Anyone who grew up reading the antics of Ginger Meggs in their morning newspaper will no doubt be intrigued to see his adventures transferred to the big screen. Ginger Meggs, like Fatty Finn, is an Australian institution. This movie is not likely to become one though. To be sure, it looks good. The film makers have gone to a lot of trouble to get the look of the movie correct. There is a cast that includes cameos by some great Aussie acting stalwarts too. That's not to say the acting is good in this. Some is, most isn't. Unfortunately, that's all that can be said in this movie's favour. Sadly, the producers have gone for buffoonery rather than any real attempt at humour here. The plot is a bit of a mess and there is an absolutely horrendous soundtrack of completely forgettable and tedious songs that don't fit in with the film's aesthetic or time period at all. (The actual era this is set in isn't mentioned, however it is mentioned in one scene that Princess Elizabeth is heir to the throne, so we know it is set sometime between 1926 and 1952). This movie's worst downfall, however, is that it is pretty dull. My kids, who didn't grow up reading Ginger Meggs, lost interest about half way through. I stayed with it out of loyalty to the character and in the interest of nostalgia, but I was pretty pleased when it came to a conclusion. Five stars for effort.
