My teen son and I went this weekend to see "Australia" the new 2 hour and 45 minute epic with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

We both left with a huge "Wow!" and raved about our experience, not because of any one actor or the plot line, or the special effects but because, even with obvious holes, the director pulled all of those things together to give you a memorable experience.

The characters are larger than life. The incredible landscapes are obviously augmented with detailed and rich CGI. There are plot holes and sequences where you get a little grin knowing that real human beings would have a hard time performing the stunts they did.

But I still kept aching to see what was going to happen next, what amazing and detailed scene the camera and technical crew would explode onto the screen.

My son Erik and I however both agreed that the most enticing part of the movie was the narrator - a half breed Aboriginal young boy named Mala. No matter that the movie seems to be an action/adventure historical epic with a convincing love story between the two stars, the heart of the movie is the growth of this young boy facing the prejudice of the times while delivering some of the funniest and warmest lines of the movie season.

I give this one 4.5 stars out of 5 and only because they packed in a bit too much in the opening scenes for plot setup.

Art

(note: I'm sure some won't agree with me. Some critics have been harsh.)