Review of Ned Kelly

Introduction

Ned Kelly, a film that`s drumming up some serious hype stateside, is based on the notorious Australian bushranger & icon. Most of you might recall Ned Kelly`s horrendous first incarnation as a movie, with Mick Jagger`s embarrassing performance in the title role. You`d have thought that alone would have left many people questioning the need of a further biopic. This version however, at least at first glance, is a stark contrast, as it has a fantastic array of talent behind it, old & new.

Heath Ledger continues his foray into Dramatic pictures, as the outlaw himself, following his rather appalling attempt at horror with `The Sin Eater`. Orlando Bloom, who doesn`t seem capable of doing any wrong when it comes to choosing projects, plays the charming Joe Byrne, the brother of Kelly. Other notable additions to the supporting cast include one of my personal favourites, the brilliant Geoffrey Rush, and a certain actress soon to be appearing in Peter Jackson`s upcoming `KONG`, Naomi Watts.

Amusingly, they`re still waiting on this to get its theatrical run in the States, and it`s not often we get major studio releases ahead of anybody, let alone those damn yanks.

Video

A nice all round job from Universal, as they keep the glitches to an absolute minimum. The film`s settings are often dark & dreary locations with real bad weather, so be sure to dim the lights before settling down to view this one. The transfer`s colouring is perfect to compliment the haunting nature of the film, whilst everything is generally sharp.

Audio

If you`ve got the right setup, there`s some treats to be had with Ned Kelly`s aural performance. Though a relatively quiet movie throughout, the shoot-out scenes in DTS format are really something to revel in. The dialogue amidst those accents are thankfully clear, whilst the musical score is quite effective in setting up the errie scenarios in the woodlands.

Features

Disappointingly, there`s no audio commentary on this single disc-set. Furthermore, most of the extras are made up of poor promotional material, mainly consisting of bland photo galleries & trailers. The only addition that adds any real insight is the short featurette, entitled `Ned Kelly in Popular Culture`, which deals with the Kelly Gang`s history in motion pictures, dating back to the very first movie in 1906.

Conclusion

Though the acting talent on show in Ned Kelly is undisputed, the film is a complete mess, if not a fun one. The supporting cast have little or nothing to work with, as little regard is shown to sub-plots or any kind of character development. I particularly had a problem with the under-used Geoffrey Rush who played the officer in pursuit of the outlaw, as it was an incredibly bland role which offered little conflict with the main character. Naomi Watt`s feeble excuse for a love interest for Kelly should also have been better written or better yet left out. The jury is still out on Heath Ledger`s credibility as a leading man, but his performance here will certainly do him no harm, as he sports a consistent convincing Irish accent and along with Bloom, ends up saving the film. You can`t help feeling Ned Kelly was a missed opportunity, you can`t help feeling it wasn`t far from being a good movie, but due to inconsistent writing, it just ends up as a brainless bit of fun.

The extras are un-inspiring to say the least, but the soundtrack & transfer`s performance end up being the disc`s saving grace. Not a great film by all means, but due to some great shoot-outs, it`s certainly one that you can get a degree of some enjoyment out of.