Buckley's Chance (2021) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
17 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
7/10
Kind Hearted Family Aussie Film!
WalkdenEntertainment24 June 2021
Ridley (Milan Burch) is dealing with the loss of his father, who died one year ago as a hero while saving three people. His mother, Gloria (Victoria Hill), decides to leave New York and move to Western Australia, where the two can start fresh and live with Ridley's grandfather, Spencer (Bill Nighy). Naturally, Ridley would prefer to keep to himself and has no interest in the big move or connecting with his unknown grandfather Spencer.

Upon meeting, Spencer gives the appearance of being an old and grumpy man. Still, overall, he is relatively kind towards Ridley and wishes to help him adjust to his new lifestyle in the outback, even offering to take him camping. Spencer also gives a warning of the dangers to Ridley, explaining to him about nearby Dingos. Ridley is put off by his support.

One night, while Ridley and Spencer are camping in the outback, the two have a disagreement, and Ridley walks away. Soon, he finds a wounded Dingo stuck in a trap. Ridley frees the dingo, and the two share an unlikely moment. Unfortunately, the dingo runs away into the night, and later, both Ridley and Spencer go home. The following day, however, Spencer finds Ridley has disappeared and possibly run away from home. Now Ridley is lost in the outback and reunited with the same dingo he just saved. Together they hope to escape and survive the dangers of the outback while Spencer and Ridley's mother begin their search.

Buckley's Chance is best classed as an Australian family film with little moments of heartfelt drama. The film is filled with great messages and positive vibes right from the opening. There are also attempts at humour along the way, primarily thanks to the film's dim-witted bad guys.

Performances are wonderful. Bill Nighy once again proves, as always, that he is a stunning actor (seriously, Bill, call me, let's catch up for a coffee!). The acting debut of Milan Burch, who plays the leading role of Ridley, was most undoubtedly impressive and pleasing to see. Based on the young actor's work here, I am confident we will see more of him in films to come.

The film's music and soundtrack score were rather touching and pleasing throughout the duration, with only a couple of minor moments felt overdramatic compared to what was on-screen. Side performances from Victoria Hill and Kelton Pell were also great. There were no significant concerns with the film other than, as already stated, the bad guys who I found far too silly. Again, this is a family drama film and somewhat to be expected. The opening, which introduces the character of Spencer, was also questionable, and I felt this introduction could have been far more impacting. Still, thankfully this was forgivable as the film progressed.

Overall, I had a wonderful time watching this film. It's a touching, adventurous, and light-hearted story filled with positive messages about overcoming hurts, surviving, and, most importantly, family. The performance from Bill Nighy is brilliant, along with newcomer Milan Burch who also leaves a positive impression. This is undoubtedly an Australian film worth supporting as it reminds the world that even when you're feeling lost, you are never truly alone.

7.4/10 - Walkden Entertainment.
8 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
A lovely light hearted movie
Buckley's Chance was a light hearted movie with a simple but touching storyline.

The scenery was wonderful, especially if you love the outback. Some have said the acting is ordinary & what is Bill Nighly doing in this film...I thought the same, but he did a pretty good job at the 'aussie accent'. The movie is very suitable for kids & I don't recall one swear word in this movie at all! A pretty rare thing these days.

Well done cast & crew....my partner & I really enjoyed it.
12 out of 15 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Warm Family movie
mb-3308720 August 2021
Very entertaining movie set in Australia with great scenery.
2 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
Terrible movie!
missperfect-3071525 June 2021
Such a terrible movie, I don't even know where to begin. Firstly, why is Bill Nighy in this? He is British, he sounds British, yet he's supposed to be an Aussie in this? There was no explanation around this. Secondly, why has his American daughter in law and grandson moved to the middle of the outback?? This movie was so frustrating as it raised more questions than it answered - and the answers it did provide were weak and didn't make sense. The storyline (if you can call it that) was uneventful and boring. I didn't laugh, I didn't cry and I wasn't gripping the edge of my seat. My parents and I watched it together and we were all very disappointed. It felt like it was trying to be another "Red Dog" - but a bad, un-funny version.
13 out of 27 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Engaging
Gordon-1115 August 2021
This story is engaging because it has family, grief and adventure all in one. I enjoyed watching it.
3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Good easy watch
leerjwd9 September 2021
Always liked Bill but the dingo is beautiful.

It is incorrectly credited on the titles as being called Sunny, which is sad as it does shortly after filming.

It isn't even credited at all on IMDb which is poor, but it was called Sonny.

RIP Sonny, forever enshrined on the silver screen now.
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
This is NOT a good movie.
CabbageCustard26 February 2022
This movie, set in an Australian Outback which simply does not exist, employs just about every inaccurate Aussie stereotype and clichรฉ that ever existed as well as a lot more tried and true and tired Hollywood tropes. This movie is obviously intended for undiscerning kids and overseas audiences that don't know much at all about Australia.

The movie centers around an American mum.... sorry, Mom .... and her obnoxious kid who are forced, for reasons that aren't 100 percent clear, to leave New York and travel to Australia and visit the sheep station (although we never actually see any sheep, or cows for that matter) of the kid's crusty grandfather and the Mom's father-in-law. Grandpa is played by Bill Nighy, who is always enjoyable on screen, with the definite exception of this movie. Why Bill Nighy is in this picture in the first place is a real mystery. I mean that are no end of good Australian actors of the same vintage who could have played this part and played it better. Nighy's performance is one of the many irritating things about this movie. His grandfather is so laid back, so laconic that he's just short of being catatonic. Honestly, you just want to shake him. None of the other actors is very good either, to be honest, with the definite exception of Kelton Pell as the ranch hand Jules. Pell is a delight and a joy to watch and it is sad that he is not used more in this film. It would have been a vast improvement. The young actor playing the kid, Ridley, doesn't look set for a long screen career based on this. Still he's young and has time to improve. As a protagonist, Ridley fails to elicit sympathy from the audience. He's a stinker.

Australian viewers, will be gob smacked with the version of the Outback this film presents. There are vast, empty distances as in the real Outback, but there are also wide, raging rivers with deep waterfalls, sharing the space with deep open-cut mines, a large dam, a medium sized town and a suspicious number of clean, well built and well maintained buildings scattered through the desert. The fauna of the area is amazing too. There are no emus or kangaroos, but there are pythons and snakes that sound remarkably like rattlesnakes. Also there are dingoes. Some of them are nasty, vicious creatures, more like wolves, but then there are others, well one in particular, whose temperament and skills make him more akin to Lassie or Rin Tin Tin. To see grown men in this movie cowering in the presence of the last mentioned animal , who looks more like a whippet than a dangerous canine, will make you laugh.

Look, bottom line is this isn't a bad film, but it definitely isn't a good one. The kids will probably enjoy it and adults will either find it wholesome, clean, innocuous fun, or, depending on how well you know Australia, it will either make you groan or laugh. You have been warned.
5 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Not A Cinematic Masterpiece
Snowfinch25 January 2024
I must confess. There were times when I wondered why I was even watching this movie. I often found myself confused as to what the point of the film was. To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure what the purpose of the movie is.

"Buckley's Chance" is not a cinematic masterpiece. It is boring at times. Some scenes are slow to develop. There are even a few scenes where you may find yourself laughing out loud as you ask what the heck they were thinking when they put that in the movie.

However, it was enjoyable enough to keep my attention and to keep me awake.

You may find it boring. I did at times. You may find it entertaining. I did at times. You may want to watch it a second time in the future. I don't. But, that's just me.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
One star is one too many!
johntons-7621027 June 2021
Amazed that Screen Australia co-funded this. I can forgive bad accents, even bad acting but I cannot forgive the script. It seems the script writers used Lassie come home as a template for part of the movie. The dialogue is riddled with Americanisms that one would not find in the outback. Perpetrates myths about our dangerous fauna. Brown snakes are not aggressive, dingoes will not attack you (yes baby Azaria was taken by a Dingo but they will not attack people unless it is for an easy feed.) It is not even true to the geography - part of the action is supposed to take place in central Australia but we find that we are in walking distance of a great river.

Should we really be perpetuating myths such as these? Is this shot for an American audience and so it needs to appeal to their myths about how the west was won?

Films are fiction but they do have a responsibility for accuracy.
10 out of 24 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
2/10
Fundamental errors spoil what could have been
john-kenney5530 January 2022
The first alarm bell went off during the credits when I saw that the writer, the producer and the director were the one person. This lack of normal creative filters that a group approach provides can often lead to problems, and this film suffered some clangers. The film's biggest attraction (Bill Nighy) became its biggest problem. His rich upper class English accent was there in all it's glory. I love Bill, but he should never have been cast in this role. I bailed when he met his fellow outback farmers in a cafรฉ and they all had appropriate broad Aussie accents making the whole thing farcical.

The other clanger was making him a sheep farmer. The property was set in marginal cattle country in the "deep outback". Who was checking these fundamentals?
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
More than a Buckleys
girvsjoint3 July 2021
Good little film, I found it to be an enjoyable experience, can't understand the bad reviews, what are they expecting for goodness sake? It's no classic, but a lot better than some of the garbage they put out these days that get better reviews! Didn't have a problem with Bill Nighy's accent, like some apparently do? Too many critics seem to nitpick when it's just a movie, and does what it sets out to do, offer a bit of light hearted entertainment with no bad language or questionable scenes, go see it, and enjoy it, I did!
11 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
2/10
Boring as...
bfbfinlay27 June 2021
I gave it 40 minutes in and left.

Nothing inspiring to keep me watching.

Acting was strained and a slow movie.

Not for me ..walked out.

I support Australian made but this was boring.
6 out of 16 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Puts Australian cinema back 50 years
martinelillis11 March 2022
Just no. As an Aussie I found this totally awful to the point that I had to turn it off after the first 20 minutes. Every cringe worthy cliche was thrown at the script. Bill Nighy what were you thinking??
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
2/10
Don't waste your time
klausmartti27 June 2021
Acting poor, no story, second time in life when i walked out from cinema during a movie.
4 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
For youngsters not meant for the adult gaze
mosquitobite1 July 2021
My 9 year old grandson loved this!

So I'm giving it a good score.

Milan Burch is good as Ridley he does not overplay the role and is not annoying.

No idea what Bill Nighy is doing here but whatever.

For adults you will find this pretty ghastly, I only liked the dogs!! :) ๐Ÿ˜€

If you are looking for a movie for kids who are growing out of animation and are in that tween stage, this is a benign choice with enough going on to entertain.
10 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Great Aussie Family Movie
krisnarayan-9886015 August 2021
Watch it - don't read the bad reviews. Highly unfair for such a good movie.
4 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
A Family Movie
chermcguire23 July 2022
A great family movie ๐Ÿฟ ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆ A little far fetched at times, but many lessons throughout. I'm 65 and my husband is 75. We both really enjoyed it. No swearing, nudity or violence. (Not to say that we don't watch those also.)
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed