Opération Pingouins

A lovable based on a true story family movie that's partly filmed in one of the worlds most naturally beautiful locations and most livable cities (no bias here at all) in the form of regional Australian city Warrnambool, Oddball is a film that's enjoyable for the young and young at heart and one of the better Australian feel good stories in some time.

A huge success at the local Australian box office in the later half of 2015, and in particular in the town of Warrnambool where Oddball played at the local cinema for 3 months, Oddball's the type of film even the biggest of movie grouches will have fun with despite its slight narrative and overacting from a talented cast.

A dramatization of eccentric chicken farmer and genuine "oddball" Alan 'swampy' Marsh, Oddball sees one of Australia's great larrikin characters Shane Jacobson inhabit the overalls of the great bearded man who developed the ingenious idea of using Maremma sheep dogs to protect a local fairy penguin colony that had been decimated by pesky foxes.

It's a unique scenario but not one that exactly makes for thrilling viewing and Oddball's major struggles come from trying to draw dramatic tension from a simple idea that just doesn't have the cinematic qualities of other such true tales. Well respected actors Sarah Snook (breakout star of Predestination), Alan Tudyk and even Australian comedy legend Frank Woodley all feel a little lost with some pretty lame supporting characters.

Oddball flys on the back of Jacobson's work, young actress Coco Jack Gillies likability, the great locations and of course the lovable animals that make penguins and fluffy dogs even more adorable than one would've thought possible.

A film that's appropriate for all ages and a tale that has appeal for animal lovers the world over, Oddball is a slight yet wholeheartedly enjoyable Australian film that's likely to become a new favourite of the youngest members of the family and an Australian film that holds a more universal appeal than the average homegrown movie.

3 Great Ocean Road shots out of 5

Oddball, is a great family film that really is engaging because of the true nature of the events. The cinematography is wonderful and bright, the actors are believable and the film combines small elements of conflict with comedy that pulls the film onward seamlessly. Dogs, penguins and lighthouses are always a winning combination and somewhat unique. This film is much more than just one neatly defined genre. It is a documentary, drama, comedy, action, suspense all rolled into one. I had the pleasure of speaking with the producer after a screening and what sets this film apart from many is the sheer level of dedication in regards to time and overcoming weather challenges to bring this film to the public eye and it is indeed a treasure that will leave you wanting to learn more and perhaps even become an advocate.

This is a true story, I presume embellished in places to make it a more interesting movie. All the actors are good and I was especially impressed with the cinematography.

There is a small island just offshore and only protected by a shallow patch of water. It was the home of hundreds of very small penguins. But then foxes discovered they could cross and soon the penguin population dwindled until it was down to under 20.

There are a few subplots going on but the main one is this curious dog named Oddball takes a liking to penguins and ultimately is utilized to scare off the foxes and help reestablish a healthy penguin population.

My wife and I watched it on Amazon streaming movies, it is a very nice and entertaining movie.

I was excited about this film ever since learning it was in production. Being a Shane Jacobson fan and already knowing about this incredible story, I was curious to see how it would translate onto the big screen.

Shane Jacobson brings a few laughs while playing his most "Aussie" character since Kenny. It's his family dramas and associated story line which at times bog the story down. Perhaps the film chose to focus on that aspect in an effort to draw attention away from just how fake the Middle Island penguin scenes were. In what is such a beautifully natural setting, I felt like I was watching a cheap TV-movie set.

Alan Tudyk's character of Bradley was incredibly irritating and unlikable - the casting of such an Americanised character in a quintessentially Australian tale may grate some viewers. Meanwhile, comedic legend, Frank Woodley, plays a character resembling a poor rendition of 101 Dalmations', Cruella De Vil - annoyingly "comical" for adults, kids might still get some laughs.

While not remarkable, it is an easy-to-watch family movie whose story steadily plods along to a predictable conclusion. I can't help but feel this movie could've been something really special, but instead becomes another reflection of the inconsistency currently plaguing Australia's film industry.

It was W.C. Fields who said, 'Never work with animals or children.' He may have had a point because the actors in this film become almost irrelevant when Oddball, a beautiful Maremma sheepdog, shares the screen with the fairy penguins.

The film is based on real events. Apparently, Middle Island off the Victorian coast at Warrnambool, used to be home to a thousand fairy penguins until foxes started to snack down on them, reducing the population to just ten of the little guys.

Finally, a chicken farmer, Swampy (Shane Jacobson), and his dog, Oddball, come to their rescue and rid the island of foxes after hunting and trapping had failed.

The film is described as family fare, and Oddball steals every scene he is in, but I think children would be a little restless with the amount of story taken up with the affairs of the adults. Maybe the filmmakers tried to cram in too much. Along with the case for conservation, every character in the film seems to have a back-story. But it's all at the expense of more time with Oddball and the real stars of the show - the fairy penguins.

No doubt the scenes with the penguins would have been hard to do, but the film could have used a lot more of the confrontation between Oddball and the foxes - there are few long shots and much of the action seems either very close-up or off camera. Here and there the film gets to the heart of the matter - the human drama can't compete with the tension in the scene on the island when the fox sticks its head into the fairy penguin's burrow, or when Oddball saves the egg from going over the cliff.

Although no rival to "Babe", "Oddball" is nicely made, and no one will hate it, but I feel that the filmmakers missed the opportunity to make it more memorable than it is.