This is a poorly conceived copy of the gangster family genre like "The Sopranos", "Mafiosa",etc. It's about the dysfunctional family dynamics of an Australian crime family syndicate with a reach from the Queensland area, all the way north to Papua New Guinea. The acting is pretty bad, and the attempts at slapstick type humor just fall flat (maybe not in Australia.) The last couple of episodes seemed to be very rushed, as if the writers and cast knew the show would not be extended. I don't usually include spoilers in my reviews but in one of the last episodes they show one of the lead actors escaping from a prison van by cutting his way out, using an old fashioned can opener. Really? Escaping from a van is similar to cutting open a can? That, for me, was the rock-bottom moment of the series! In essence, this is not a high-quality production of the genre but it does highlight the beautiful natural beauty of Australia's tropical areas.
Review of The Straits
