Robin Hood Junior

I thought this was and still is a cool film, I feel it just hangs together so well. You are just carried along on a swift stupid ride through the adventures of an outlaw trying to save his home from an evil corporate banker. The gags are hilarious and Yahoo is just as good as in Young Einstein. My favourite part has to be the bank get away scene, it's just so stylish! I recommend this to anyone who just wants a fun eighty minutes of senseless fun. Great cast, great gags, great film. The only thing I would wish is that they release this on DVD in its original widescreen format with both cuts of the film on it and possibly a directors commentary and music only sound track. That would just make my day I give this 9 out of 10 cause it's just so easy to watch and so much fun.

For surreal Australian silliness you can beat Yahoo Serious' recent film Reckless Kelly (1992). From the opening shot, a high speed helicopter shot heading over the ocean towards the land (a classic film cliché, made interesting by being shot upside down--cause this is the Australian coast, mate!), you know you're in for some inspired silliness. Yahoo plays the grandson of legendary bank robber Ned Kelly (played by Mick Jagger in an earlier film). He lives on an island paradise--a rundown pub in the middle of a national park--with his extended family, and still dabbles in the redistribution of wealth. When a villainous bank president threatens to sell his island to the Japanese, Ned must travel to America to raise the money to pay off the mortgage, and in the process become a low budget film star. With Alexi Sayle (The Young Ones) as Major Wibb and an assortment of Australian character actors and other marsupials doing their own accents.

We still got some laffs outa it but not as much as EINSTEIN. We rated it a 7 versus a 9 for the other. Still, Yahoo, is always interesting to watch. He tries some original stuff - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Yahoo Serious is Reckless Kelly

In the realm of modern comedy, this particular Yahoo is very series about being funny, even if this sentence is not. 1994's 'Reckless Kelly' comes in the middle of his carrier as one of Australia's most creative film makers. Right behind the popular 1988 'Young Einstein' and right before 2000's 'Mr. Accident. A movie for each decade. No more, no less. I think he is due for another one about this time.

Reckless Kelly is part of the infamous Kelly Gang of Australia. While his rather big family runs the Glenrowan Hotel and Video Rental on Reckless Island, located near a national park, Ned robs banks. He is an expert marksman who can shot a fly at point blank range and also holds the record as the most shot man in the world. He rides around on a makeshift bike that is fast but likely to fall apart at any minute. But unlike Republican bank robbers who steal money just for themselves, he is a Democrat bank robber who steals to redistribute the wealth amongst those who need it.

When Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving as Sir John) decides to sell the island to the Japanese, Ned takes to robbing banks for himself, but only in America where his conscience is free to steal. American bank robbing turns out to not be so lucrative, but a carrier as an actor in a low budget 'straight to video' movie studio does. Aided by his Shakespearean quoting actress girlfriend Robin Banks, he seeks to get the money to save his island, as 'The Christian Cowboy'.

Several visual gags with great shots of kangaroos and other Australian wildlife mixed with Yahoo's smiley and sunny personality make 'Reckless Kelly' a likable and potential comedy classic. The classic is taken out of the comedy with some characterization that is introduced and not used to it's funny potential and some gags that are lamely delivered. The climatic gun battle with Agent Smith and the armed bankers is fairly amusing and caps off the comedy to create smiles but not belly laughs.

If you want to take a good hard look at Serious Australian Cinema it's worth a look and some laughs. If your particular about your limited time on earth to watch extremely quality funny films it might be better to check out one of his other films or one of the old comedic masters or Mr. Bean. According to Wikepedia as of December 2008 he is working on his 4th feature, a war movie about the Kokoda Track campaign.

Even though he shoots flies dead in the picture, the end credits lets us know that 'No fly was harmed during the making of this motion picture.'

The Kelly gang is a longtime Robin Hood bank robbers. However the family business has changed over the years and only Ned Kelly (Yahoo Serious) is in the bank robbing division. He is taken by bank teller Robin Banks (Melora Hardin) during a stickup where he deposits money into the accounts of the poor. Sir John (Hugo Weaving) is angered and British Major Wib is assigned to hunt down Kelly. Then the bank sells their Reckless Island and shipping it to Japan. The Kellys need to raise $1 million to buy back the island. The problem is that any money the Kelly Gang robs in Australia must be given to the poor of Australia. So Ned Kelly decides to rob banks in America.

Yahoo Serious used to be a thing for two seconds. He was funny for about just as long. He's trying to be wacky but he's not wild enough. The comedy is not smart enough. There is an oddity about his comedy that may not be translating. I don't find any laughs in this although I do appreciate him giving his all. It's stupid but not the funny kind.