Dirty Deeds (2002)

In 1969 Vietnam, handsome soldier Sam Worthington (as Darcy "Darce" Ryan) receives his release from war service. He goes home to live with the uncle who raised him as a son. Meanwhile, weighty gangster John Goodman (as Tony Testano) and his trigger-happy henchman Fred Williamson (as Sal Cassela) are dispatched from Chicago, USA to Sidney, Australia. Their mission is to take over the slot-machine racket run by crime boss Bryan Brown (as Barry Ryan) by infiltrating his organization. Experienced at killing people and blowing things up, Mr. Worthington's becomes Mr. Brown's young partner...Worthington could follow in his uncle's footsteps, or open his own pizzeria. A romantic subplot involves amorous Kestie Morassi (as Margaret), who so predictably switches partners you have to wonder what writer/director David Caesar intended. There is no real evidence, but perhaps Brown was trying to save his marriage to older, but still beautiful Toni Collette (as Sharon)...Not an Australian expert, but there isn't much here that looks like contemporary movies from 1969. Adept cinematographer Geoffrey Hall is employed to make up the difference by making the motion picture look like an aged Polaroid. It only makes you look for the "color restore" button. The original soundtrack is done well, but don't expect AC/DC's original "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" or a 1969 parade of hits. Direction and editing (by Mark Perry) do help keep it moving. Most elevated in the cast credits is Sam Neill (as Ray Murphy). There is something extra to see within the end credit roll.***** Dirty Deeds (7/18/02) David Caesar ~ Bryan Brown, Sam Worthington, John Goodman, Toni Collette

Yes, it's awful. As to say not one redeeming feature. It was just an opportunity for a bunch of Aussies to have fun without having to do any acting (John Goodman or no) and the scriptwriter to not have to do any writing, and the photographer to not have to see anything, and they stick in Toni Collette as if that is going to help. Who are these people that give a movie like this a rating of 7? Are they people without any critical consciousness? It's just a combo of cowboy=car chases without the horses or the vehicles, just filming people reciting lines that somebody thinks have some sort of meaning to them when they in fact have nothing. Is there any set of standards that anyone adheres to?

This film is so violent. In the opening sequence the amount of violence is too extreme with so little integrity. David Caesar seems to like films where everyone is threatened and seems to think its fine to use meaningless violence as entertainment. It also portrays Australians as complete idiots.

I seem to be among the majority of reviewers, who didn't find anything terribly objectionable about Dirty Deeds, but nothing particularly praiseworthy either. Great cast of actors, somewhat wasted on an ordinary and very predictable script. Lovely outfits and wallpaper, but none of the characters had enough depth to make me see them more than the actors who were playing them.