Blinky Bill the Movie (2015)

I watched this film together with my four old year girl and wife. My girl watched this film to the end that is why I gave it a 5 star in the rating. Nothing more. For adults, which I believe adults should also have fun in watching animations, this film is quite boring. The plot does not make sense. There is something/lots of things missing in the story, characters, development of the events. Characters do not have real depth, they are shallow and not familiar with you and do not connect with you. In line with that, the dialogues are sloppy and full of clichés. Not recommended for adults, not recommended for children over 6-7 I guess.

I had to walk out of the theaters and stop watching this movie. Why? Because of the constant NOISE. There are no peaceful breaks in between dialogue, no slow emotional talk, none of that. This film is constant fast paced noise, talking, music and sound effects. Just imagine a nice scene like Joy crying from Inside Out, and replace the calming silence with loud crying and phoned in sad music. Seriously, even Pink Elephants on Parade was not as fast paced as this movie. The CG was not exactly Pixar, but it was not horrible. Its a cartoony style, which can appeal to children. The character designs were decent, but the so called "house cat" looked way too exaggerated. The characters themselves were bland because the film replaced character development with more and more fast paced noise. To top the crap icing, they replaced flap, a cute platypus from the original cartoon with a lisp, with a Liar Bird that, you guessed it, specializes in noise, as if the film was too frikken quiet without him. The plot was okay, generic and predictable. Seriously, I walked out of the theatre halfway through the film and I was correct when I told someone (who saw the full film) what I predicted what the ending was. The jokes were clever, but were ruined by the constant noise. The film did not allow us to take in and enjoy the joke it just gave us, which is a real shame. The dialogue... Dear god... It was nothing but Aussie slang. There is nothing wrong with slang, but they kept pushing it in our faces as if they were trying to remind us this was an Australian film. Some sentences even made no sense, such as "Don't get your pouch in a twist" (seriously, were they too afraid to say "knickers" in this film or did they think changing the slang to make it Marsupial related was clever? Because it was not. It was stupid.) One could say that its for kids, and that its supposedly "okay" and my review is pointless. But the thing is, most, if not, all the people familiar with Blinky Bill are teens and/or adults now, since we grew up with his books and cartoons. In fact, kids nowadays probably do not even know who Blinky Bill is until they see this movie. So no, "its for kids" is no excuse, because they were also targeting the older audiences. One could say I am blinded by nostalgia, and this is also not true. While I loved the old cartoons as a kid, I always noticed the flaws in that too, even as a kid. So when I saw the trailer, I was exited to see them bring Blinky Bill back in a new style, I really did think it would have been an improvement from the old cartoons. But at least the old cartoons gave their characters some kind of character, well paced plot and a decent balance of quietness and loudness. So yeah, those low budget cartoons with constant unnecessary misanthropy and animation mistakes? Those were better. I have aspergers, and I am sensitive to noise. Most films are kind on me and allow a good combination of fast paced noise and quietness when both are needed. But without a break from the racket the movie was screeching out at me, I had to walk out of the cinema in order to avoid anxiety from an annoying koala who would just not shut up. If your child is sensitive to noise, I do not recommend this film at all. Bad idea. Buy them a copy of the original cartoon or better yet, buy them a real animated movie by Disney, Dreamworks or Blue Sky Cenima that does not rely on waving keys in their faces to provide them with "entertainment". If your kid is not sensitive to noise, this film could be a good time waster for them (its just the cost of your sanity to sit through this with your kid). But I do not recommend it because its an insult to your children's intelligence by thinking that kids always need to have keys being waved in their faces in order to stay interested. All in all, I give this film a 1/10. All good qualities in it are ruined by the noise and nonstop dialogue.

This is an amazing coming of age film that demands your attention and connects with any young person on a deep and emotional level. Blinky's character is amazing and highlights struggles of the Aussie. The superb script gives insight to his innermost feelings and the whole movie creates a feeling of family. Blinky is a nervous teen on the edge of the rest of his life and the writing has highlighted this is the best possible way.I recommend this to anyone with a sense of adventure and familial bonds. This movie is a stunning masterpiece and a classic. Charles Bukowski would be proud.

'Paws in'Popcorn, M&Ms and a large drink... roll the film... The weekend is coming and parents will be looking for a break. The cinemas have a few options this season. An Australian children's icon has been given new life with a CGI version of the young koala adventurer. Kid's Korner rating: 2 stars Parent's Rating: 3.5 starsThe original storyline of the Blinky Bill character was for Blinky to have adventures that will stop the deforestation of the Australian Outback. The newest instalment of Blinky Bill (Ryan Kwanten) takes a less environmental stance and centres on saving his home by bringing his family back together. The battle is for Green Patch and the antagoniser is the evil Cranklepot the Goanna (Barry Otto) who wants to rule their little community. Blinky Bill's story begins when he is a young koala and the origins of his adventurous side are revealed by following the example of his father, Mr. Bill (Richard Roxburgh). After his adventurous father heads off on his latest mission to save trapped animals in the red desert, he goes missing. The younger koala never loses faith in the return of the family patriarch, but while his father is away, Cranklepot moves into leadership of their animal menagerie home. Blinky takes it upon himself to find his father and bring order to their small community. Through a series of signs and death defying events, Blinky connects with a band of young outback creatures that help him to sniff out the trail that Mr. Bill took through the Australian landscape. His new friends Nutsy (Robin McLeavy), a zoo koala, and Jacko (David Wenham), a neurotic frill-necked lizard, help him to make his way through traps, feral animals and well-intentioned zoo keepers to stay on course to find the answers to his father's disappearance and save Green Patch. One joy of this animated journey through the Australian Outback is the vocal talents of the who's who in the Australian acting community (Toni Collette, Barry Humphries and more). They add a level of credibility to this pedestrian tale of Australian folklore and may make it easier for parents to stomach the cringe-worthy stereotypes of Australian culture. The script is elementray and the animation is reminiscent of any Nickelodeon CGI series, but the viewer only needs to be reminded that this chapter of Blinky Bill is meant for children under the age of six years of age. Unlike many of the animated films by Disney and Dreamworks, this film has a small target audience. Parents will be able to appreciate that this film is a safe option for their kids, but it is not designed for an older audience. There are a few jokes added to provide fathers an opportunity to chuckle (Grab your gumnuts and let's go!), but in the end this excursion to the theatre will be to entertain the little ones. Fortunately, the message is focused on bringing a traditional family and their community back together. There is no hidden agenda undergirding the storyline that parents need to be weary of their children being exposed to. Blinky Bill the Movie is far from being ground- breaking cinema, but it does fill the need for parents who are looking for an option to entertain their children during the weekend. Blinky Bill the Movie does provide a wonderful opportunity for parents to talk with their kids about the importance of family. Regardless of the family atmosphere that people bring into the theatre, this film has a strong message for any family at its heart and a basic plot point that little children can appreciate and grasp. After walking out of the theatre and cleaning the popcorn out of their hair (from the child sitting behind the family), this would be a fun time to talk with children about the film and about family. What does family mean to your kids and what are we willing to do to keep the family together? An easy conversation in the car afterwards and a special time to connect with the each other. Dad asked the question on the ride home, 'What did we think of the film?' The animation and the dialogue are designed for younger kids, even though some of humour was meant for older audiences. Blinky Bill is not offensive and will not be embarrassing for parents to share with their little ones, but it the film is meant for the young at heart. Reel Dialogue: What are the bigger questions to consider from this film? 1. What is the importance of the neighbourhood? (John 14:18, James 1:27) 2. Why is family important? (Matthew 22:36-40, Romans 15:2)Kid's Korner are shorter reviews written by Russell Matthews's kids perspective and based on a five star rating system @ Russelling Reviews #russellingreviews #blinkybillthemovie