Rikky and Pete (1988) User Reviews

Quirky but enjoyable

[JuguAbraham · 6/10 · 15 July 2004]

Australian cinema has always captivated me. Their cinema is refreshing. "Rikky and Pete" would revive memories of the young rebel in one's life. As a film, you cannot compare it with great cinema of top directors--yet it is charming because it captures the non-conformist in all of us. The mechanical genius Pete invents a gadget that uses the childish paper-plane concept to deliver a newspaper. The brother sister bonding is well portrayed. The jabs at soft-headed evangelists are also well done. The anti-establishment note of the film is the refrain throughout the running time--with one realistic line "I am afraid" coming from the jailed Pete after contemplating the willfully open jail door.

While the film is about cars, inventions, inefficient cops, Eartha Kitt, loonies--the work appears disjointed and immature. Yet some of the minor characters are superb. Examples are the two ladies--the young Tetchie Agbayani as Flossie (Pete's girlfriend at the mine) and Dorothy Alison as Pete's rich mother.

The element of satire that runs through conversation and actions lifts up the product to a level of above average cinema.

The misadventures of a brother & sister when they escape the big city and venture into the Outback

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 5 October 2018]

A sister and her younger brother from a rich family in Melbourne flee to the Outback for a much-needed break. Ricky is a minstrel with a geologist degree while Pete is a subdued mechanical genius and inventor, albeit penniless. They find sanctuary in a desert mining town.

This decent Australian production from 1988 is not a comedy as touted; it's a semi-offbeat drama with some amusing touches. It's reminiscent of flicks like "Joyride" (1977) with Anne Lockhart & Melanie Griffith about youths fleeing the big city and their misadventures trying out a new life in the vast wilderness (not to be confused with the 2001 road rage flick "Joy Ride").

Nina Landis comes across as a plain Jane at first, but grows more alluring as the movie proceeds, particularly when she's in tight jeans later in the story (just kidding, not really). Tetchie Agbayani is also on hand on the feminine front, a kinda cute Asian. The guy who plays Pete looks like an Aussie version of Charlie Sheen.

At the end of the day, "Rikky and Pete" may not be great, but it ain't bad either, particularly if you're in the mood for a quirky misadventure flick like "Joyride" (1977).

The movie runs 1 hour, 42 minutes and was shot in Australia (New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland).

GRADE: B-/C+

Nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon

[dave13-1 · 6/10 · 11 April 2012]

Nothing much happens in Rikki and Pete, but this is not really a criticism. It's a character comedy and the time spent with the titular oddball brother and sister pair is not time wasted. Rikki is a bored researcher who wants to be a country music star and tries a few wacky stunts to get her second career going. Pete is a rather anti-social, housebound type with a real genius for creating fascinatingly useless, Rube Goldberg style devices. Watching these weird toys work is one of the genuine pleasures of this little movie. The style is intimate, with a lot of close shots of one of both of the sibs, and the setting is effectively littered and cluttered, as any world would be that had a mad little builder like Pete in it. There are few bright colors and no big message here as their odd little story lines play out, just a quite appealing portrait of a functional sibling relationship in a somewhat dysfunctional and frustrating life situation. Worth a look.

An Entertaining Film I've Watched Several Times

[Oskado · 7 February 2003]

I have especially enjoyed Rikki and Pete for reasons difficult to analyze. Just as a skilled writer can engross and hold an audience with what may appear to be simple prose, this film, too, with its simple and wacky story line maintains an artful and absorbing balance in its dramatic elements: a panoply of "unique", interesting characters, a comical clash of modern suburbia with desert mining town ethos, the clash of inventive slacker minds in the face of both, and a lively rhythm accented by Rikki's C&W barroom singing. What serious social messages it may contain - if any - are handled lightly. After all, nothing's new under the sun - certainly not male chauvinism or sexual abuse in the workplace or generational gaps. This film concentrates on its wacky characters and mining town setting, not on such hackneyed subjects.

A masterpiece it isn't, and I won't deny it succumbs to excess toward the end, but compared to the usual empty-headed commercial stuff hyped in papers and video rental box-backs by critics of dubious loyalty (certainly none to the purchaser or to intellectual integrity) I find it nonetheless a superior piece of entertainment - deserving perhaps a 7 out of 10. Back in the 1980s when I first saw it, I would possibly have rated it higher. Despite the years, I still carry with me visions of the dart-throwing Swede, the mining boss bargaining for "lays" he'll never get, and the wild contraption R & P construct with the help of their friends to automate the mining of their own semi-fraudulent gold claim.

Welcome back to whoop, whoop, holler and boom!

[=G= · 5/10 · 24 March 2002]

"Rikky and Pete" are thirtyish Aussie sibs who leave Melbourne to escape a dictatorial patriarch and Pete's problems with a local copper and to seek their fortune in the outback where they take up with silver mining and a bunch of quirky characters. "R&P" is a fun little Aussie comedy romp which wanders without clear purpose through it's marginal plot conjuring up moments droll, offbeat, and awkward humor and little else. Worth a look for those into Aussie flix.

meandering across the outback

[mjneu59 · 5/10 · 29 December 2010]

Two wealthy Australian siblings — one an attractive geologist, artist, and country-western songwriter, and the other an unmotivated mechanical whiz kid in trouble with the law — borrow their crippled mother's Bentley and leave their uptown Melbourne mansion to 'go outback', enjoying several adventures along the way, none of which amounts to much. The same writer/director team tries to repeat the luck they had with their 1986 feature 'Malcolm', but the results this time around are too relaxed and unfocused, to say the least. The travelers stop to perform some music (with support from ex-members of the Down Under pop group Split Enz), try their luck at gold mining, and build several clever mechanical toys, but like the outback itself the script ranges all over the map without arriving anywhere. The film isn't exactly pointless, but it's not exactly brimming with purpose either. There's a token crisis involving a vengeful backwoods sheriff, but with no real conflict there's no need for resolution, and the film disappears from memory almost as soon as the end credits finish rolling.

Another inventive comedy

[videorama-759-859391 · 7/10 · 15 January 2015]

After Malcolm, that did set the bar pretty high, we drop back a bit with a less successful Aussie comedy, that still manages to be bloody entertaining, where again we are reminded with familiarity to who penned this. This film's good but just not as good as Malcolm was. Sister (Landis) and brother (Kearney) team, take off to the outback, as little brother, you could say, has got himself into a bit of trouble with authorities. Pete is an immature, inventive, and causes a lot of unnecessary trouble, and has anger issues to. He makes obscene phone calls to authorities, causes chain cop car collisions, etc, with his smart arse stunts, as posing as fictional character Evil Donald. He has a newspaper business, he operates from his car, his delivery of them in the form of paper gliders has to be seen. He has trouble with his folks, where really sister, Rikki, a budding singer/guitarist, is the only one who really understands him, where this getaway, is like a last resort, one outburst I'll never forget has Rikki walking off in a huff, after spouting "F off Peter". They make new friends, in the outback, while also getting wealthy as doing a bit of prospecting. Trouble finally catches up with Pete in the form of city cop, (Bill Hunter) who really has it for him, and that's after Pete really makes an arse of himself one night in town, in some drunken and disorderly behavior, racking up quite a fine. His behavior tends to be worrying, where you really don't want to see anything happen to this problematic guy. I really liked Landis's character in this. She reminded a lot of my own sister's character, where Rikki, is a character I think is afraid, of falling in love, while Kearney is so so as Pete. There are a lot of entertaining moments in this film, though I found the movie a little dry or sagging, and as a runner up to Malcolm, you could of down far worse. For lovers of Malcolm, and others, a different and original comedy.

One Reason why I don't bother with Australian films

[The-Sarkologist · 3/10 · 8 November 2013]

I wanted to see this movie to see what the cop cars looked like in the eighties (it was a long time ago and I can't remember a VL commodore as the standard cop car). Anyway, I felt quite jipped when the cop cars were VB Commodores and had YELLOW lights. They are not real cop cars (though the cops probably did drive VB Commodores when then were first being built). That doesn't matter because obviously this is a low budget movie and one can't expect everything.

It wasn't a good movie though - there seemed to be a lack of a plot, and once they had fled the city after causing enormous problems for a certain nasty police sergeant, the movie lacked direction. They began mining, which is difficult in Australia because one does not own the minerals under the ground, the government does, and one cannot simply start mining them. The movie simply seemed to be glued together and there was little joining the scenes together. The end of the movie was completely illogical as well, because Ricky becomes a builder, or is it that she is mining in the middle of Melbourne - it is difficult to work out.

Pete is an inventor, though this is done fairly well, the movie simply seems to be an excuse to show some weird inventions, and not many of them exist in the movie either - at least Malcolm had a plot (from what I can remember). One might argue that we should support Australian film - I will as long as they are not like this movie.

The plot is very difficult to make out - a sergeant injured Ricky and Pete's mother and Pete becomes Evil Donald in a quest of vengeance against this police officer. He causes one too many problems and they flee the city to make a new life in the country. It begins as a road movie, but then settle down in a town (no idea what the town is, but it probably is Mount Isa) and begin mining after ripping off a major mine. They then sell the mine, make heaps of money, and get the police officer in lots of trouble, reconcile with their parents (though this is not resolved, simply the police laugh at the pompous old father) and then have a happy ending - nothing directing them to the end, simply an unconnected series of events culminating in a pathetic ending where everybody is happy. Not exactly a movie that is worth wasting one's time to see.

Cocky, Quirky, and Cool

[howdymax · 9/10 · 22 December 2004]

Like most Americans, I think I have a deep respect and even envy for all things Australian. I think it reminds us of us of the days before we became politically correct. Australia is not only an original, but an aboriginal. We long for the rough and ready good old days, and the Aussies remind us of them.

This movie is no exception. Pete is a loose screw who has a grudge against the local plod, and a genius for building indescribable gadgets that seem to do the impossible. Rikky, his sister, is the only family member that either understands him or cares about him. When Pete gets himself in a fix, she hustles him off in the family Bently and heads from the big city to the great Outback. Their adventures and misadventures along the way, as well as the breathtaking location scenery rounds out the story. Some of this stuff is really hilarious but not silly. This movie has a heart.

Rikky, played by a very appealing Nina Landis, is an aspiring country and western singer who becomes a troubadour to help finance the trip out to the wilderness. They arrive at a desolate mining camp hoping to hide out from the coppers till the heat dies down and hook up with a bunch of losers in a mining venture.

The country music was terrific tho I was a little disappointed to find that Rikky's voice was dubbed by a pro named Wendy Mattews. Just when I was falling in love too. Nina Landis made this movie, and I was sorry to find that I was 15 yrs late in discovering her. My chances of finding another Nina Landis movie are slim at best. Take my advice. If you find one - don't miss it.

Eighties relic

[bregund · 4/10 · 12 August 2017]

Caught this film on TV the other night, since I'd never heard of it and the description looked interesting. It was released by UA so I thought it would be entertaining, since a major film company has some standards. Pete is a misfit who wears exactly the same facial expression throughout the entire film, while Rikki is an improbable combination of singer and geologist, the latter part of which comes in unusually handy halfway through the film. They drive into the outback in mom's old car and somehow become rich while Pete invents stuff and then his mates try to break him out of jail. It's as dull and uneven as it sounds. The songs are just okay. There is an attempt to liven things up with quirky characters but they never go anywhere. The great Bill Hunter is the only saving grace, at turns exasperated or scheming, and in the film's only truly hilarious scene, is driven to madness by a non-stop proselytizer as he angrily joins him in singing hymns. He looks like he's going to snap any second.

An enjoyably offbeat Australian seriocomic sleeper

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 12 June 2009]

Shrewd and spunky geologist Rikky Menzies (a radiant and excellent performance by Nina Landis) aspires to be a country and western singer/songwriter. Rikky and her willful and mischievous mechanical genius brother Pete (a fine and likable portrayal by Stephen Kearney) decide to get away from their disapproving and overbearing wealthy father (a perfectly hateful Don Reid) and hit the road in search of a new life. The siblings wind up in a small remote rural community where they purchase a mine and start their own business. Director Nadia Tass and screenwriter David Parker concoct a disarmingly low-key and quirky charmer about living life the way you want to live it sans compromise that ambles along at a relaxed, yet steady pace, wins the viewer over with its amiably aimless tone and unpredictable rambling narrative, and offers a wondrous wealth of amusingly flaky incidental details (the babbling religious loony with the runaway car that goes only ten miles in hour in particular is a complete riot!). Landis and Kearney make for very appealing leads; they receive terrific support from Tetchie Agbayani as Rikky's sweet and perky girlfriend Flossie, Bill Hunter as vengeful ramrod police sergeant Whitstead, Bruno Lawrence as the hearty and rugged Sonny, Bruce Spence as the friendly Ben, Lewis Fitz-Gerald as smitten nerd Adam, and Peter Cummins as sleazy mine boss Delahunty. Moreover, Pete's wacky inventions are very cool, Nikky's songs are extremely catchy and tuneful winners, the outback scenery is often breathtaking, the characters are a colorful assortment of endearing oddballs, and the movie concludes on a lovely upbeat note. The bouncy and harmonic score by Brain Baker and Eddie Raynor further adds to the considerable irresistibly breezy'n'easy charm. Parker's sparkling picturesque cinematography delivers plenty of strikingly beautiful images. A thoroughly pleasant and satisfying delight.

Not a Good Movie

[Bob_Zerunkel · 2/10 · 25 March 2013]

Some guy spends his time destroying the career of a cop by playing practical jokes on him. So some guy's sister says let's drive out in the desert. Then they sleep in the desert for no good reason. The next day they drive to a gas station and then a town. Maybe it's illegal to drive in a desert at night in Australia.

Along the way, they meet a lot of people who want the sister to lip sync some music, and some guy makes a lot of silly "inventions" that do not work except for the miracle of modern editing. When some guy isn't messing with the cop, he screws with other people's lives.

They're rich people who are on the run because a cop with no proof is mad at one of them for a minor offense; so naturally part of the movie is about them looking for permanent jobs. In the end, nobody kills some guy, but that's why they make sequels.

A wonderful supporting performance by Tetchie Agbayani

[Private_Beach · 25 July 2002]

Hollywood has never known what to do with Asian actresses. It took an Australian woman director to bring out the full potential of the lovely Tetchie Agbayani as Pete's girlfriend in this gentle Aussie comedy. The scene where she is negotiating to get a rise out of her boss (double entendre intended) shows her to be a highly talented comic actress.

I actually saw the film because of Tetchie's participation in it, and was pleasantly surprised by the movie as a whole. It delivers quiet chuckles rather than belly laughs, but leaves you feeling good. It deserves to be more widely appreciated.

I loved the quirky inventions!

[wayne-2 · 8/10 · 2 September 2001]

I saw this movie years ago, and I can still remember most of it. The newspaper delivery vehicle was great! For some reason, this movie has stuck in my memory as a movie I really enjoyed (versus the thousands of movies I've seen and either can't remember, or worse, want to and can't forget!) I hope I can catch it some time and get it on tape, as it apparently is not available at retail. In the years before the IMDb and Amazon, I can remember checking every video store I saw to see if they had a copy. Except for the non-dubbed version of "Mad Max" (which I got!), no other movie has inspired me to look for it so diligently. The Internet in this case is good and bad - good that it tells me the film is not available, and bad that it tells me the film is not available!

Good Aussie movie

[mmoran440 · 8/10 · 13 March 2015]

Saw this long ago, and the movie has stuck with me, partly for it's feel, and partly for the crazy inventions that I wish I had thought of. Been looking for it for years, and can't find a copy anywhere. One thing about the crazy inventions- they all had to be made to work in the film. Pete makes a machine that folds newspapers into the shape of paper airplanes to chuck them at people's houses to make his paper route more efficient- the giant paper airplanes get flung from the machine itself and really fly. He gets himself run out of town for playing one revenge prank too many on the local constable, destroying the entire squad car fleet, because the constable, years before, accidentally ran down his mother in a crosswalk and crippled her. So he and his sister go on the run to the outback, and, helping her work as a geologist, he decides to make a mechanical horse so they can drill 6 holes into the rock at once instead of just one, and you can see him operating/riding the horse, and you can see they really had to figure out how to build one of these things to make it work. Overall, the whole movie reminded me of similar movies form Down Undah, like Red Dog, where the Aussie vibe really comes through.