Crackerjack (2002)

Don't Believe the Hype

A Disappointing Continuation

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Crackerjack has a wonderful cast of Australian actors covering a very Australian subject of a sporting club struggling to survive and remain relevant in Australia. This film is an absolute gem from start to finish. The standout is Mick Molloy cast as the lead in a role which is perfect for his self effacing , lets have some fun demeanor. He is the gel that pulls the film along and takes you for the ride as the other legends of Australian film and TV play their parts to perfection. The film delivers a strong message that the places and people you take for granted today may not be there tomorrow and the world will be a poorer place for it. So like Jack , if the opportunity arises to keep something worthwhile going, take the challenge and be part of something that can be really great.

WARNING: Contains Spoilers I managed to watch Mick Molloy's film on DVD for the first time a while back. For those who don't know it's about a call centre worker (Molloy) who gets hooked up into the world of Lawn Bowls after the club finds out he's been a member of their club for several years just so he could profit from the inner-city parking space at the club.I'd seen this film before on tape a few months back and on repeated viewings, it holds up quite well. It's never hilarious but it does have some amusing and memorable scenes.My favourite is the team meeting in the call centre because it's based on truth. Anyone who's worked in an office environment can relate to the pretentiousness of the supervisor who rates each of the calls the workers up to the decimal point (e.g. 85.17%). It also illustrates the alienating nature of these places very well.But there are some significant weaknesses in this film - the romance between Molloy and Judith Lucy's character is a complete bust - formulaic and routine in the extreme. There is no chemistry between the two (heaven forbid) and just seems to be put in there because the filmmakers felt it "obligatory" to have a love interest. When they do kiss at the end of the film it almost seems like a spoof of films that have the female and male lead kiss during the happy ending.And Molloy's acting performance is a mixed bag - on one of the commentary tracks he wasn't originally intended to be the lead in the film. Perhaps it would've been better if he hadn't have been. He's good when it comes to some of the comic aspects of the film (especially the team meeting scene), but is unconvincing during the dramatic scenes in the film - acting like he's in a Late Show sketch instead of a proper character.The plot line and trajectory for this film is predictable from an early stage - I've seen this innumerable times before in run-of-the-mill Hollywood productions. It was so obvious that the entire film would end with the club's future resting on the final bowl of the tournament and Molloy having the chance to win the championship... can you guess whether he wins it or not? And the way the elderly members of the club is also a mixed bag - in certain scenes the film tries to make them into real flesh-and-blood characters, in others they go for easy laughs by relying on stereotypes of old people (really slow drivers, pedantic, prejudiced against younger people). All in all, the film treats them pretty well and people like Bill Hunter are given the chance to deliver fine performances.John Clarke's performance as the bad guy looking to take over the club for his own purposes is a definite plus. I think the reason why it's so good is said by the director in the commentary - because he underplays a role which could easily have turned into a vicious, snarling thug. Clarke avoids the obvious path and as result comes up with a sophisticated, impressive performance.I think the film's best strength is the comments and observations it makes on society today. It shows the appeal of the friendly, sociable atmosphere of Molloy's bowls club compared to the pokies infested, garishly designed structure of the upmarket Boggara bowls club where the finale is held.I especially liked how talkback radio was inserted (usually as a link between scenes) where inane talkback callers spiel all their prejudices against the usual suspects (refugees, the unions while the shock-jock radio announcer unsurprisingly agrees were put into the film.) However, a lot of these social issues brought up are cast aside due to the obligatory 'happy ending. I mean, what if Molloy hadn't managed to win the match with his final 'flipper' and win the title and, hence, save the club? It would've meant that the Clarke would've got his wishes and the club would've been taken over into a pokies venue (or closed down).As for the DVD itself, it has many features. The most noticeable feature was that there were two commentary tracks on the DVD. One featured Molloy and his brother (co-writer) as well as Judith Lucy; at first the Molloys provide some interesting insights into the ideas of the film, but then it becomes like a Martin/Molloy show in the 2nd half which is often amusing but the film is barely discussed. But that doesn't matter as the 2nd commentary (with the director and others) discusses the film in substantial detail. So they complement each other well.And then there are 5 deleted scenes (with commentary) and probably two of them could've been kept in the film. Thankfully, the segment with Prince Phillip's hat wasn't.And they also have the original theatrical trailer for the film, which actually made the film less appealing then what it actually was.All in all, this isn't a bad film, notable as being virtually the only Australian film in the last 18 months to gain any significant response from the Australian public.But one hopes Molloy sets his sights higher for his next script.

Coming from Oz I probably shouldn't say it but I find a lot of the local movies lacking that cohesive flow with a weak storyline. This comedy lacks in nothing. Great story, no overacting, no melodrama, just brilliant comedy as we know Oz can do it. Do yourself a favour and laugh till you drop.

A fairly typical Australian movie where the underdog saves the day inspite of himself. I guess there is no real reason to see this pic if you have seen "The Castle" or "The Dish". It still leaves you with a positive feeling at the end and it as good or better than most Hollywood stuff.