Rikky and Pete

Like most Americans, I think I have a deep respect and even envy for all things Australian. I think it reminds us of us of the days before we became politically correct. Australia is not only an original, but an aboriginal. We long for the rough and ready good old days, and the Aussies remind us of them.

This movie is no exception. Pete is a loose screw who has a grudge against the local plod, and a genius for building indescribable gadgets that seem to do the impossible. Rikky, his sister, is the only family member that either understands him or cares about him. When Pete gets himself in a fix, she hustles him off in the family Bently and heads from the big city to the great Outback. Their adventures and misadventures along the way, as well as the breathtaking location scenery rounds out the story. Some of this stuff is really hilarious but not silly. This movie has a heart.

Rikky, played by a very appealing Nina Landis, is an aspiring country and western singer who becomes a troubadour to help finance the trip out to the wilderness. They arrive at a desolate mining camp hoping to hide out from the coppers till the heat dies down and hook up with a bunch of losers in a mining venture.

The country music was terrific tho I was a little disappointed to find that Rikky's voice was dubbed by a pro named Wendy Mattews. Just when I was falling in love too. Nina Landis made this movie, and I was sorry to find that I was 15 yrs late in discovering her. My chances of finding another Nina Landis movie are slim at best. Take my advice. If you find one - don't miss it.

Hollywood has never known what to do with Asian actresses. It took an Australian woman director to bring out the full potential of the lovely Tetchie Agbayani as Pete's girlfriend in this gentle Aussie comedy. The scene where she is negotiating to get a rise out of her boss (double entendre intended) shows her to be a highly talented comic actress.

I actually saw the film because of Tetchie's participation in it, and was pleasantly surprised by the movie as a whole. It delivers quiet chuckles rather than belly laughs, but leaves you feeling good. It deserves to be more widely appreciated.

A sister and her younger brother from a rich family in Melbourne flee to the Outback for a much-needed break. Ricky is a minstrel with a geologist degree while Pete is a subdued mechanical genius and inventor, albeit penniless. They find sanctuary in a desert mining town.

This decent Australian production from 1988 is not a comedy as touted; it's a semi-offbeat drama with some amusing touches. It's reminiscent of flicks like "Joyride" (1977) with Anne Lockhart & Melanie Griffith about youths fleeing the big city and their misadventures trying out a new life in the vast wilderness (not to be confused with the 2001 road rage flick "Joy Ride").

Nina Landis comes across as a plain Jane at first, but grows more alluring as the movie proceeds, particularly when she's in tight jeans later in the story (just kidding, not really). Tetchie Agbayani is also on hand on the feminine front, a kinda cute Asian. The guy who plays Pete looks like an Aussie version of Charlie Sheen.

At the end of the day, "Rikky and Pete" may not be great, but it ain't bad either, particularly if you're in the mood for a quirky misadventure flick like "Joyride" (1977).

The movie runs 1 hour, 42 minutes and was shot in Australia (New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland).

GRADE: B-/C+

After Malcolm, that did set the bar pretty high, we drop back a bit with a less successful Aussie comedy, that still manages to be bloody entertaining, where again we are reminded with familiarity to who penned this. This film's good but just not as good as Malcolm was. Sister (Landis) and brother (Kearney) team, take off to the outback, as little brother, you could say, has got himself into a bit of trouble with authorities. Pete is an immature, inventive, and causes a lot of unnecessary trouble, and has anger issues to. He makes obscene phone calls to authorities, causes chain cop car collisions, etc, with his smart arse stunts, as posing as fictional character Evil Donald. He has a newspaper business, he operates from his car, his delivery of them in the form of paper gliders has to be seen. He has trouble with his folks, where really sister, Rikki, a budding singer/guitarist, is the only one who really understands him, where this getaway, is like a last resort, one outburst I'll never forget has Rikki walking off in a huff, after spouting "F off Peter". They make new friends, in the outback, while also getting wealthy as doing a bit of prospecting. Trouble finally catches up with Pete in the form of city cop, (Bill Hunter) who really has it for him, and that's after Pete really makes an arse of himself one night in town, in some drunken and disorderly behavior, racking up quite a fine. His behavior tends to be worrying, where you really don't want to see anything happen to this problematic guy. I really liked Landis's character in this. She reminded a lot of my own sister's character, where Rikki, is a character I think is afraid, of falling in love, while Kearney is so so as Pete. There are a lot of entertaining moments in this film, though I found the movie a little dry or sagging, and as a runner up to Malcolm, you could of down far worse. For lovers of Malcolm, and others, a different and original comedy.

"Rikky and Pete" are thirtyish Aussie sibs who leave Melbourne to escape a dictatorial patriarch and Pete's problems with a local copper and to seek their fortune in the outback where they take up with silver mining and a bunch of quirky characters. "R&P" is a fun little Aussie comedy romp which wanders without clear purpose through it's marginal plot conjuring up moments droll, offbeat, and awkward humor and little else. Worth a look for those into Aussie flix.