Better than most people think

An Exercise In Nonsense

What begins as a feel-good-human-interest story turns into a mystery, then a tragedy, and ultimately an outrage.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

This reviewer missed the plot completely. The bush is a noisy place, a cacophony of sound. The chatter and crackle go on and on at a dizzy place. Normally, we humans only hear a small part but if we listen carefully there is a lot going on and the film makers captured this wonderfully. I was returned to a child's place as I watched this move in wonder and awe. So many obvious cliches were avoided brilliantly and this made me grin. I'm sure I missed a lot as there was so much going on so I will be sure to watch this again and again. Yes, the cat was overdone but the Lyre bird was fabulous A great Aussie movie for young and old.

Being somebody who does have a fondness for Yoram Gross' work, most of which are good representations of Australian animation apart from the odd disappointment. The Dot film series and Blinky Bill are notable examples.So when hearing that there was an animated film from 2015, part of me was enthused and was interested into seeing it. After watching it, it is watchable and has its likability, but it was rather disappointing as to how unremarkable the overall film felt at the end of the day. Those who grew up with Blinky Bill may find themselves disappointed at 'Blinky Bill: The Movie' missing an opportunity to bring back the original voice cast even for a short appearance or doing it in hand-drawn animation, which would have made it feel closer in spirit.Nothing is done terribly in 'Blinky Bill: The Movie', but not much is done exceptionally at the same time. The most consistent aspects are the music and voice acting. The music is rich in energy and robust as well as with times where it's pathos-filled and understated. The voice acting is very good all round from the likes of Ryan Kwanten, Toni Collette, Rufus Sewell, Richard Roxburgh and Barry Humphries, with the only regret really not bringing the original voice actors back even it was just for a short appearance.Even though they don't have much depth to them the characters are cute and likable, with Blinky showing easily identifiable traits (apart from the lying to his mother). The Australian stereotypes can be pretty cringe-worthy however.Animation in 'Blinky Bill: The Movie' is a mixed bag. Done in CGI rather than traditional hand drawn animation, there has certainly been far worse-looking CGI (looking at you Video Brinquedo and Spark Plug Entertainment) but far better as well (Pixar for example). The colours are bright and colourful and the characters mostly well modelled but the backgrounds can lack detail and fluidity, they don't look that vivid and transitions can look choppy and unfinished.Writing is also mixed. There are some amusing moments, the film certainly has its heart in the right place and does have a lot of heart and charm and the messaging of perseverance amongst others are sincerely presented. It is cliché ridden however, with some crude adult humour and language too that really doesn't belong with the rest of the film, just felt like a clumsy attempt to draw in a wider audience.Story is one of the weaker assets, despite having a lovely idea that actually is not that far off in spirit to Gross' Blinky Bill outings. It does have parts that are bright and breezy and there is heart and charm. Other parts are rather pedestrian and the film never shakes off its constant and at times excessive predictability.Overall, watchable but unremarkable. 5/10 Bethany Cox

I had a pretty good time with Blinky Bill:The Movie; and I'm not a big animation feature watcher! I am also 10 times the age of the target audience, but that said; there are lots of sight gags and zippy one liners to amuse parents, grandparents and anybody else who wants a light and breezy 90 minutes of local entertainment. I don't have any baggage about the original material, and unlike other reviewers I was not averse to the proliferation of Aussie lingo that was performed with great relish and I think a bit of a wink! The cast is great; although every time Bill senior spoke I could have sworn it was Michael Caton; so quintessentially Caton esque was Richard Roxburgh's delivery, and Richard is of course one of our leading stage and screen thespians. Ryan Kwanten immersed himself in the title role, and Deborah Mailman and especially David Wenham are great supporting players here. The Kath and Kim Emus played by Toni Collette were fun as was Barry Humphries. They're all good! It's just loads of fun; a sweet, but not overly taxing storyline; a good versus evil tale with danger and chase sequences all set in the Australian bush and outback. Beautifully scored, animated and directed, I surprised myself at how enjoyable it was. Overly ocker? Too bloody right it was!

This is an amazing coming of age film that demands your attention and connects with any young person on a deep and emotional level. Blinky's character is amazing and highlights struggles of the Aussie. The superb script gives insight to his innermost feelings and the whole movie creates a feeling of family. Blinky is a nervous teen on the edge of the rest of his life and the writing has highlighted this is the best possible way.I recommend this to anyone with a sense of adventure and familial bonds. This movie is a stunning masterpiece and a classic. Charles Bukowski would be proud.