Mil Milhas de Aventura

I had never heard of this film until I searched amazon.com for my name (I'm easily amused). An actor with the same name as myself (Kelly Johnson) was the result of my search and his first film was "Goodbye Pork Pie." I purchased it straight away. I was so excited to find I actually enjoyed the film. It's quirky and crazy, a lot of fun, has great (oftentimes wacky) characters and takes you on a wild ride through New Zealand. It offers a new view of NZ if you've only seen films such as one of those "Lord of the Rings" or "Whale Rider" (a gorgeous example). The fact that it was made in 1981 enhances it's excellence. Highly recommended as an alternative to Hollywood-style humour. Adios Pork Pie!

Timeless, still entertaining in 2009. Could we get a remake, say with the new (BMW)Mini. Let's see how well this vehicle can be shared with everyone across the country. Tourism NZ should be consulted, so we will see a bit more about this beautiful part of our planet. Or simply turn it into a wacky chase from North to South on different modes of transport. Include scenes that spoof on other famous Kiwi Movies, e.g. include the house from "Scarfies" in Dunedin or instead of the Wizard in Christchurch show Hayley Westenra busking in the Mall. While standing in front of the TV Tower in Auckland let a Tom Cruise Look-a-Like buzz down on the Bungy rope (if not himself...). Directors of New Zealand: Get creative for your country ! The world is waiting for a new Kiwi Classic.

A truly entertaining road movie from the early 80's, recently launched on DVD. From beginning to end, Goodbye P P is full of moments that charm and make you feel good, blended with those episodes of genuine depth that are (I think) hard to achieve in a film that sells itself for it's frothy facade. The acting is pretty good, the camera work very well done and overall a throughly enjoyable dash through beautiful New Zealand. There are certain sections of the flick that can seem rather dull but then again, I haven't seen a film that lacks these entirely.

Despite some dubious scenes (a mini out running an Oz V8 being one of them), the action sequences are believable, helped by the film and editing crews' skills.

Watch it and enjoy a surely to be cult classic.

What I found most intriguing about the whole thing was how dated everything appeared compared to early 80's UK. For those car buffs out there, check them out and you'll see what I mean but don't let that distract your attention from the subtle camera moves and as I said earlier, the quality of the acting.

If you desire a film that has little effect on your psyche, then this is it. It has an enjoyment factor to rival many big budget films from both sides of the continent. To it's credit is the tiny budget and the 'number 8 fencing wire' approach by the cameramen at the time. As the Mini is now officially out of production, it may be of small comfort to know that the car involved can impress drivers from all walks of life. An icon for Mini enthusiasts as it shows the versatility of the car and for film buffs as there is more ad-libbing in the show than in a Michael Parkinson chat show. Enjoyable from start to finish, albeit too short and a bit disjointed. A classic that shows many slices of New Zealand life that no other camera would dare to cover. Enjoy.

Typical road/buddy movie about two strangers who come together through circumstance and then bond in their quest to snub authority and the system. This time it's done in along trek across New Zealand in a very small (yet very durable) little car. Certainly not the most original idea and not the most plausible either. Yet the humor is genuinely funny and the characters are better defined than other movies of similar type (ala GUMBALL RALLY). Actor Johnson is particularly good as a rebellious and confused young man with no constructive outlet to channel his emotions. Overall this is not a important movie nor even a memorable one, but it is a enetertaining one that should bring out everyones deep seated desire for independance and nonconformity.