Hey folks, Harry here with a very very advance test screening of NED KELLY, a film that isn't due out till late Spring 2003, possibly early summer for us in the U.S. I haven't seen a domestic release date yet. Overall, this review describes a very rough print, it sounds like a rough assembly - where they screened it to see what is working and what isn't, to aide with the editting process. However, there does sound like there's a good movie here, if they put it together right. I've a feeling that the final score is going to be VERY VERY key to this one coming off. Here ya go...

Hi Harry,

A relatively new reader but big time fan here.

Tonight, by sheer luck and coincidence I was able to get into a test screening of the new Heath Ledger movie, "Ned Kelly", in London. I'm a kiwi from Middle Earth, I mean, New Zealand, so I know the basic story behind Australia's most famous outlaw (or folk hero, depending on who you speak to). I haven't heard too much about this film except that that Heath needs to complete this before he can go on to Mad Max 4 (if THAT ever happens).

This is my first review so I'll try to keep it simple and spoiler free.

We were given the usual introduction to this film as being a work in progress. Some effects were not complete and there were even shots still waiting to be filmed in the British Parliament (we were treated to stills for that segment). I was quite chuffed when it was mentioned that this was the first public screening. But enough about that, you're reading this because you want to know about the movie!

The movie itself defiantly feels like a work in progress. The pacing is a little off and the movie flowed like it was a bunch of acts just pasted together. We open in Australia and almost immediately I was thrown by Heath Ledger's terrible Irish accent. Even Orlando Bloom couldn't save himself with his "to be sure" and "top-of-the-morning" quotes. I don't think he even knew where his dialect originated.

We meet Ned when he commits his first crime and after a scuffle with a dodgy copper he ends up in prison for 3 years. Two minutes later he's out of the slammer and we're introduced to his family who are just trying to make headway with their lives. From there we learn the all of the coppers are a cowardly lot who abuse their power when it suits them. We establish Ned's relationships with his friends (who later form the Kelly gang) and we get almost meaningless tongue action with Naomi Watts' character, Julia Cook.

Naomi's total screen time is about 10 minutes. She could almost be left out of this film entirely except for one small plot element and that could be explained away elsewhere. She definitely doesn't do anything that warrants a third billing. I couldn't understand why her character was attracted to Ned or felt any loyalty to him (unless he was REALLY good shag).

So from there, a copper tells some lies, Ned becomes a wanted man and his Mother ends up in the slammer. We're then treated to a tasty shootout in the bush where the Kelly's kill some constables. I think we're supposed to feel that Ned was a man pushed into this position but I'm still struggling with that damn dodgy accent. From then on the Kelly gang is wanted dead or alive and we start seeing who their real friends are. Anyone with half a brain can see who's going to betray Ned and his pals but we've got to wait a half hour or so for that. In the mean time we get treated to a humorous bank robbery and seduction. Ned also finds some time to pen a letter to the government demanding justice. I think the writer was hoping for a Bravehearty "Sons of Scotland" speech, but we end up with an ID4 "we will not go quietly into the night?."

The police call in Superintendent Hare (Geoffrey Rush) who is another faceless character that we just don't see enough of. He had potential to be someone we could hate as much as The Patriots? Colonel Tavington but I don't think he utters more than 5 lines. He certainly did nothing memorable except get a bunch of coppers together for the Kelly gang's last stand.

The final shootout could have been so much more. But we get a rushed job. Maybe it was because I new how this one would end and it seemed that the ten minutes of gun fire we're treated to was just delaying the inevitable. So, what happens? The gang put on their armour and show off how good it is by standing defiantly in-front of 300 coppers who don't have the common sense to shoot out their legs or other exposed body parts. They then return fire briefly and go back inside the pub they were hiding out in. The coppers show little regard for the hostages inside and proceed to tear up place forcing Ned to make a sacrifice. This was my favourite scene. Not Ned's stupid move but how Dan and Steve (Ned's little buds) deal with their impending doom. Dan and Steve felt a little like Merry and Pippin of Tolkien fame and their fate did move me (almost as much as Yoda's last seen in RotJ). But Joes (Blooms) last great act defied all common sense and left me wanting this to end.

In the final scene Ned meets Superintendent Hare who simply asks for his scarf?!?! I don't know why he wanted it; maybe it went well with his eyes. We then get some subtitles that explain what happened to everyone and fade to black.

Now, looking back over my review I can see how one could perceive that I didn't enjoy this movie much. Actually I have to say that I am looking forward to seeing the finished product. With a few tweaks to story and pacing this could be a quiet winner. Most of the acting is passable quality (with the exception of the bad accents) and the colonial setting is fresh and something that we haven't seen in a while.

Hope you'll find this review helpful.

Just call me Little Hobbit Foot.