Thunderstruck

OK, I'll say up front that this movie features only 1 AC/DC song (the title track) in the very beginning. At the end there's a good cover of "It's a Long Way to the Top", and somewhere in the middle is a bizarre country version of "TNT". Hardcore fans might recognize a song by Fraternity, Bon Scott's band before he sang for AC/DC.

But this movie isn't really for hardcore AC/DC fans, it's for everyone. Rather than the music of AC/DC, it focuses on the mischief and mayhem caused by 4 loser friends in their late 20s, twelve years after their rock'n'roll dreams burned out.

It's a road movie, meaning there's not much of a plot other than a bunch of guys being on the road most of the time. Strange, almost random scenes happen along the way, and that's what the fun is about.

My favourite parts were: the creepy gas station guy and his "surprise", the crazed wheelchair rugby team, the Korean mafia (stick around after the credits), the argument over what letter should mark the spot (X?), and of course the two terminally stupid "Beavis & Butthead" fans who take the lyrics of "Jailbreak" too literally.

Some might say that this film has deeper themes about loyalty to friends and youth, and about staying true to dreams despite getting older. But nah, I just see it as a wacky road movie.

"Thunderstruck" is pretty tame, not too much swearing and only one sexual situation. There are some references to drug use and 1 gross-out scene involving drugs and a toilet (and other things that go in toilets). But other than that it's mostly family-friendly.

Three years after making "Thunderstruck", director Darren Ashton would make "Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance" which is my all-time fave Aussie comedy and one of the funniest comedies I've ever seen. For Ashton fans: these 2 movies are very different. While "Razzle Dazzle" has a cheeky Christopher-Guest-type of humour, "Thunderstruck" is more physical and in-your-face like maybe "Wedding Crashers".

Other similar Aussie comedies I recommend are Alex Proyas's "Garage Days" about a struggling band trying to get their first big break, and "The Wannabees" about a team of foul-mouthed crooks who somehow become the nation's most popular children's show. See them all and maybe you'l agree, Aussie comedy rocks.

To understand just where this film goes wrong is too easy. A bashing together of all sorts of skits loosely trying to hold together a story of four guys traveling across the Australian desert. Although overdone, the concept could have fulfilled its potential if actors were given definite characters and if the pace was slowed down a bit. It seems to lull about awhile trying to find its feet before magically coming to the perfect solution in the end. A film that optimizes Australian film making at the present. Whilst films like this are being made- with no real plot, definite characters or originality - the film industry in Australia will always lack the thunder and lightning it needs. Great fun until you realize it isn't.

I dug this out of my husband's DVD collection to watch when I was in on my own one night (he's the AC/DC fan in the house, not me). I wasn't sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised.

I've always quite liked road-trip movies, especially ones with a bit of comedy and this one didn't disappoint - there were a few laugh out load scenes in there. Loved the hairstyles in the beginning and didn't realise it was Sam Worthington from Avatar fame until I looked up the cast on IMDb afterwards, so that was cool seeing an early film of his without knowing it.

There were some good characters in this film, some genuinely funny moments and some 'lightly' touching moments.

I don't think you have to be an AC/DC fan to enjoy this film.

I like comedy movies I really do! So my friends and I went to hire a movie and we saw this one. And yes the tagline is: A hilarious movie with the music of AC/DC and more... In dutch you know. So we thought cool let's hire this one. When we were home we sad back relax and played the DVD. I have 1 thing to say: Bummer! Just wasted another 90 minutes of my life. The genre of the movie is COMEDY and I don't get it! Because is this movie trying to be a comedy or a drama? Sure there are some funny parts in it but I think this movie is so boring. What Detroit rock city did for the kiss fans, this movie won't do for the AC/DC fans. And what's up with the soundtrack? Almost no songs of AC/DC in it, maybe a few but the most songs are covers:S

So be warned and see for yourself if you want to hire this movie, cause it gave me a bad day!

I've seen this wonderful and charming feelgood film at this year's Cannes Film Festival. It was a great pleasure and I went to the screening twice as it was just great fun!

Everybody who came out of the screening was in a good mood and had a smile in his face. That's the magic cinema can be!

This film gets you without a well-known cast. A different kind of road movie with strange and funny characters. You don't have to be an AC/DC fan to like the film. It has a great cast, huge talented director and amazing locations. A real thunderstruck with a superb soundtrack that takes you on a spectacular rock'n roll journey.