**THE UGLY: ‘AUSTRALIA’**

WRITING: 45
ACTING: 85
LOOK: 65
SOUND: 50
FEEL: 60
NOVELTY: 20
ENJOYMENT: 50
RE-WATCHABILITY: 45
INTRIGUE: 40
EXPECTATIONS: 45

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**The Good:**

Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman are charismatic leads sharing admirable chemistry and naturally developing their relationship throughout the film.

The vast Australian landscapes and the historical setting are brought to life by meticulous cinematography and production design.

The kid is adorable and feels natural with the adults.

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**The Bad:**

Gosh, the editing makes this film unbelievably busy, especially during the intro. New characters are introduced in quick succession and we cut back and forth between scenes faster than we can keep up. I'm exhausted before ten minutes have passed.

Some clunky directing choices make me believe this fil wad completed in a rush.

The plot is straightforward, predictable and not layered enough to justify a runtime of 160 minutes.

Some visually intense sequences just don’t look very good. The CGI is painstakingly superficial in places, but the practical effects look fine.

This film could have worked better, had it focused solely on the plot from the first half and dropped the second story that makes up the second half of the film. They just had to stuff that mini Pearl Harbour story into the runtime as well melodramatic in the final act.

I hate films with multiple false endings that make you think it'd all over. This one has at least two.

For being a historical epic, this film is surprisingly empty emotionally. They bring said, it turns almost too

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**The Ugly:**

Damn, this film features the song Over the Rainbow more than The Wizard of Oz does.

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**VERDICT**

_While epic in scope and featuring a fine leading couple, Australia ultimately struggles with an empty plot and an overlong runtime._

**51% = :heavy_minus_sign: = UGLY**