“Any more absorbing it’d be a tea towel” says one of the characters in BLINKY BILL THE MOVIE, and he’s right. Too right!
Screenwriter Fin Edquist has fashioned a quintessential quest film from the character created by Dorothy Wall and come up with an origin story of how Blinky Bill became the kind of character beloved by generations and how he met his bestie, Nutsy.
The cute and cuddly koala goes in search of his missing explorer father, flying in the face of the common belief that Dad is a fatality of a failed expedition. To find the truth of his father’s fate, the intrepid eucalypt epicure meets a myriad of mates and a nest of nemesis.
As Edquist says, the ethos of the film is “Always look out for your mates. Believe in yourself to do the right thing. Never give up against all odds. Take responsibility for your actions. That’s what makes a real hero.”
This film is so immaculately colloquial, with distinct characterisation and a sparkling sense of humour, that is totally understandable that the screenplay attracted such a high calibre cast.
Ryan Kwanten is the voice of Blinky Bill, and gives the koala a raffish, respectful rebel quality and Robin McLeavy as Blinky’s best friend Nutsy, proves just as spiky, intrepid and adventurous.
Starring alongside them is Toni Collette as two charming yet gossipy emus called Sheryl and Beryl, David Wenham as the manic but lovable frill-necked lizard Jacko, who owes some cinematic DNA to David’s characterisation of ‘Spit” in Gettin’ Square, and Deborah Mailman as Blinky’s kind and courageous Mum.
Rounding out this esteemed ensemble are Richard Roxburgh as Blinky’s adventure-loving father, who imbues the Australian idiom with such laconic lyricism and charm, Barry Otto as the tyrannical ratbag reptile, Cranklepot , who wants to change the marsupial suburbia of Greenpatch into a dominion called Goannasburgh, and Barry Humphries as the wildly eccentric Wombo, a marsupial twice removed from Les Patterson.
For the look of the film, director and production designer Deane Taylor explores the deeper detail and the foundation of the many and varied landscapes that are intrinsically Australian and chose to revisit the Australian impressionists who have so successfully captured the essence and light of the landscape. Taylkor says that, “Most influential were the works of Fred Williams, Brett Whiteley, Arthur Streeton, Charles Blackman, Shaun Tan and Pro Hart.”
Jettisoning jingoism, BLINKY BILL THE MOVIE is by far the best animated film this reviewer has seen all year. Cheeky, charming, and cheerful, this is a dead et delight.