For many,Kangaroo Jackis but a distant memory, one of those movies that most know exists but can recall little about it decades after its release. While the 2003 comedy made a decent worldwide box office total of $88 million, it was maligned for its misleading marketing and panned by critics, currently sitting at 8% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes with 144 reviews.
However, this was not a simple case of making a bad film, even though the movie is objectively subpar. Instead, it was a case of a failed product being re-cut and repackaged to draw in a fresh audience of children (what do they know anyhow?). This is how Kangaroo Jack went from an R-rated raunchy comedy to attempted PG-family fodder and failed spectacularly.
Kangaroo Jack was Meant to be a Raunchy Adult Comedy Called Down and Under
The original title ofKangaroo Jackwas “Down and Under.“Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimerbought the rights to the broad comedy pitch. The initial concept was that two friends heading to Australia put a jacket on a dead kangaroo who then runs away with mob-stolen money. This leads to a long adventure as the two attempt to get the cashback while dealing with the pressures of the mob and indulging in Australian culture in its modern crass and lewd interpretation.
Bruckheimer tapped various talents,including the Farrelly Brothers, to punch up the pitch into an adult comedy. Still, even with this notable talent behind the project, the movie tested so poorly with audiences that Bruckheimer realized no amount of tweaking the original concept would save the production from becoming box office poison. Taking note of the screenings, the one thing that people seemed to enjoy was the Kangaroo itself. With this in mind, the decision was made to edit the film into a kids' movie starring a rapping marsupial.
The originalDown and Underdoes exist, and while there is a morbid curiosity to see what could have been, releasing the film as initially intended is unlikely to happen; a piece of lost media that may be better to remain lost. Still, certain aspects of the original appear in reworkingDown and Underinto a family film, including the Kangaroo being awkwardly silent outside its rapping musical numbers and certain inappropriate jokes that could not be cut out without jeopardizing the plot and its flow. Of course, even with this context, it did little to quell the adverse reaction from kids and adults who realized they were duped by the marketing campaign.
The Rotten Legacy of Kangaroo Jack
Arguably, the most significant causality ofKangaroo Jackcame from director David McNally. Having previously worked with Bruckheimer as a director on the modestly received and enjoyed bar-roomfemale-led dramaCoyote Ugly, McNally would go on to do very little after the critical failure ofKangaroo Jack. How much of the end product was his fault is debatable, especially when he technically directed a different film altogether. Still, it is hard not to feel the scorn thrown at the movie harmed his career and could be a potential reason he sunk into obscurity shortly thereafter.
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While it is a bit harder to gauge the effect on the actors, both Anthony Anderson and Jerry O’Connell have the movie listed as their top movies on IMDB. From an outsider’s perspective, one can easily give into the context that the role proved to be a tragedy for the two lead actors. However, despite the reception and being tied to the production, Jerry O’Connell does not regret or feel it negatively impacted his career. He has taken a pragmatic stance on the whole process,as per his interview with Vice.
In entertainment, everything changes, and you’re able to’t hold onto your ideas of what something is because hundreds of other people are working on it. If you read a script and think,This is how this is going to be, it’s never going to be that way. So you come in and do your job, and then someone else will do theirs. (Jerry O’Connell)
In an odd followup to the failure ofKangaroo Jack, there was an attempt to capitalize on the notoriety ofKangaroo Jackwith an animated feature,Kangaroo Jack G’day USA,a.k.a.Kangaroo Jack 2, that came out the following year. You cancheck out a cringe-inducing clip here,and at least give thanks that by the time the cartoon was released, the jig was already up on the truth behind Kangaroo Jack, with very few parents to give the rapping marsupial another shot.
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Where to Watch Kangaroo Jack
Kangaroo Jack
Kangaroo Jack is undoubtedly a mess, an adult comedy chock-full of nudity and swearing stripped down as far as possible and filled with (now) dated CGI effects and horrible rapping. Still, it is hard to place blame on anyone’s shoulder, and the movie is also certainly not the first or last to create backlash due toa horrible advertising campaign. There is a small minority that also seems to like the film unapologetically, so if you want to check it out for yourself,Kangaroo Jackis available for Rent on Apple TV+, Amazon, or YouTube. It is not currently available on any streaming platforms.
