Oddball
Family film about a dog - Oddball - tasked with protecting the penguin population of Western Australia's Middle Island from fox attacks. Based on a true story.
To save his daughter's job and keep her from moving away, an eccentric chicken farmer (Shane Jacobson) teams up with his granddaughter to implement his controversial idea — to protect an endangered penguin colony using a troublemaking dog.
- Director:
- Stuart McDonald ('Stranded')
- Writer:
- Peter Ivan
- Cast:
- Alan TudykSarah SnookDeborah MailmanCoco Jack GilliesShane JacobsonTerry CamilleriRichard Davies
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Adam Fresco
flicksThink Free Willy – only with a dog, a cute kid, an eccentric grandpa, and fairy penguins in place of a whale. It’s good, clean, old-fashioned family fun. No spaceships, superheroes, heavy-handed CGI or cars that turn into robots. Just lots of heart and little blue penguins. It’s a tall tale based on the true story of eccentric Australian chicken farmer, Allan ‘Swampy’ Marsh, and his smarter-than-her-years granddaughter, Olivia, (a delightful double-act by Shane Jacobson and Coco Jack Gillies).
Urban Cinefile
pressStuart McDonald injects humour and heart into the tale, while Peter Ivan's script is contained and concise.
The Guardian
pressSome kinks in the writing notwithstanding, Oddball is fun and thoughtfully minded, with a sweet charm that endears from the get-go.
Sydney Morning Herald
pressUnfortunately, they appear to have lost sight of the golden rule for family movies of this type, which is to keep the focus squarely on the animals or, failing that, on the kids.
Herald Sun
pressThe success of the film as a completely accessible little crowd-pleaser owes much to the efforts of Shane Jacobson.
FilmInk
pressOddball's brand of fun-with-heart will hopefully click with local kids and their parents too.
Flicks, Adam Fresco
flicksThink Free Willy – only with a dog, a cute kid, an eccentric grandpa, and fairy penguins in place of a whale. It’s good, clean, old-fashioned family fun. No spaceships, superheroes, heavy-handed CGI or cars that turn into robots. Just lots of heart and little blue penguins. It’s a tall tale based on the true story of eccentric Australian chicken farmer, Allan ‘Swampy’ Marsh, and his smarter-than-her-years granddaughter, Olivia, (a delightful double-act by Shane Jacobson and Coco Jack Gillies).
Urban Cinefile
pressStuart McDonald injects humour and heart into the tale, while Peter Ivan's script is contained and concise.
The Guardian
pressSome kinks in the writing notwithstanding, Oddball is fun and thoughtfully minded, with a sweet charm that endears from the get-go.
Sydney Morning Herald
pressUnfortunately, they appear to have lost sight of the golden rule for family movies of this type, which is to keep the focus squarely on the animals or, failing that, on the kids.
Herald Sun
pressThe success of the film as a completely accessible little crowd-pleaser owes much to the efforts of Shane Jacobson.
FilmInk
pressOddball's brand of fun-with-heart will hopefully click with local kids and their parents too.
Share