Location: Home » DVD » Australia [DVD] [2008]

Australia [DVD] [2008]

Other Views:

Director: Baz Luhrmann
Actors: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Category: DVD

List Price: ~~£22.99~~
Buy New: £4.87
as of 21/11/2009 05:18 GMT details
You Save: £18.12 (79%)

New (19) Used (7) Collectible (1) from £3.20

Seller: twentyfiveorless
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

78 reviews
Sales Rank: 67

Format: PAL
Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region: 2
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 158 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.6

EAN: 5039036040990
ASIN: B001QE1BEI

Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: April 27, 2009
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days

Similar Items:

The Reader [DVD] [2008]

Slumdog Millionaire [DVD] [2008]

Changeling [DVD] [2008]

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button [DVD] [2008]

Defiance [DVD] [2008]

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.co.uk Review
Watching the early reels of iAustralia/i, there's certainly no doubt who's in charge: this could only be a film by Baz Luhrmann, that wacky purveyor of all things over-the-top. In this old-fashioned, 165-minute hymn to his native continent, Luhrmann travels back to the late 1930s/early '40s, for a scenario that would not have been out of place at MGM in that era. Straightlaced Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) journeys Down Under and is put under the protection of--crikey--a rugged cattle driver known only as the Drover (Hugh Jackman). When the two are forced to team up (along with a motley crew of misfits) to take a herd of cattle through the hostile landscape, their way is challenged by the dastardly plans of the local beef baron (Bryan Brown) and his elaborately evil lieutenant (David Wenham). At some point you realize that this film's main commodity is not cattle, but corn: Luhrmann piles on the melodrama and the old-school climaxes with his usual frantic glee. Employing "When You Wish Upon a Star" and the Japanese air force to make his case is not beyond Luhrmann, and he reaches big here. Those with a taste for un-ironic silliness might just go for this stuff, but even fans of the Baz will have their patience tested by the broad comedy and the absence of discernable chemistry between Kidman and Jackman. iAustralia/i does manage to skewer the culture's prejudices against the Aboriginal people, but in this context such a victory comes across as rather tinny. i--Robert Horton/i

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 1-5 of 78

1 2 3 4 5 6 ...16 Next »

Beautiful old-hollywood epic February 15, 2009
Katherine (United Kingdom)
49 out of 58 found this review helpful

The reason this film got bad reviews was simple... people took it the wrong way. Some reviewers were saying that people were laughing in the cinema at the beginning, well so was I. Infact I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes, because it's funny. It's INTENTIONALLY funny. Baz Luhrmann himself stated that he tried to put a bit of everything in this film including "high comedy" as well as high drama. If you've seen Baz's films before and loved them then you'll love this. Like Moulin Rouge, it begins humourously before taking you through a rollercoaster of emotions to moments of extreme sadness and tension. It looks beautiful and it's played beautifully by all of the actors. Basically this is Baz Luhrmann's nod to the old classics, it's reminiscant of "The African Queen" and "Gone With The Wind" and has obvious nods to "The Wizard of Oz". If you think they don't make films like they used to, this is highly recommended. Don't take it as fact, just let yourself enjoy it and you'll soon be swept along with the story.

5 out of 5 stars

Cinema at its purest. April 1, 2009
Vote for Pedro (Sussex, UK)
30 out of 37 found this review helpful

Upon release, critics didn't like Australia. The reason was simple: it was too entertaining. In an age where films have to be as bleak as No Country for Old Men, or as morbid as The Dark Knightn to garner critical acclaim, critics disregarded this film because it was so uplifting. Proof that critics don't know a good movie when they see one can be seen through the likes of Blade Runner, Once Upon a Time in the West, and, most ironic of all, Citize Kane. Give it a few years, and Australia will be hailed as a classic. Why watch it? Simple, the film is entertaining as hell. The audience goes through all kinds of emotion watching it, and the film is funny, sad, exciting and thrilling. The performances are all great, espcially Hugh Jackman, who's drover character is the defenition of masculinity, and just for the film's love of its own country, Austrlia. Just watch the way Baz Lurhman captures the country's beautiful landscapes with his camera, its incredible. Watch Australia and I guarantee you'll love it. br / br /Particularly recommended if you like: Gone with the Wind, Once Upon a Time in the West, Lawrence of Arabia and The African Queen.

5 out of 5 stars

A very fine story of love, culture, and history! February 5, 2009
Reader (Asia)
37 out of 48 found this review helpful

Having seen the movie more than once has given me a more nuanced appreciation of this epic movie. Its storyline tackles the relationship between two people coming from different cultures who eventually found themselves together -- initially at odds, in love, and part of a family unit -- all amidst the backdrop of the sprawling Australian outback, the clashing cultures of races and social strata, the age-old clash between good and evil, and the onset of the second world war in the Pacific! The movie experience is like curling up with an extraordinary epic novel - and at the end feeling what a well-spent afternoon it has been! br / br /The movie's length does justice to this tale of love and adventure in a faraway culture and of unusual natural beauty. The cinematography provides all the lush scenes of the Australian landscape, the rush of blood in some of the most awesome action scenes, and the loving closeups of the story of the relationship between Lady Sarah Ashley, The Drover, and their defacto son, Nullah! The musical score gives the movie the perfect complement to the excellent cinematography. The story unwinds from an initial meeting full of comedic winks ( including the now famous shower scene - featuring the leading man!) and clashing cultures. It then dawns on the central role played by the child Nullah and his aboriginal culture. Plus what would an epic movie be without the quintessential villains? As the movie progresses and we witness the triumph of the independent cattle company versus the monopoly, it also gives us a slice of Australian history and its development in its early frontiers. When the second world war breaks out and it marches down to Darwin, we are caught in another story between good and evil, so cinematically well-portrayed. And they lived happily ever after, with a twist --the expected end of a truly epic movie! br / br /Who are the main characters and how are they portrayed? br / br /Lady Sarah Ashley is the English rose who became an adopted daughter of the Australian frontier. She is transformed into a loving nurturer of a child and the harsh land because the relationship which came into her life also changed her outlook. Nicole Kidman very ably portrays this complicated woman who changes from a non-sympathetic character to a caring heroine. This transformation is so well portrayed in the changing face of Lady Ashley - from the very beautiful and well-turned out woman to the woman whose inner beauty shines through her bedgraggled locks and almost plain face, her pained expression as she undergoes tragedy and is touched by sorrow, and to the look of someone who has come to terms with what is important in life. This is one of Nicole's best movie portrayals! br / br /The Drover has a mysterious past and a rough image as we are first introduced to him. He is a man who is iconic in the history of the outback but it is his reaching out to the shunned aboriginal culture in the past which shows that he is an extraordinary man. In the song by Elton John, played second in the movie credits, called The Drover's Ballad, his story turns out to be rich in tragedy and a life full of love for the outback, which gives us more of a complete picture of this man with a heart of gold. The tragic life seems to follow him even much later in the movie - and this is where he shows his heart on his sleeve! Hugh Jackman is magnificent in the role and it is hard to imagine anybody else giving a more masterful performance. The magnificence is not just in how he looked ( Baz Luhrmann did show Hugh Jackman as the representation of physical perfection...surprisingly, because the other choice was Nicole Kidman) but also in his acting chops. There are several scenes where Hugh displays his acting range at the highest emotional level - when he realizes that the people he loved may have become victims of the tragedy of war...and then the realization that fate had actually been kinder. Who can't help but be mesmerized by his face and his voice in the scene by the burning war HQ and at the ruined bar, in the Mission Island rescue, and at the wharf in Darwin? Had the past of the drover been more meaningfully played out on the screen, the role could have garnered Hugh an award recognition! br / br /The third important role is the child Nullah, as charmingly portrayed by a new child actor named Brandon Walters. He charms everyone except the villain. He is in a sense at the heart of the story and Brandon makes us follow Nullah's journey with almost a maternal/paternal eye for his welfare in the story. At the end, he is conflicted about his real family and culture, but I am sure that when Nullah grows up, it will both cutlures and both families that he will truly call his own! br / br /Kudos likewise to the actors who portrayed the main villain, the iconic aboriginal character, the Drover's friend and main man, even the hotel keeper and his gruff ways...as well as to the other Australian actors who gave life to this epic story. br / br /The creatives have done well to transform such a tale magnificently on screen! Baz Luhrmann provides the vision and the direction of the story-telling with such interesting and charismatic characters and amidst a magnificent background of natural beauty, culture, and slices of history! br / br /While the movie could only be given full justice in a cinema with its impressive big screen and excellent sound, I would still love to get a DVD/blu-ray version to allow me to see it again and again - much like wanting to read and re-read a very good epic novel! br /

5 out of 5 stars

absolutely fantastic January 31, 2009
Simona Netz (Australia)
15 out of 22 found this review helpful

Have seen the movie a few times at the cinema and absolutely loved it and couldn't quite understand the bad reviews it got from some others. Yes, it has a few cliches but hey- it's a movie! Loved the landscape and soundtrack especially. Can't wait for the DVD to come out!

5 out of 5 stars

Australia June 7, 2009
Robert Cuin (UK)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

The film portrays a dark side of Australian history but helps to realise that even in the darkest placeds there is a glimmer of light. br /Should be watched along with "Rabbit Proof Fence"

Showing reviews 1-5 of 78

1 2 3 4 5 6 ...16 Next »

CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON EU S.à.r.l. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.