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Kangaroo Jack

Overwhelming dislike
Based on 25 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 40 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy
Written by:
Steve Bing (also story)
Scott Rosenberg
Barry O'Brien (story)
Directed by: David McNally
Release Date:
Theatrical: January 17, 2003
DVD: June 24, 2003
Running Time: 97 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG for language, crude humor, sensuality and violence
Starring Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson, Estella Warren, Christopher Walken, Dyan Cannon, Michael Shannon, Marton Csokas, and David Ngoombujarra
Two friends from Brooklyn are forced to deliver mob money to Australia. Their misadventures begin when a kangaroo hops off with the cash.
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Philadelphia Inquirer Karen Heller
This salt-and-pepper buddy movie set in the scenic environs of downtown Brooklyn and the Australian bush is a crowd-pleaser -- for the elementary-school set.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Ty Burr
Will parents be able to sit through Kangaroo Jack without plunging sharp sticks into their eyes? The short answer? Yes. Barely.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Loren King
The film's crude humor and violence -- cartoonish, but still violent -- should offend parents of younger kids. Yet its ultra-broad, pratfall-filled comedy will satisfy only the most indiscriminate teens.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Steve Simels
This fish-out-of-water buddy/action comedy is aimed squarely at undiscriminating 10-year-olds, and that demographic may well enjoy it.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Kevin Carr
Run -- dont walk -- from this film or you might end up watching a bad CGI character do a painful Dr. Evil impression.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone Peter Travers
The 'roo doesn't talk, except in a dream sequence I'm dying here.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey
In the life-is-too-short category, file Kangaroo Jack as a sub-Farrelly Brothers, dumb-plus-dumber buddy picture.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
A desert of shrill juvenile jokes and clanging chase sequences.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold
The kangaroo is devoid of charm, as are the actors, who have the chemistry of fingernails on a blackboard.
Read Full Review >Variety Joe Leydon
For auds unwilling or unable to grapple with the subtle nuances of "Scooby Doo," Warners now gives us Kangaroo Jack, a shrill and silly farce.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Jon Strickland
Bruckheimer shifts from high-concept historical romance "Pearl Harbor" and high-concept T&A "Coyote Ugly" to a first attempt at high-concept light comedy, yet only his fondness for dragging acting talent down with him carries over.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Kimberley Jones
Indeed, the largely computer-generated Jack acts the pants off his co-stars, which can and should be taken with a whole trough full of salt.
Read Full Review >Dallas Observer Robert Wilonsky
Were it not for the involvement of producer Bruckheimer, who has made billions by conning millions into believing they can't live without his celluloid crack, it's doubtful Kangaroo Jack would even exist. As it stands now, the "movie" barely exists anyway.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Dana Stevens
What better to do with such a quiet, majestic landscape than to liven it up with the noise and vulgarity of lowest-common-denominator American pop culture?
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin
Straight from the fiery, churning bowels of high-concept hell comes Kangaroo Jack, Bruckheimer's idea of kid-friendly fare, and some of the longest 90 minutes ever committed to film.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Desson Thomson
There are two distinctive features to the movie: the mind-numbingly banal plot as one chases another who chases another, and all the offensive material.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Jan Stuart
88 minutes of desperate gyrations intended to simulate humor.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jack Mathews
It's fitting that the kangaroo gives the most lifelike performance.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Joe McGovern
Virtually every shot of the kangaroo was digitally created, and perhaps that was an insurance policy masterstroke. Forcing a real live one to act opposite these co-stars could have easily constituted animal cruelty.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 4.3 (out of 10) based on 40 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Evan H gave it a0:
I watched this movie when I was about 8 years old and I wasn't remotely amused by this.
K M gave it a9:
I'm not going to say anything about plot, but I liked this movie and it is also one of the first movies that introduced me to the comedic talent of Anthony Anderson.
Lauren S gave it a2:
Even for a children's movie, it is an extreme flop. I was a kid when it came out, and i saw it with my parents, they were absolutely disgusted and i was too! We left the theater, and as a teen, i've had enough of the losers saying it's the greatest movie in the world. For me, everyone has an opinion, but please, seriously, don't watch it. It's such a redneck movie.
Shaheem E. gave it a6:
The story is thin and the acting in hammy, but the movie was a lot of fun!
Clark W gave it an8:
I can't understand what is with all these critics. This movie, while a little over the top, is hilarious. It's a classic buddy-buddy action comedy. It's funny and fun and will appeal to both adult and child audiances.
Dave T. gave it a10:
This is the single greatest stoner movie of all time. Just after it came out i was a major stoner, and me and my mate would watch this movie every weekend. We loved it. god bless you kangaroo jack, i might have kicked the habit, but the memories will last a life time.
matt gave it a0:
The kangaroo talks? Huh. I didn't catch that because I was too busy sleeping through the whole movie.
