ODDBALL

ODDBALL second

Marketing mavens might be tempted to promote ODDBALL as Red Dog meets Kenny. And why not? Both those films inveigled themselves into Australian audience hearts and ODDBALL should undoubtedly deliver the same funny and poignant warm and fuzzies.

Oddball is a Mareema sheepdog owned by an egg centric chicken farmer, Swampy Marsh, played by Shane Jacobson.

Oddball is a loose cannon canine who tends to create mayhem when unaccompanied in the main street of Warnambool, the Western district coastal town where they live.

Swampy, a widower, has a daughter, a single mum with a daughter of her own.

His daughter Emily, is a wildlife ranger, dedicated to the dwindling population of penguins inhabiting an island just off the coast.

The perils of the penguins are deeply personal to Emily as her mother oversaw the sanctuary when she was alive and the survival of these sphenisciphormes are vital to her livelihood, for should they become extinct, her job will cease to exist. If the sanctuary ceases, Emily would up-stumps with her daughter, Olivia, and Stumpy would be left with no family.

So the plight of the flightless is reflected in the fowler’s predicament.

Serendipity slips in and prompts a solution when Swampy cares for an injured penguin and it is discovered that Oddball has an affinity for the fin feathered aquatics.

The egg man hatches a plan to see whether Oddball, a failure at protecting pullets and hens, might be better suited at shepherding these flippered fowl.

Meanwhile, dark forces other than the foxes preying on the penguins are undermining the salvation of the situation.

ODDBALL is a distinctly Australian film with a heart bigger than Sydney Harbour and a great sense of play and fair play.

Shane Jacobson, hair permed and goggled with granny glasses, gives the warm, generous cuddly performance that has become a bit of trademark, dead on perfect for the knight eggs sampler of Swampy -(sorry couldn’t resist!)

Sarah Snook consolidates her ascension to the constellation of superstardom with a superb performance as Emily, a strong and forthright woman who is faced with tough decisions about the welfare of her daughter, father and the little fellas falling foul of the fox and other predators.

Coco Jack Gillies shines as the sassy precocious Olivia, whose loyalty is precariously pitched between her mother and grandfather.

There’s wondrously wacky work from Frank Woodley as Warnambool’s wicked dog ranger.

Richard Davies as Jack, a colleague of Emily is a scene stealer when he tries to pursue his duties after being the target of a tranquilliser dart.

Nice work too from Deborah Mailman and Terry Camilleri as two of the town’s stalwart stewards – Mayor Lake and Judge Burns.

Peter Ivan’s script hits all the right buttons and director Stuart McDonald knows exactly how to push them.

Gorgeously photographed by Damian Wyvill showing Warnambool and it’s rugged west coastline, ODDBALL is destined to become not only an Australian classic, but a global family favourite.

Between ODDBALL and BLINKY BILL, school holiday cinema going should be totally stitched up. Both these films are vastly superior entertainments to any of the crass, pitiful imports that are as satisfying as last years popcorn.