"Australia" Underwhelms In Australia

It may be the most expensive and ambitious film ever made Down Under, and it certainly received saturation media coverage, but Baz Luhrmann's "Australia" isn't breaking records in Oz.

Then again, how it holds will be the real test. Fox execs are hoping that, as the movie heads into its second weekend, it will have legs like Luhrmann's 2001 "Moulin Rouge."

"Australia" mustered a strong but not stellar A$7.8 million ($4.9 million) in its five-day opening weekend, which kicked off on Wednesday.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[moveleft]

Saw the movie today here in Los Angeles and loved it. Perhaps some of you posting negative comments here might want to actually SEE the movie before you make fun of it. It's a beautifully shot epic with standout performances from Kidman and Jackman. Everything you've read about the debut of newcomer Brandon Walters is true. He's a gem. There's even a very hissable villain thanks to a great turn by David Wenham. The movie has cliff-side cattle drives, romance, adventure, war, treachery, the Japanese bombing of Darwin and more than a few things to say about race and family. I was not bothered by the length at all. I know it just kills some of you to post something positive on a message board but you might want to give it a try instead of always falling back on your boring, cynical sarcasm. By the way...to the editors of The Huffington Post. How about some accuracy in your teasers? Elsewhere on this site there is a headline that says AUSTRALIA FLOPS IN AUSTRALIA. The Variety article you link to hardly calls the movie a flop. Cut the yellow journalism and leave that to those on the right. Thanks.

[totalliberal]

Give me a break. Two hours of people yammering away with twangy "Strayan" accents. Pound a prawn up your Bunghole-e-o mate. I'd rather pull cane toads out of my eyes.

[horsey]

what is a cane toad mate?

[JumpingCholla]

I'll watch anything about Australia, but I'll wait for the dvd like I always do.

[moveleft]

Hope you have a really, really, really big screen at home. Many movies are best seen in a theatre. This is one of them.

[Giada]

Americans had a similar issue with Pearl Harbor, considering it historically inaccurate, and poorly scripted, yet .... internationally if was a financial success.

I plan to see it ...if the story is weak, oh well, I'll simply enjoy the beauty of Australia.

[robiform]

I'm planning to see "Australia" also, and I'll enjoy the beauty of Australia AND Hugh Jackman! :-)

[MyGuyO]

Would love to see this movie regardless. Nicole Kidman is such a beauty on and off screen which is the big attraction...AND the land down under.

[horsey]

The movie was better than average but not real good either. it was worth seeing.

[ReelBusy]

I think Rupert Murdoch just jumped his shark.

[firelord5000]

OH SHOCK!@!@ A Nicole Kidman movie doing bad?!!? Oh wait, all her movies do bad.

[WestLittleRock]

Screw the critics I loved this movie!