Red Billabong (2016) Reviews

• It really is that bad

  browchay2016-09-01

  Absolutely dumbfounded as to how this is getting anything higher than 3 - 3.5 stars As one of the previous reviewers suggested, it does look like it was made by Uni students during their lunch break. There are a number of painful scenes where the actors really are unsure of what they're supposed to be doing or how they should be acting. Also, with regards to CGI, if you don't have the budget to do it well, don't do it at all. It was laughable. We didn't really need to see as much as we did, it would have been better leaving more to the imagination. Wooden acting at best with lackluster direction. The idea and potential could have been great with thorough execution but this just left us all feeling like we wanted 2 hours of our lives back. The dog was great. Funny thing with some of the other 10/10 reviews.... check the profiles, one gold coast actor (supporting his friends in the industry) the others all created recently and only reviewing this film ... I smell a rat! ;-)

  More

• Absolute rubbish

  lenasheh2016-12-30

  The acting is really poor here - there are a couple of good scenes but for the most part it just seems to fake and unreal. The plot is just useless - it starts off good and I was hoping for a good movie but as it continues you realise that the script is like something a bunch of kids put together - and that is how it ends. Do not waste your time on this movie. The CGI is third grade/ low budget. Its a B class movie - and they haven't been able to pull it off. The script could do with a much better plot and a more scarier story as opposed to three women needed to complete the cycle - really? I liked the dog the most - really expected better.

  More

• Really Awful

  baziz-453402016-08-25

  The idea that "just because an Aussie made it -- It MUST be supported" is rubbish -- this really feels like a university student film with a high school plot - the online PR is promoting that this is Australia's first CGI film... ummm ... so what?!?! Using CGI doesn't equal a good film. In fact the CGI is below average. Everything in this film is clichéd to the point of embarrassing. The story is predictable. The actors are soap calibre. The link to ancient culture is forced & ill-conceived. There is no horror. No thrill. Nothing new. This is naive film-making at it's worst. The whole exercise looks like a marketing survey aimed at the lowest common denominator.

  More

• Good idea. Poor script.

  dr_spider_man2016-08-26

  This film is such a shame. It had everything going for it, decent production values, visually interesting and a unique idea. All of this gets turned into a missed opportunity by a poorly executed script full of cliques, casual misogyny and lazy dialogue. The main problem is that main characters (the brother) are just boring. The film doesn't give you a single reason to like or care for them. They're not unlikable people but they're far from being interesting or emotionally engaging enough for you go on this journey with them. Nor are they cool or charismatic enough for you to live a power fantasy through them. On top of this, all the minor characters are totally interchangeable and forgettable (which the expectation of the goofy girl). The main plot (until the monster plot takes over) is about the leads working out whether or not to sell their family farm. Something you don't really want for a film that's touting it self as as 'the biggest Australian action film of 2016'. I'm guessing they didn't catch the absurdly silly 'Gods of Egypt'. You would think that this plot would just be a mcguffin so a family drama can unfold between the brothers but… nope. And this's the problem. Internally, you have no idea who the two leads or what they really want. Don't get me wrong, characters in these type of films needs to be too deep but they do need some dept. Even Max is the 'light on plot' 'Fury Road' had internal desires and motivations. I.e. testing if he could trust and connect with humans again. These characters are just uninspiring cliques who spurt plot points until the monster turns up. The first two acts just have too many 'talking head' scenes that could have been edited right down. But in its defense, the third act is pretty good. It's where all the action, CG and set pieces are but by the time it came around, I'd I'd stopped caring. To be honest, the film really didn't bother me too much. We've all seen bad films. What inspired the review was the Q&A after the film in which the director spend the entire time attempting to humble brag about how great he and his film is. He used every opportunity to mention that it was a "Good, fun action film" It's really not. It's a technically sound, bloated film with a bad script. It also made it perfectly clear he's an 'independent filmmaker and not Hollywood". I think that was clear to everyone from all the actors from 'Home and Away'. And he really going to leave his mark on the Australian film industry; not with scripts like this he isn't. The film fails at it's aspirations of being a light and fun popcorn film. Everyone clearly has talent and were trying there best. It's not the worst thing I've ever seen, but there are so many other great Australian genre film you really should be watching before this.

  More

• Bewildered!

  khalidemam-eg2016-12-29

  It was one of the worst things "not just movie" I've ever seen. How this movie has got a rating of 6.5 is beyond me!! I don't want to waste any extra words on this shitty movie but because it is compulsory to write a minimum of 10 lines I would have to apologize for the following. Awful Awful Awful. I beg of you if you are reading this review not to waste two hours of your life watching this movie. I don't normally write reviews but I feel it is my social duty to try and warn as many people as I can from watching this horrid thing.

  More