'Australia' review

Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman (Credit: James Fisher/20th Century Fox)

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In late '30s/early '40s Australia, cattle driver Drover (Hugh "Sexiest Man Alive" Jackman) teams up with wealthy Englishwoman Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman). Together, they move the herd and protect young aboriginal boy Nullah (Brandon Walters), who's in danger of being taken by authorities and forcefully assimilated-or killed in the impending attacks by the Japanese, who eventually turn their attention to Australia after the strike on Pearl Harbor. The film tackles numerous issues of race, sexism and class, while generating sparks between Drover and Sarah; cutting to Nullah's spiritual grandfather King George (who appears seemingly out of nowhere); referencing "The Wizard of Oz"; and occasionally seeming like it will break into a musical. Nullah also narrates much of the movie, as if it were a fairy tale.

The buzz: Wow, that's a lot going on in a film whose already chaotic production dragged on due to casting changes (Russell Crowe was originally signed on for Jackman's role), weather problems and just the time needed to build all the sets. But director/co-writer Baz Luhrmann ("Moulin Rouge") hasn't made a movie in seven years, so the 165-minute "Australia" arrives with a lot of anticipation and high expectations.

The verdict: Luhrmann admirably doesn't feel confined by genre, but he's also working without a compass, turning the overlong, overstuffed "Australia" into something simultaneously cartoonish and corny, overblown and underplayed. Though a golden Hollywood look lends majesty to the film's backlit landscapes, few of the elements of varying stylishness and surprising family-friendliness have time to flourish--like a kitchen full of cooks who all knock each other out. "Australia" aims for old-fashioned magic but lacks the necessary depth and classic beauty; Call it a little show on a big stage, or tiny brushes on a huge canvas. But you also have to call it disappointing.

Did you know? Sarah defends her over-packing tendencies by saying, "A lady never knows what she might need." That's understandable, but when traveling through the Australian desert, really, how many different outfits suit the setting?

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