You and Your Stupid Mate

Firstly, Nathan Phillips and Angus Sampson did a fantastic job-acting wise. They did the best with what lines they were given and honestly made viewers believe they were dole bludgers. While I admit the lame take on Home and Away was a little silly and the writers could have spent just a bit more time coming up with something more creative to motivate the pair of characters I hardly think this movie was made to win an international award. This movie is really very funny and anyone looking for a bit of a laugh will thoroughly enjoy it, it's just another Australian comedy that most of us can have a good time watching. Any fanatical movie critics can keep their far-fetched personally insulting opinions to themselves because this type of movie is truly unique to our country ans sense of humour and I believe it has helped to promote the Australian Film Industry greatly.

You and your stupid mate is another in a long line of Australian comedy flops.It shamelessly rips off dumb and dumber with its two main characters, Jeffery (Angus Sampson) and Phillip (Nathan Philips).While the afore mentioned title was somewhat mildly amusing this effort should never have even been made.Our two hero's both clients of Centre Link, embark on a ridiculous quest to save their favorite soapy,Sons & Surf after learning that it is soon to be axed.Thats pretty much it plot wise. The two leads have very little chemistry and meander through this awful film encountering just as lame characters as themselves with the exception of "Evo" one of the soaps stars, his short montage featuring him dealing with the public saying his characters catch phrase back to him "Whats going on here" is about as funny as this film gets.Other than that its basically just the odd dick joke, moronic laughter and a story line thinner than a french crepe.

The first half hour of the film is a riot!, and then it runs out of idea's and resorts to 101 recycled American comedy cliques. Even though some would say it's a waste of Australian's taxpayer's money, it's only half a waste. Also what was the story with the history lesson on Ned Kelly? Do i suspect this is an poor attempt on selling this overseas? Haven't previous Aussie film makers realized that anyone outside of Australia doesn't really give a toss about Ned Kelly?

All round it's OK for a half baked attempt at comedy and for a DVD rental it's worth catching! The DVD commentary is also a riot. It's as if the director is commentating on a Academy Award masterpiece, was he seriously watching what we where?

It's a shameful fact, but this is an Australian film. It has stained any chance that Australia ever had to become a country known for making good films. This is actually a really big shame, as Australia has made some excellent films in the past, and although it wouldn't be able to match up to films such as Getting' Square, the writers of this film could have at least made an effort instead of the garbage put before the Austrlain public.

If it can be called a story, You and your Stupid Mate is a story about two brain dead friends, sharing what is a combination of a caravan and a tent. They spend their dole bludging days watching a home and away like TV series. However their boring little lives are destroyed once they find out that the network plans to axe the show. It's at this point they decide to make it their mission to save the show and will go to any lengths to do so.

So goodbye to the Australain Film industry. The writers of this film should hang out at funerals more often, because maybe then they can get some funnier material than what they managed to come up with. If a dead man was propped up on a stick, he could have done a better acting job then Nathan Phillips and Angus Sampson. The plot was about as riveting as a plain bread sandwich and the only thing that any members of the Austrlain film industry can hope for is that once something hits the bottom, things can only go upwards.

Stars: 0/10

The Australian film industry can surely be a hit and miss affair. There have been some rippers, but this ain't one of them. Everything pertaining to this film is embarrassing, particularly the knowledge that my tax went into paying for it. Everything from the comedy...or lack there of, the attempted sentimentality and the redemptive themes only added to make this film a failure from opening to closing credits.

Its a shame that this isn't even in the class of awful that would make it legendary for its awfulness. Its just an embarrassment. I hope William McInnes and Rachel Hunter were only in it for the money, cause it didn't do their reputations any favours.

Final comment: don't bother. Spend the money on fish and chips instead.