Story
Chris Masterman (Ryan Corr) has always dreamed of hosting his own TV show. Stuck as a weatherman and seen as a joke, he tries to show his bosses that he’s better than they think. When his attempt to rescue a dolphin goes wrong, Chris finds himself in the centre of a media backlash and then suddenly unemployed.
Seeking new opportunities on the other side of Australia, Chris sets off on a cross-country road trip. He hopes for anonymity, but he finds that he’s recognised and reviled even in the most remote regions of the outback.
Chris hits a kangaroo with his car. He’s devastated that he has inadvertently taken yet another life, but he soon discovers that the kangaroo’s little joey is still alive. Plucking the small creature from its mother’s pouch, Chris walks back into town trying to find someone to care for it as well as fix his car. People are either uninterested, or they see kangaroos as pests or pieces of meat. Chris encounters a young Indigenous girl named Charlie (Lily Whiteley), who has a special connection with kangaroos and who teaches him to look after the joey, in addition to the others she hopes to save.
Soon Chris has a group of baby kangaroos. When he saves a captured kangaroo, later called Roger, from men who are cruelly trying to kill it, he finally finds redemption on social media. When his boss comes to make him an offer, Chris must choose between his newfound family and sense of purpose and the dream job he has always wanted.
Once again, it’s Charlie who teaches him that dreams can change as they guide you, shape your purpose and ultimately lead you to the person that you were always destined to become.
Themes
Personal failure; public humiliation; social media backlash; loss of a parent; grief; cultural disconnection; community division and distrust
Violence
Kangaroo has some violence. For example:
- Chris helps a baby dolphin out of a rock pool where it’s resting. Despite his best intentions, his actions lead directly to the dolphin’s death. The lifeless dolphin is shown washed up on a beach the following day.
- Chris hits a kangaroo with his car and nearly drives into some scrub. The impact isn’t shown, but we see Chris kneeling before the kangaroo’s lifeless body on the side of the road.
- Chris walks into a shop with a joey in his arms. The shop displays a sign that says ‘Roo meat’, and there’s a man chopping up an animal carcass with a cleaver.
- A man captures and attacks a kangaroo, twisting it into a wire fence.
- A kangaroo attacks Chris, repeatedly kicking him into a fence.
- Men attack Chris and pin him to the ground. They’re about to set dogs on a baby joey and are intending to kill another kangaroo in Chris’s care. A woman threatens them with a gun before they can harm any of the animals.
Sexual references
Kangaroo has some sexual references. For example, a man is told that he can ‘keep his shirt on … for now’.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
Kangaroo shows some use of substances. For example, people drink in a bar.
Nudity and sexual activity
There’s no nudity and sexual activity in Kangaroo.
Product placement
The following products are displayed or used in Kangaroo: X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
Coarse language
Kangaroo has some coarse language, name-calling and insults.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Kangaroo is a heart-warming family drama set in the Australian outback. The movie has powerful messages about redemption, dreams and moving on. It’s best suited to viewers aged over 8 years.
These are the main messages from Kangaroo:
- Failure doesn’t define us.
- Children themselves can be powerful teachers.
- True purpose can be found in the most unlikely of places.
Values in Kangaroo that you could reinforce with your children include compassion, respect, wisdom, sacrifice and connection.
Kangaroo could also give you the chance to talk with your children about the real-life consequences of things like:
- running away, even if you have the best of intentions
- acting before thinking things through or considering good advice
- using social media to vilify or condemn someone
- seeking revenge on animals.