret Identity, Vern Tessio in the film Stand by Me, Charlie Carbone in Kangaroo Jack, and Detective Woody Hoyt on the drama Crossing Jordan...
) is about to become the stepson of a mobster named Salvatore Maggio (Walken
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
). On that same day, he meets his new best friend, Louis Booker (Anderson
Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The...
), who saves him from drowning. The mobster's apprentice, a recently released ex-con named Frankie Lombardo (Shannon
Michael Shannon (actor)
Michael Corbett Shannon is an American stage, film, and television actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Revolutionary Road...
), had tried to drown Charlie intentionally by throwing a football deep into the surf, which would make it look like he wasn't responsible.
Twenty years later, in 2002, Charlie has his own beauty salon. Yet, Sal's goons arrive every week and take at least 80% of the profits, barely letting Charlie keep enough money for future improvements. Louis is still Charlie's best friend. After they botch the job of hiding some stolen goods (resulting in some of Sal's men getting arrested and many of his stolen goods being recovered by police), Sal gives Charlie and Louis one more chance. Under the instructions of Frankie, they have to deliver a package on the next flight to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, then to Coober Pedy
Coober Pedy, South Australia
Coober Pedy is a town in northern South Australia, 846 kilometres north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway. According to the 2006 census, its population was 1,916 . The town is sometimes referred to as the "opal capital of the world" because of the quantity of precious opals that are mined there...
to meet a man named Mr. Smith. Frankie also tells them that if they should run into any trouble, they should call Mr. Smith at the cell phone number, that he gives them. Unbeknown to Charlie and Louis, Sal tells his Capo that he is "cancelling their return trip". On the plane, Louis peeks into the package, only to find $50,000.
Whilst driving through the Australian Outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
(on their way to Mr. Smith), Charlie and Louis inadvertently run over a red kangaroo
Red Kangaroo
The Red Kangaroo is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest mammal native to Australia, and the largest surviving marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, avoiding only the more fertile areas in the south, the east coast, and the northern rainforests.-Description:This species is a very...
, and seemingly killing it. Louis feels interested and puts his "lucky jacket" on the kangaroo with Charlie's sunglasses; they think that the kangaroo looks like Jackie Leggs, one of Sal's goons. When they are taking the picture, the kangaroo then comes back to consciousness and hops away, with just one problem: The $50,000 was in the jacket. Charlie and Louis hop into the jeep and chase the kangaroo attempting to grab the money from the jacket on the kangaroo, but the ensuing chase ends with the duo driving through a field of termite mounds and crashing into a pile of rocks. When they reach a nearby bar called the Old Alice Inn in Alice Springs
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
Louis calls Mr. Smith (Csokas
Marton Csokas
-Early life:Csokas was born in Invercargill, New Zealand. His mother, a nurse, is of Irish and Danish descent; his Hungarian-born father, also named Márton Csókás, worked as a mechanical engineer...
) and tells him about the situation. Mr. Smith maliciously tells Louis that they had better have his money when he comes after them or he'll kill them and feed them to saltwater crocodile
Saltwater Crocodile
The saltwater crocodile, also known as estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile, is the largest of all living reptiles...
s.
Louis gets advice from a local animal sanctuary and is told by Jessie (Warren
Estella Warren
Estella Dawn Warren is a Canadian actress, former fashion model, and a former synchronized swimmer. Her swimming career includes time on the National Canadian Team including 3 national titles. Her work in modeling is known through publications such as Sports Illustrated as well as working for...
) that the best way to catch the kangaroo is to shoot it with a tranquillizer dart
Sedative
A sedative or tranquilizer is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement....
fired from the air. They enlist the help of an alcoholic bushplane pilot named Blue (Hunter
Bill Hunter (actor)
William John "Bill" Hunter was an Australian actor of film, stage and television. He appeared in more than 60 films and won two Australian Film Institute Awards.-Early life:Hunter was a son of William and Francie Hunter...
). Unfortunately, an unexpected jolt causes Louis to shoot Blue with the dart rather than the kangaroo, and the plane crashes. When Blue radios for help, his air traffic controller, Tansy (Roberts
Denise Roberts
Denise Roberts is an Australian actor and director who has worked in theatre, film and television since 1980. She gained initial fame when she played Julie Winters in the ABC-TV medical drama G.P. from 1989 to 1996. Denise's mentor was Hayes Gordon, with whom she studied solidly for three years...
), has been taken hostage by Mr. Smith's minions and, upon hearing the location of the aircraft, they destroy the radio, gag Tansy and head off in that direction.
Back in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Sal gets a call from Mr. Smith, saying that Charlie and Louis haven't arrived yet. Thus, Sal sends Frankie and his minions to Australia to look into this. When Frankie and his minions arrive in Sydney, they're met by a man called Mr Jimmy who drives them into the desert.
Meanwhile, Charlie and Louis attempt to reclaim the money, but end up stranded in the desert. They are met with many adversities including a pack of wild dingoes, a sand storm
Dust storm
A dust / sand storm is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil to move from one place and deposition...
, and then Charlie starts to hallucinate because of the heat. He first sees their jeep and starts to relax in it, but then realizes it is a mirage
Mirage
A mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French mirage, from the Latin mirare, meaning "to look at, to wonder at"...
. They finally get rescued by Jessie, who Charlie thinks is another mirage, so he foolishly grabs her breasts. Jessie knocks him out, and he has a delusion about the kangaroo, who starts rapping in front of him. After he awakens, he asks Jessie to help them find the missing animal. She declines at first, but when Charlie offers to pay her, she graciously accepts. The next morning, they set out on camels to find the kangaroo.
Quite unexpectedly, they get attacked by Mr. Smith and his henchmen. Charlie and Louis outsmart them, only to find that Frankie and the men join in on the battle. After getting the money back from the kangaroo, and after Charlie saves Louis from falling off a steep cliff, they learn from Frankie that Sal really sent them to Australia to pay for their own execution. All of a sudden, Mr. Jimmy (who turns out to have been an undercover police officer) and the police come at the right moment and arrest Frankie, Mr. Smith, and their respective minions and Charlie reclaims Louis' lucky jacket from the kangaroo.
One year later, Charlie and Jessie are married and sell their new shampoo and they put a picture of Jack on the bottle, Frankie and his men are imprisoned for life which Sal Maggio has also failed at avoiding, and Louis is currently Charlie's advertising partner. As for the kangaroo (now called Kangaroo Jack), he is still hopping around the outback.
Cast
- Jerry O'ConnellJerry O'ConnellJeremiah "Jerry" O'Connell is an American actor, best known for his roles in the TV series Sliders, Andrew Clements in My Secret Identity, Vern Tessio in the film Stand by Me, Charlie Carbone in Kangaroo Jack, and Detective Woody Hoyt on the drama Crossing Jordan...
as Charlie Carbone: A hair-dresser who works at a beauty salon. - Anthony AndersonAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The...
as Louis Booker: Charlie's best friend who saved Charlie's life two decades ago. - Estella WarrenEstella WarrenEstella Dawn Warren is a Canadian actress, former fashion model, and a former synchronized swimmer. Her swimming career includes time on the National Canadian Team including 3 national titles. Her work in modeling is known through publications such as Sports Illustrated as well as working for...
as Jessie: Charlie's love interest. - Michael ShannonMichael Shannon (actor)Michael Corbett Shannon is an American stage, film, and television actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Revolutionary Road...
as Frankie Lombardo: One of Sal Maggio's minions. - Christopher WalkenChristopher WalkenChristopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
as Salvatore "Sal" Maggio: Charlie's stepfather and mobster. - Dyan CannonDyan CannonDyan Cannon is an American film and television actress, director, screenwriter, editor, and producer.-Early life:...
as Anna Carbone: Charlie's mother. - Marton CsokasMarton Csokas-Early life:Csokas was born in Invercargill, New Zealand. His mother, a nurse, is of Irish and Danish descent; his Hungarian-born father, also named Márton Csókás, worked as a mechanical engineer...
as Mr. Smith: A serial killer in Australia. - Bill HunterBill Hunter (actor)William John "Bill" Hunter was an Australian actor of film, stage and television. He appeared in more than 60 films and won two Australian Film Institute Awards.-Early life:Hunter was a son of William and Francie Hunter...
as Blue: An alcoholic bushplane pilot. - Tony NikolakopoulosTony NikolakopoulosTony Nikolakopoulos is a Greek Australian film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his work in the films of Nick Giannopoulos, The Wog Boy and The Wannabes, and for his role as Attilio in the television series Scooter: Secret Agent...
as Sal's Capo: Sal's minion. - David NgoombujarraDavid NgoombujarraDavid Ngoombujarra was an Indigenous Australian actor of the Yamatji people. Born David Bernard Starr in Meekatharra, Western Australia, his acting career spanned over two decades from the 1980s to the present; he won three Australian Film Institute Awards...
as AFPAustralian Federal PoliceThe Australian Federal Police is the federal police agency of the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the AFP was created by the amalgamation in 1979 of three Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, it traces its history from Commonwealth law enforcement agencies dating back to the federation of...
Senior Sgt. James "Mr. Jimmy" Inkamala: A tour guide who's actually a police officer. - Adam GarciaAdam GarciaAdam Garcia is an Australian actor and tap dancer of partial Colombian descent .-Career:...
as Kangaroo "Jackie Legs" Jack (voice, uncredited)
Production
Kangaroo Jack is mostly live-action but the kangaroos are computer-animated, the special visual effects were provided by The Secret Lab which closed shortly after the release.Reception
The film was overwhelmingly panned by critics, earning 8% positive reviews on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Jerry Bruckheimer started working exclusively with Disney following the release of Bad Boys II
Bad Boys II
Bad Boys II is a 2003 action/comedy film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. It is a sequel to the 1995 film Bad Boys. The film is about two police detectives investigating the flow of ecstasy into Miami...
six months later.
Kangaroo Jack earned two Razzie Award nominations for both Anthony Anderson and Christopher Walken as Worst Supporting Actor.
Box office
The film was released on January 17, 2003 at #1 rank and grossed $16,580,209 in the opening weekend. It grossed $66,934,963 domestically and $21,994,148 foreign for a worldwide total of $88,929,111.Sequel
An animated sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.!
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.!
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.! is an animated sequel to 2003's Kangaroo Jack that is directed by Emory Myrick and Jeffrey Gatrall . It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and sister company Castle Rock Entertainment and was distributed by Warner Bros. and released direct-to-video in 2004...
, was released direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
on November 16, 2004.