The film begins with Teddy, Jonathan Schaech, hi-tailing it to the Northern Territory after a bungled deal selling white cockatoos on the streets of New York City. He gives a lift to Angie, Susie Porter, a nubile girl of the outback who seduces him, knocks him cold and takes him home to Woop Woop where, while he`s still unconscious, she marries him.
Angie gets her forceful habits from her father, Daddy O, Rod Taylor, the leading citizen of Woop Woop, which was once a centre for asbestos mining and is now notable for its production of petfood made from kangaroo meat and for the obsession its citizens have with the songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It`s not a congenial place for this stranded Yank.
Stephan Elliott`s long-awaited follow-up to The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert is deliberately designed to offend; this politically incorrect saga of outback life is a bit like a mixture of Wake In Fright , Razorback and The Adventures Of Barry Mackenzie - insiders will appreciate a link to the raucous Aussie comedies of the early 70s - Barry Humphries has an hilarious cameo and film distributor Alan Finney cheerfully essays the role of a bartender in the kind of cameo he played back then.
Jonathan Schaech is a good sport, Richard Moir and Rachel Griffiths are almost unrecognisable and Paul Mercurio makes a fleeting appearance. Best of all is Rod Taylor, an inspired piece of casting as Daddy O, the patriarch of Woop Woop - he`s terrifically funny.
Elliott`s film is very light on plot, but if you`re not offended by these outrageous characters, there`s plenty to enjoy in this well made film, and the frequent juxtaposition of romantic songs from those wonderful old musicals and the far from romantic denizens of Woop Woop makes for some great moments of hilarity.
