In 1982 Brooklyn, a boy named Charlie Carbone is about to become the stepson of the mobster Salvatore Maggio. Soon after, a fellow beachgoer named Louis Booker saves him from drowning, and that rescue starts a friendship that lasts for decades. Twenty years later, the two remain close and depend in good part on Maggio's world, until a botched job with some stolen goods forces them to make amends. Their new assignment is to carry a package to Australia, with a strict warning never to open it under any circumstances.

How it was made

The project began as an adult-oriented mob comedy titled Down and Under, in the vein of Midnight Run. Negative test screenings prompted producer Jerry Bruckheimer to retool it as a PG-rated film, heavily re-edit it and add scenes featuring an anthropomorphic kangaroo. Castle Rock Entertainment and Jerry Bruckheimer Films produced the picture, with a score by Trevor Rabin and cinematography by Peter Menzies Jr. The cast includes Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson, Estella Warren, Michael Shannon and Christopher Walken. Adam Garcia provided the kangaroo's voice, though he goes uncredited.

Reception and legacy

Released in the United States on January 17, 2003, by Warner Bros., the film received overwhelmingly negative reviews. Critics took aim at its story, its crude humor for a family audience and marketing that many felt misrepresented the movie. The visual effects and the score drew more favorable comments. It scored 8% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed roughly 88 million dollars against a 60 million dollar budget. An animated direct-to-video sequel, Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.!, followed in 2004 and did little to revive the franchise.

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

Working title

Before taking its final name, the project was called Down and Under and was conceived as a mob comedy aimed at adult audiences.

Voices in the nightmare

In Charlie's nightmare, the kangaroo versions of Louis and Sal are voiced by Anthony Anderson and Christopher Walken, respectively.

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Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.