Ginger Meggs

Loved this movie as a kid...

Watched it over and over on Movie cassette when they were around.

I am 38 and tried tracking down a DVD Copy of it for years and years and finally managed to get hold of a DVD Copy of this movie and watched it, brought back sooo many memories Lol...

Still watch it every now and then, gotta be one of my most favorite movies when I was a kid, along with BMX Bandits with Nicole Kidman in it, I think that movie was the movie that took her to fame...

I also managed to track down a DVD Copy of BMX Bandits...

Old School memories...

Most just loved the amazing look of this Aussie eccentric: John Seale (OSCAR for The English Patient) shot it in what was then a very surreal visual style... wild revue acting with a great cast of character actors also made it a lot of fun and it did very well in Oz according to box office figures...the young actors did their best competing with a very stylish set and some Big Top scenes that tended to overwhelm the whole shebang at times. Many of the actors went on to star in other things (John Wood has become a legend in the TV series Blue Heelers, which make the whole movie a rather historic time capsule.

But above all, the sheer high spirited energy and great look of the art direction and cinematography as well as a totally over the top rock(?) soundtrack -when you'd think a mouth organ would have done the job- make this a real and underestimated keeper. But GM never got a DVD release...why?

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.

This is an absolute Australian classic. It's up there with Fortress (Rachael Ward).

I had this on video tape when I was just a girl about 15 years ago. I LOVED it so much and so did my entire family and any friends who stopped by and viewed it.

It's such a tragedy that this is not available on DVD.

It is definitely bright (but not too bright), and a little weird and wonderful but that's why I loved it.

It's rare to see a family friendly movie these days that's full of innocence and adventure. This is a must see!..............But, good luck finding a copy of it.

It's good to see that someone else saw this movie as well, because I remember as a kid watching it, and again when I was about 14, for old time's sake...I remember thinking 'oh my gosh, the acting is SOOOOOO bad!'

But the happy ending was what sucked me into watching the movie again and again as a child. I used to have such a crush on the kid who played Eddie Coogan, but was shocked to see that he was sadly hit by a train not too long after Ginger Meggs was made.

I can still vaguely remember the song that plays at the beginning and end of the movie, it went something like, 'Ginger Ginger Meggs...hey there Ginger!'

I remember the tune, just not the lyrics...but would love to hire it out again one day, just for a laugh, although I'm not sure whether it is still available. Definitely a movie to watch when you're not sober, makes it all the more funnier :-)