Thunderstruck

I was lucky enough to get preview tix to see Thunderstruck.

This is for anyone who has ever HEARD of ACDC and might have had a passing interest in their music. Anyone who has ever SEEN a bogan Anyone who has a smidgeon of exposure to the sterotypical Australian lifestyle. Anyone who recalls what the Foodlands logo looks like.

Its look at another aspect of Australian lifestyle and musical influences of the 1980's. I kinda wished the mullets got their own billing because they were something else!!!

Thunderstruck was about good old fashioned Aussie determination and nasty 80's haircuts.

It was also nice to see some Perth talent. Onya Werzel!

-F-

To understand just where this film goes wrong is too easy. A bashing together of all sorts of skits loosely trying to hold together a story of four guys traveling across the Australian desert. Although overdone, the concept could have fulfilled its potential if actors were given definite characters and if the pace was slowed down a bit. It seems to lull about awhile trying to find its feet before magically coming to the perfect solution in the end. A film that optimizes Australian film making at the present. Whilst films like this are being made- with no real plot, definite characters or originality - the film industry in Australia will always lack the thunder and lightning it needs. Great fun until you realize it isn't.

This film was a really interesting spin. Flicking through the channels, I found it, and the very next day I went out and bought the DVD. If you haven't seen it, it's well worth it. See it now

It isn't often that my home country comes out with a movie like this, but it does happen (The Castle, anyone?). It's about five AC/DC fans and their fanaticism, and a promise they make to each other, which they insist on keeping to each other years later

First off, the acting. The spotlight performance was easily Stephen Curry as Ben; he handled being the loser-percussionist-smartass to the furthest extent, and delivers some of the funniest (albeit cynical) lines of the movie. Ryan Johnson's Lloyd is a bit weird, but his actions speak louder than his words (seeing as half of them are swears) and he handles that all right. Damon Gameau as Sonnie seemed a bit flat at times, but in some scenes he overshone even Curry. Admittedly, Sam Worthington's Ronnie and Callan Mulvey's Sam received a bit less development than their friends, but both had their moments. The confrontation of the wheelchair group was entertaining to the last. There were a few interesting cameos along the way; Geoff Gallop, the Western Australia Premier as himself was a bit of a surprise. No one would be at all surprised to know that AC/DC also played themselves in this fan-fest, but a real shocker was the appearance of John Doyle (aka Roy, from Roy and HG) in his brief but hilarious appearance.

The script and directing were very satisfying. This sort of story has admittedly been done before, but the script was full of enough plot twists to keep one interested (who expected Jason Gann and Shaun Angus Hall to appear as a pair of obsessive, utterly misguided ACDC fans?) and Darren Ashton proved himself a very competent director. I look forward to seeing his future work

Most of the flashback scenes can bring tears of your laughter to your eyes; particularly those of Sonnie and Sam's past occupations. They really help the story flowing as they gave the characters more background, but didn't detract from the story by dwelling too much on them.The opening scene of the ACDC Tour Concert in '91 was also interesting, and set the scene really well. It took me a couple of times to watch it before I realised the significance of the hat, but that sort of thing makes you want to watch it again, to see if you missed much else.

In short, a great watch, and well worth picking up. If you are an ACDC fan, this film is a must. If you aren't, it's a should.

8/10

In terms of genre, this is a cross between a road movie (a drive across Australia by 4 men) and a comedy.

But to appreciate this film, you probably need to know a lot about Australia and its culture and a reasonable amount about the rock group AC/DC, especially their early years. So probably the ideal viewer is a middle-aged Australian! I suspect other viewers simply may not understand the jokes nor recognise the many Australian actors and non-actors in cameo roles, that make the film such a delight.

The pilgrimage to the grave of Bon Scott's grave is a real-life phenomena, with thousands of people visiting the grave every year, and apparently this film has contributed to even larger numbers of ACDC fans making the trip, so life does imitate art!

OK, I'll say up front that this movie features only 1 AC/DC song (the title track) in the very beginning. At the end there's a good cover of "It's a Long Way to the Top", and somewhere in the middle is a bizarre country version of "TNT". Hardcore fans might recognize a song by Fraternity, Bon Scott's band before he sang for AC/DC.

But this movie isn't really for hardcore AC/DC fans, it's for everyone. Rather than the music of AC/DC, it focuses on the mischief and mayhem caused by 4 loser friends in their late 20s, twelve years after their rock'n'roll dreams burned out.

It's a road movie, meaning there's not much of a plot other than a bunch of guys being on the road most of the time. Strange, almost random scenes happen along the way, and that's what the fun is about.

My favourite parts were: the creepy gas station guy and his "surprise", the crazed wheelchair rugby team, the Korean mafia (stick around after the credits), the argument over what letter should mark the spot (X?), and of course the two terminally stupid "Beavis & Butthead" fans who take the lyrics of "Jailbreak" too literally.

Some might say that this film has deeper themes about loyalty to friends and youth, and about staying true to dreams despite getting older. But nah, I just see it as a wacky road movie.

"Thunderstruck" is pretty tame, not too much swearing and only one sexual situation. There are some references to drug use and 1 gross-out scene involving drugs and a toilet (and other things that go in toilets). But other than that it's mostly family-friendly.

Three years after making "Thunderstruck", director Darren Ashton would make "Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance" which is my all-time fave Aussie comedy and one of the funniest comedies I've ever seen. For Ashton fans: these 2 movies are very different. While "Razzle Dazzle" has a cheeky Christopher-Guest-type of humour, "Thunderstruck" is more physical and in-your-face like maybe "Wedding Crashers".

Other similar Aussie comedies I recommend are Alex Proyas's "Garage Days" about a struggling band trying to get their first big break, and "The Wannabees" about a team of foul-mouthed crooks who somehow become the nation's most popular children's show. See them all and maybe you'l agree, Aussie comedy rocks.