I remember seeing the trailer, and thinking this must be a funny film, but when it came to viewing, laughs ran short, but it was still entertaining if involving. Christopher Skase was scr..ing over the government, a con man of notoriety, who fled to Miyorka, his island paradise, a safe haven as you will. Here Skase, still alive, who has got a hell of a lot of Aussie folk, angry, where us folk would rather see him six feet under, is the object of a bumbling kidnap attempt, in return for a lot of moolah, he's stolen. This is headed by writer/director/and actor, Lachy Hulme (wonderful as Kerry Packer in last years, Howzat) who rounds up some eager volunteers who've had enough of Skase's games, the kind who are seeing red. Skase is played by a lookalike actor, who in the opening scene, where you don't see enough of him in this, for all you Skase hating fans, rises from a wheelchair, where we first thought he was chair bound. What an opening joke? Andrew Denton here provided a cherished moment, funny, giving his opinion on Skase, and how the majority of public hate his guts. Craig Maclachlan was funny as a personal trainer/fanatic, he was kind of an asset to this film. Alex Dimitriades was good too as one of the the team, who really has it in for Skase. The angrier he was, the better the performance, another entertaining highpoint. It was funny how this bumbling group go about their plan in snatching this man of controversy, an identity who is the arch enemy to a lot of blood boiling humans. But something came apart here or short circuited in this flick, especially in terms of comic status. Here was a good concept for a film, but I didn't get the succession of laughs I expected, although there were some good performances. I loved not just seeing Skase accidentally crashing into the pool on a wheelchair, (a humorous moment, among not many others) but also the animosity Dimitriades's girlfriend was giving Hulme, thinking of him as somewhat of a sham. Lets Get Skase is still an okay watch, but if you're seeking continual laughs, may I suggest Dags or You Can't Stop The Murders.
31 Reviews
Let's get real!
uds317 October 2001
Rather like the guy who jumped from his hotel window into a cactus patch, making this flick must have seemed like a good idea at the time. Granted, Matthew George had no way of knowing Skase would cark it just a month before the film's release, there is now, limited humor to be derived from watching the antics of failed restaurateur and wannabe conman Peter Allessandro (played by co-writer Hulme) as in company with his inept henchman, he bungles attempts to kidnap the renowned fugitive businessman. Three of Australia's better actors, Alex Dimitriades, old stager, Bill Kerr and one-time Frank 'n furter, Craig McLachlan, playing a security fruit-loop heading up a rival team of Skasenappers, all try their best with a script from K-Mart. Skase himself (played by Wayne Hassell) doesn't even appear until two thirds of the film has passed into forgetfulness. There is something vaguely grotesque about watching these guys put the boot literally into admittedly an icon of greed and cowardice, when the family in Spain has barely settled up with the undertaker there. For a film aspiring to be an action-comedy it can barely lay claim to either.
Oh, Mr Hulme, what a mess!
tonyhic24 May 2003
OK, the film is based on real life, and real life is complex. However, it does not pretend to be a faithful re-enactment, so WHY include a whole lot of unnecessary characters and plot developments? Nothing much happened in this film until the last half hour, and that was pretty silly. If it wasn't for Alex Dimitriades looking as cute as he gets, this film would be terrible.
a grave mistake never funnier
ptb-812 April 2005
LETS GET SKASE is actually a very funny very well made film. Clobbered by the sneering media upon release and sinking without a trace - or a Skase - this film had the unforgivable fault of bad timing. The real Christopher Skase of the title actually.....died. And did so unpleasantly....so did the film at the box office. Now all that aside and separated from the media clutter upon release what do we have: a great looking film with a hilarious caper mentality beautifully filmed with a fun group of well cast males. Even the Skase impersonator is astonishing. Lachy Hulme (who?) stars and writes and heads a cast with a few great surprise performances: especially the normally seriously dramatic Alex Dimitriades offering a genuinely hilarious droll turn along with handsome lifesaver/commando Craig MacLachlan. The real delight for me was the absolutely charismatic and goofy Torquil Nielsen who has one of the great faces in Australian films. He is hardly ever seen ...maybe needs a better agent to get more profile. Like the equally disastrous timing of another comedy release DIANA AND ME (Princess Di was killed) which starred Toni Collette heading to London to meet you know who SKASE is overshadowed by the real demise of the real character it was lampooning. The Title comes from the bounty idea actually proposed one night on National TV. I remember well sitting in a deserted cinema laughing uproariously and wishing there was a big crowd equally delighted at discovering what a clever and well made comedy this film is. The media of the day did their very best to off put the entire population of Australia and unfortunately they listened instead of finding out for themselves. But I did and so should you.
Un-entertaining comedy trash that tries to deliver its punch-lines below the belt.
Aussie Stud16 October 2001
I was astounded that a film like this was even made. The premise for this film would have been mildly amusing for a four-minute laugh on 'FULL FRONTAL' or something like that... but a full-length theatrical release?
For those of you who don't know who Christopher Skase is, he was a notorious corporate criminal who embezzled a great deal of money from a company in Australia named Qintex that filed for bankruptcy, and then fled to the island of Majorca in Spain. His crimes were overshadowed by the fact that the Australian government and his pursuing creditors couldn't get their hands on him due to the fact that Australia does not share an extradition treaty with Spain, and every time Australia came 'so close' to getting him back, Christopher Skase would have some sort of a 'medical emergency' at the last minute which would deem it unsafe to his health to have him removed from Majorca. He is probably known as one of Australia's most infamous criminals who didn't actually kill or endanger anyone, and his case was dogged by the Australian media for nearly 10 years, right up to his death earlier this year that came as a result of his battle with terminal Cancer.
Even after his death, his name is still ridiculed and most Australians find some sort of humor in it, some skeptics even believing that his death was an elaborate hoax.
'LET'S GET SKASE' was apparently in production and on the drawing boards long before Christopher Skase died, and it is apparent that his death has not affected the release of this film in any way whatsoever -which is really inappropriate because the premise of the film is based on a 'search and retrieve' mission to bring him back to Australia, the subject of the film having passed away this year.
It's almost like making a movie on someone like Elvis Presley... a cherished musician who has been long deceased - it just doesn't make any sense.
'LET'S GET SKASE' wants to be a satirical film that looks at Skase as someone who is like Dr. Evil from the AUSTIN POWERS films. He entertains lavishly, surrounded by bodyguards while pretending to be wheelchair-bound and in need of an oxygen tank. It certainly sounds funny. Back in Australia, a fast-talking con man sees the opportunity to reap gold from the situation. Financially backed by the creditors, he hires a group of misfits to head to Spain and kidnap Skase. Alex Dimitriades plays Danny D'amato Jr, the son of the creditor chairman in charge of the operation. He hires a sleazy television host, Eric Carney, played by Craig McLachlan, who is secretly hatching a plot of his own to kidnap Skase.
When D'amato Jr. finds out what Carney is up to, it becomes a race to see who can kidnap Skase first. D'amato Jr. forms his own 'team' of bumbling goof balls portrayed by Adam Haddrick, Torquil Neilson, Bill Kerr and Nick Shepard. Of course, there is a bigger sub-plot to all of this garbage so far... Christopher Skase has been scheming all along to resurrect his business empire... across Europe! I thought I could picture him with his baby finger in his mouth, holding the U.S. President and the world at ransom for one million dollars.
I am certainly not a Christopher Skase sympathizer in any respect. For a fact, I laughed at him in the 10 years or so that he was still alive. He was often the brunt of many jokes between myself and friends, and my ears always perked up whenever I heard his name on the news. Countless skits and gags were acted out on comedy shows like 'FAST FORWARD' and 'FULL FRONTAL' and yes, I found them to be riotous.
I just didn't find anything amusing about this movie. If he were still alive, I might have found something funny about this film, but due to the fact that in real life he has passed away, this movie can't possibly try to be serious... it can only be deemed as a comedy. And in that regard alone, I did not find anything particularly funny about the movie in itself. The acting wasn't awful... it was kind of like being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I just felt that the actors involved should have been displaying their talents in something much more worthy than this trash.
While this 'Australian gem' is not as evil as other recently released inane pap such as "MULLET" and "WELCOME TO WOOP WOOP", this movie certainly should have gone straight to video or another place that has four letters in it and starts with 'H'.
2/10
For those of you who don't know who Christopher Skase is, he was a notorious corporate criminal who embezzled a great deal of money from a company in Australia named Qintex that filed for bankruptcy, and then fled to the island of Majorca in Spain. His crimes were overshadowed by the fact that the Australian government and his pursuing creditors couldn't get their hands on him due to the fact that Australia does not share an extradition treaty with Spain, and every time Australia came 'so close' to getting him back, Christopher Skase would have some sort of a 'medical emergency' at the last minute which would deem it unsafe to his health to have him removed from Majorca. He is probably known as one of Australia's most infamous criminals who didn't actually kill or endanger anyone, and his case was dogged by the Australian media for nearly 10 years, right up to his death earlier this year that came as a result of his battle with terminal Cancer.
Even after his death, his name is still ridiculed and most Australians find some sort of humor in it, some skeptics even believing that his death was an elaborate hoax.
'LET'S GET SKASE' was apparently in production and on the drawing boards long before Christopher Skase died, and it is apparent that his death has not affected the release of this film in any way whatsoever -which is really inappropriate because the premise of the film is based on a 'search and retrieve' mission to bring him back to Australia, the subject of the film having passed away this year.
It's almost like making a movie on someone like Elvis Presley... a cherished musician who has been long deceased - it just doesn't make any sense.
'LET'S GET SKASE' wants to be a satirical film that looks at Skase as someone who is like Dr. Evil from the AUSTIN POWERS films. He entertains lavishly, surrounded by bodyguards while pretending to be wheelchair-bound and in need of an oxygen tank. It certainly sounds funny. Back in Australia, a fast-talking con man sees the opportunity to reap gold from the situation. Financially backed by the creditors, he hires a group of misfits to head to Spain and kidnap Skase. Alex Dimitriades plays Danny D'amato Jr, the son of the creditor chairman in charge of the operation. He hires a sleazy television host, Eric Carney, played by Craig McLachlan, who is secretly hatching a plot of his own to kidnap Skase.
When D'amato Jr. finds out what Carney is up to, it becomes a race to see who can kidnap Skase first. D'amato Jr. forms his own 'team' of bumbling goof balls portrayed by Adam Haddrick, Torquil Neilson, Bill Kerr and Nick Shepard. Of course, there is a bigger sub-plot to all of this garbage so far... Christopher Skase has been scheming all along to resurrect his business empire... across Europe! I thought I could picture him with his baby finger in his mouth, holding the U.S. President and the world at ransom for one million dollars.
I am certainly not a Christopher Skase sympathizer in any respect. For a fact, I laughed at him in the 10 years or so that he was still alive. He was often the brunt of many jokes between myself and friends, and my ears always perked up whenever I heard his name on the news. Countless skits and gags were acted out on comedy shows like 'FAST FORWARD' and 'FULL FRONTAL' and yes, I found them to be riotous.
I just didn't find anything amusing about this movie. If he were still alive, I might have found something funny about this film, but due to the fact that in real life he has passed away, this movie can't possibly try to be serious... it can only be deemed as a comedy. And in that regard alone, I did not find anything particularly funny about the movie in itself. The acting wasn't awful... it was kind of like being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I just felt that the actors involved should have been displaying their talents in something much more worthy than this trash.
While this 'Australian gem' is not as evil as other recently released inane pap such as "MULLET" and "WELCOME TO WOOP WOOP", this movie certainly should have gone straight to video or another place that has four letters in it and starts with 'H'.
2/10
Nice comedy
doctor_chops8 July 2005
Getting Christopher Skase was really a big deal in Australia back in the 1990's. This film brought back quite a few memories of the public's outrage at Skase's escape from the Australians who wanted his blood. The file footage, especially the 'Denton' stuff (what a great show that was) gives "Let's Get Skase" a very solid base to start this box office under performer.
After the file footage "Let's Get Skase" goes about in a fairly predictable manner for those who have seen a few Oz comedies since "The Castle". Lots of oddball "loser" types fighting against a mightier and arrogant power. Thankfully as the film goes on one can't help but enjoy watching the determined Aussies, led by bulls@@t artist Peter Dellasandro (Lachy Hulme) and angry Danny D'Amato (Alex Dimitriades), trying to get their hands around the neck of the Oz holy grail, (that being Christopher Skase).
The acting is pretty hammy at times but suitable for the film. I loved the appearance of the slimy character Beneheim Bencini (George Shevtsov). For my money he is the creepiest looking and sounding actor in Australia (and a good one too, check out "Love Serenade").
The timing of the film's release in relation to Skase's death, as mentioned in other sources, meant that you would be seen as an out and out weirdo to see it at the time. However, at a time when funny Oz films seem to be as rare as a sweet smelling fart, it is a film definitely worth checking out.
After the file footage "Let's Get Skase" goes about in a fairly predictable manner for those who have seen a few Oz comedies since "The Castle". Lots of oddball "loser" types fighting against a mightier and arrogant power. Thankfully as the film goes on one can't help but enjoy watching the determined Aussies, led by bulls@@t artist Peter Dellasandro (Lachy Hulme) and angry Danny D'Amato (Alex Dimitriades), trying to get their hands around the neck of the Oz holy grail, (that being Christopher Skase).
The acting is pretty hammy at times but suitable for the film. I loved the appearance of the slimy character Beneheim Bencini (George Shevtsov). For my money he is the creepiest looking and sounding actor in Australia (and a good one too, check out "Love Serenade").
The timing of the film's release in relation to Skase's death, as mentioned in other sources, meant that you would be seen as an out and out weirdo to see it at the time. However, at a time when funny Oz films seem to be as rare as a sweet smelling fart, it is a film definitely worth checking out.
Good goofball fun.
ladytiamat26 April 2004
One of the hallmarks of Australian comedies is enthusiasm, especially in the service of total absurdity. This film takes all the elements of a typical "American action film" and ratchets them up to Aussie levels. Sure it's ridiculous -- it's meant to be. What I like is the way the writer-director-acting-in-it-too team of Lachy Hulme and Matthew George put this thing together is that all the action and world-shaking intrigue is ultimately just background. This is really just a story about a bunch of guys trying to Get Something Right for once in their lives. There's a lot of love and goofball fun in this movie. I recommend it to anyone who needs a good laugh, either at themselves, the movies, or the world in general.
Every so often!!!
glibster1031 March 2003
Every so often a movie comes along that restores your faith in Australian film industry. Let's get Skase is not that film... But it does come damn close. First of all I'm sick of Australian films pretending they are comedies when they are clearly not. Let's get Skase, for all it's flaws, (Key being bad timing on it's release) is at least an honest attempt at comedy.
The key to the film's success is it's complete disregard shown for it's subject matter. It has chosen not to attack the subject matter of the "chase for Skase" head on, but instead follow the fortunes of the people that tried to hunt him down. This is where the secret of the film lies, in it's characters. Setting up this group of misfits, not only makes for some hilarious sequences, but you can't wait for the point where two stories will inevitably collide.
For those of you asking how to they get around the problem of "do they get him or not"? Let me just say, without giving too much away, that the last act of the film does not disappoint. Let's get Skase is a noble effort. Flaws aside.
The key to the film's success is it's complete disregard shown for it's subject matter. It has chosen not to attack the subject matter of the "chase for Skase" head on, but instead follow the fortunes of the people that tried to hunt him down. This is where the secret of the film lies, in it's characters. Setting up this group of misfits, not only makes for some hilarious sequences, but you can't wait for the point where two stories will inevitably collide.
For those of you asking how to they get around the problem of "do they get him or not"? Let me just say, without giving too much away, that the last act of the film does not disappoint. Let's get Skase is a noble effort. Flaws aside.
bad, bad, bad - worse than 80s clothing
kurt12028 May 2002
In the last 10 years the only Australian comedy which really appears to have hit the mark is The Castle. Let's Get Skase attempts to tap into the Working Dog humour that has made the former D-Gen/ Late Show creators so successful - but fails dismally.
Australian comedy, once the backbone of our movie industry, appears to be plumbing a dry well at the moment. Let's Get Skase joins The Wog Boy and the disastrous Reckless Kelly among recent Oz films that provide you with one laugh for every half hour that it lasts. The problem is probably further reflected by the dearth of quality sitcoms on Australian telly at the moment. Sadly the best Oz sitcom of recent times is Hey Dad, a show that has been off the air for around seven years now and wasn't even all that funny. Greed was good in the 1980s and Christopher Skase lived by Gordon Gecko's creed, accruing wealth through his company Qintrex and then deserting the investors when the going got tough, heading to Spain.
This film focuses on the Australian public's outrage at his low act and the doomed attempts by the Australian public to bring him back.
Failing restauranteur Peter Dellasandro (co-writer Lachy Hulme) stars as the man destined to free hundreds of mum and dad investors from the debt yoke of Qintrex by bringing Our Man in Majorca back to face the music. Strangely the creditors are happy to ask a con man to retrieve a con man. Hulme's dress sense and facial hair should be condemned - he looks like Don Johnson in Miami Vice. The usually commendable Alex Dimitriadis also features, suffering at the hand of a dud script, while his co-stars (a cast of nobodies), to be very basic, suck. Let's Get Skase is like a beginner's archery class with most of the jokes missing the target. In the end Christopher Skase has the last laugh. He died several months before this audio visual obscenity was released, plunging Let's Get Skase into further mediocrity. For me, the best part of the film was the footage of Malcolm Blight booting that long distance goal to steal victory for North Melbourne in a football match in the late 1970s. The moment acts as inspiration for our head Skase chaser but makes the rest of us wish we were watching something near as exciting. Weekly recommended rental: The Castle (1997). Starring Bill Caton, Stephen Curry, Anne Tenney, Eric Bana, 'Bud' Tingwell and Sophie Lee. Just to remind you that Australian movies can be funny.
Australian comedy, once the backbone of our movie industry, appears to be plumbing a dry well at the moment. Let's Get Skase joins The Wog Boy and the disastrous Reckless Kelly among recent Oz films that provide you with one laugh for every half hour that it lasts. The problem is probably further reflected by the dearth of quality sitcoms on Australian telly at the moment. Sadly the best Oz sitcom of recent times is Hey Dad, a show that has been off the air for around seven years now and wasn't even all that funny. Greed was good in the 1980s and Christopher Skase lived by Gordon Gecko's creed, accruing wealth through his company Qintrex and then deserting the investors when the going got tough, heading to Spain.
This film focuses on the Australian public's outrage at his low act and the doomed attempts by the Australian public to bring him back.
Failing restauranteur Peter Dellasandro (co-writer Lachy Hulme) stars as the man destined to free hundreds of mum and dad investors from the debt yoke of Qintrex by bringing Our Man in Majorca back to face the music. Strangely the creditors are happy to ask a con man to retrieve a con man. Hulme's dress sense and facial hair should be condemned - he looks like Don Johnson in Miami Vice. The usually commendable Alex Dimitriadis also features, suffering at the hand of a dud script, while his co-stars (a cast of nobodies), to be very basic, suck. Let's Get Skase is like a beginner's archery class with most of the jokes missing the target. In the end Christopher Skase has the last laugh. He died several months before this audio visual obscenity was released, plunging Let's Get Skase into further mediocrity. For me, the best part of the film was the footage of Malcolm Blight booting that long distance goal to steal victory for North Melbourne in a football match in the late 1970s. The moment acts as inspiration for our head Skase chaser but makes the rest of us wish we were watching something near as exciting. Weekly recommended rental: The Castle (1997). Starring Bill Caton, Stephen Curry, Anne Tenney, Eric Bana, 'Bud' Tingwell and Sophie Lee. Just to remind you that Australian movies can be funny.
different but great
aw789031 March 2003
not the kind of comedy that I would normally go out and see, but I was surprised at how this movie worked. there were some really funny moments, some excellent action and a fantastic satire of older, American movies - or was it just taking the p**s out of itself? Regardless, I think that this is the kind of movie you can watch over and over again. Can't wait to see more of director Matthew George's work. And Lachy Hulme, he is excellent. So too the supporting cast. A great movie.
Give it a go.
kentklien31 March 2003
Oh, how I avoided this film. I finally sat down to watch it and I'm glad I did. Because at the end of the day, despite the apparent cheap shots that could have been taken, this is a well crafted comedy that has it's tongue so firmly planted in it's cheek that it is obvious here that the intent is to laugh at the absurdity of the original chase for Skase and Australia's single mindedness at returning the 'scoundrel to justice.' That was never going to happen. So what is Let's Get Skase?The next best thing. Two hours of nonsense looking back at the saga, with all the right liberties taken storywise. In short, this films go right over the top, culminating in a Rambo style raids on good ol' Christopher's island fortress in Majorca, by Dellasandro and his team of merry idiots. Excellent performances, great script and true understanding of the genre by the director. One of Australia's better attempts at comedy. I only wish it was true.
Upholding a fine Aussie tradition
truckmaster546 May 2002
Lets Get Skase is a great film, and for those people in the 'minority' you should remember one thing, Lets Get Skase is a work of pure fiction based on fact surrounding the events aftermath of the collapse of Quintex, Christopher Skase's empire and events that nobody has heard anything about lathered with loads of dramatic license for good measure. Lets Get Skase is a good solid Australian film, and in my mind is the best Aussie film for along. Lets Get Skase upholds the great tradition of "taking the p***" and to be honest this is all that the film has set out to achieve and it has done an exceptional job at that. Honestly who cares if Chris Skase was chased to the grave and is now dead and buried does it honestly make any difference to the plot of the movie if he is dead? Give it twenty years and nobody will be able to remember his name or why he was so hated. What makes Lets Get Skase such a great film is that it has struck a nerve with people good or bad.
funny
jonesisgreat31 March 2003
This is a really solid film. From the first moment, it is obvious that Hulme's character is a bull**it artist, and that he was not to be taken seriously. Excellent one-liners come at you at a fast and furious past, as does the action which is perfectly paced and well handled by director Matthew George. Good, well rounded effort, I recommend it to all.
Excellent film-making
gilbert00091 April 2003
This a good example of excellent film-making.
I felt that I learnt much from director Matthew George who used action and comedy in this movie.
When I first heard about the film, I thought it was going to be a flop, but after now viewing it twice, I was pleased with the dialogue and the construction of the story. The use of CGI was unexpected as most Australian films would not use it due to budget constraints.
Good cast. Hadn't heard of many of the actors, but I am sure we will soon.
I felt that I learnt much from director Matthew George who used action and comedy in this movie.
When I first heard about the film, I thought it was going to be a flop, but after now viewing it twice, I was pleased with the dialogue and the construction of the story. The use of CGI was unexpected as most Australian films would not use it due to budget constraints.
Good cast. Hadn't heard of many of the actors, but I am sure we will soon.
Solid entertainment
headpaperhello9 April 2003
After watching many Australian movies of all genres, it is interesting to find a movie such as this.
Overall, Skase is an excellent movie. It has both comedy and action with a predominantly unknown cast who are all perfectly suited for their roles. It is well directed and the camera work is of a very high standard.
I enjoyed this movie, because it was Australian, funny, entertaining but also because it is the kind of movie that I would be happy to watch regularly.
Overall, Skase is an excellent movie. It has both comedy and action with a predominantly unknown cast who are all perfectly suited for their roles. It is well directed and the camera work is of a very high standard.
I enjoyed this movie, because it was Australian, funny, entertaining but also because it is the kind of movie that I would be happy to watch regularly.
Cult Classic
brown1701 April 2003
How did I miss this at the movies?
This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in ages. Who is Lachy Hulme? Hilarious. And Craig MacLachlan - I wanted to kill him - he is a sick human being. Brilliant.
Thankfully I own this on DVD because it is a great movie that I have now watched maybe a dozen times.
A cult classic.
This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in ages. Who is Lachy Hulme? Hilarious. And Craig MacLachlan - I wanted to kill him - he is a sick human being. Brilliant.
Thankfully I own this on DVD because it is a great movie that I have now watched maybe a dozen times.
A cult classic.
THIS IS A GREAT FILM
a_harris525 October 2001
Aside from a few bad reviews and they are clearly in the minority. This is great film! Not a great Australian film. JUST A GREAT FILM!
This is one of the few Australian films that I have seen in recent years that will translate well to the overseas markets. It is bursting at the seams with brilliant ideas and is incredibly well written and directed. Lachy Hulme will be a star!
At first I was reluctant to see this film because of the subject matter, but I'm glad I went along. This is a great comedy. More than that it is an Action-Adventure. It may be hard to believe this (because of the subject matter it deals with) but the filmmakers have carefully filleted out everything that is unnecessary with the "Skase saga" and given us pure entertainment in its place. This may throw a few people initially. But trust me it makes for one of the great films of the year. High production values -- extremely high! 3.5 million budget! WOW! How did they do this? As a investor of films in years past (Who has been burnt many times, remember the 10 (ba) tax years of the 80's) I was stunned by this spectacle. This film is important to the the Australian industry. It shows we can deliver entertainment at an international level, while still handling a subject that some may consider domestic. This is something that the US and England have mastered. 9/10 BRILLIANT!
This is one of the few Australian films that I have seen in recent years that will translate well to the overseas markets. It is bursting at the seams with brilliant ideas and is incredibly well written and directed. Lachy Hulme will be a star!
At first I was reluctant to see this film because of the subject matter, but I'm glad I went along. This is a great comedy. More than that it is an Action-Adventure. It may be hard to believe this (because of the subject matter it deals with) but the filmmakers have carefully filleted out everything that is unnecessary with the "Skase saga" and given us pure entertainment in its place. This may throw a few people initially. But trust me it makes for one of the great films of the year. High production values -- extremely high! 3.5 million budget! WOW! How did they do this? As a investor of films in years past (Who has been burnt many times, remember the 10 (ba) tax years of the 80's) I was stunned by this spectacle. This film is important to the the Australian industry. It shows we can deliver entertainment at an international level, while still handling a subject that some may consider domestic. This is something that the US and England have mastered. 9/10 BRILLIANT!
this is a top film
ossirossi31 March 2003
Top film. When I went to see this, I thought that it would be some stupid Australian film that has no plot, no good characters and no good lines. The opposite is true. Whilst most Aussie comedies are about the little Aussie battler fighting against the big corporations, this is about a few losers fighting against a tyrant. It is a shame he died just before the film, because that must have made people think that the film is in poor taste, which it isn't. It is just a great p**s-take film that successfully attempts to be an action, comedy and adventure movie all in one.
Well made
copyman_8814 April 2003
I enjoyed this film for a number of reasons.
Firstly, it was well written. It contained excellent character development, a well constructed plot and funny dialogue. Not to mention excellent action sequences.
Secondly, it was well cast. The actors are obviously all of a high standard and suited their roles perfectly.
Finally, direction. Director Matthew George has done a fantastic job utilising the resources available - camerawork was great, editing was first rate and so was the soundtrack. Overall, i am most impressed with this element, and the movie in general.
I hope you enjoy it.
Firstly, it was well written. It contained excellent character development, a well constructed plot and funny dialogue. Not to mention excellent action sequences.
Secondly, it was well cast. The actors are obviously all of a high standard and suited their roles perfectly.
Finally, direction. Director Matthew George has done a fantastic job utilising the resources available - camerawork was great, editing was first rate and so was the soundtrack. Overall, i am most impressed with this element, and the movie in general.
I hope you enjoy it.
Solid entertainment.
wentwortho29 March 2003
Let's Get Skase is a comedy/Action Adventure about the real life chase for the fugitive Christopher Skase. The film is well put together with great performances from the Lead actors. A solid script and taught direction make for a solid piece of entertainment. (Not sure exactly how much of this actually happened, but I'm sure liberties have been taken). 70/100
good
jessih96931 March 2003
This was a good film. Certain things could have been a little tighter, but overall it was a good effort.
The laser net sequence and the last thirty minutes is off the scale with action and quite unlike most comedies and films in general to come out of Australia.
What's with the lead actors' hair? I hope this was a character choice. Regardless, he was very good and his speech in front of the aussie flag is a classic!
The laser net sequence and the last thirty minutes is off the scale with action and quite unlike most comedies and films in general to come out of Australia.
What's with the lead actors' hair? I hope this was a character choice. Regardless, he was very good and his speech in front of the aussie flag is a classic!
What a film!
thepaper_0099 April 2003
What a fantastic film!
Lachy Hulme stars in this wonderfully silly movie about the chase for Christopher Skase, an Australian business man with an ignominious past.
Great one-liners fill this film that has it all, except it could have done with some T&A, but there is enough action to satisfy.
Had to wait for DVD to see it and love the comments by the director/co-writer, Matthew George and co-writer, Hulme.
Get a copy, it rocks!
Lachy Hulme stars in this wonderfully silly movie about the chase for Christopher Skase, an Australian business man with an ignominious past.
Great one-liners fill this film that has it all, except it could have done with some T&A, but there is enough action to satisfy.
Had to wait for DVD to see it and love the comments by the director/co-writer, Matthew George and co-writer, Hulme.
Get a copy, it rocks!
Top Film
marty142331 March 2003
I saw this film when I was holidaying in Australia. A sensational comedy loosely based on real events. It has a great storyline and a couple of characters that you love to hate. The lead character, Lachy Hulme, reminded me of Bill Murray a bit, where nothing is as it seems, and shouldn't be taken too seriously.
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