Review of Ned Kelly (2003) by Sam E — 02 Apr 2008

Heath Ledger did a pretty good job, but I just felt the over-all production of this movie was really lacking. Sort of a waste of good actors (Orlando Bloom, Naomi Watts, and Geoffrey Rush round out the prominent cast) and great subject matter, I thought. Although there is a lot to the historical narrative of Ned Kelly, this movie adaptation seemed pretty thin on plot.

In a lot of ways this is like "Braveheart" in the sense that a man is victimized by some tyrannous Brits and decides to strike back. I felt that the movie was largely lacking because it didnt give the outlaw-hero Ned Kelly enough direction in his quest to overthrow British occupancy in Australia. Besides being a general pest to the Brits and stealing from them to give to the poor, you got the feeling that he and his band just liked breaking rules. Interspersed throughout are various speeches from this kind of Robin Hood/Braveheart protagonist which provide a little insight into Kelly's mind, but dont really inspire or give any true glory to his cause.

In the end, I wasn't rooting for Ned Kelly because it seemed like his cause was so just, or his intentions entirely moral, but moreso because the English were just so bad. In the midst of their incessant preying upon young girls, raiding of innocent villagers, trumping up unjust charges, and slaughtering of innocents I became pretty convinced that I didnt like them. This where I felt Director Gregor Jordan missed the mark -- he didnt give his likeable protagonists any real direction in their mission against the bad guys. Therefore, when the inevitable showdown occurs, it's almost silly because in a way it seems like the "good guys" are trying to throw away their lives because no real plan has been put in play to bring about success.

Maybe I am being a little harsh on this movie. I truly enjoyed the acting, and the cinematography was well-done, with a particular emphasis placed on animals and landscape. I was just disappointed because I felt the movie really could have been so much better.