Filter: Hide Spoilers:
Page 1 of 2:[1] [2] [Next]
Index 12 reviews in total 

8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Cult status, 28 August 1999
9/10
Author: Bernard Morey from Melbourne

A hit at the time but now better categorised as an Australian cult film. The humour is broad, unsubtle and, in the final scene where a BBC studio fire is extinguished by urinating on it, crude. Contains just about every cliche about the traditional Australian pilgrimage to 'the old country', and every cliche about those rapacious, stuck up, whinging, Tory Brits. Would be acceptable to the British because of its strong cast of well known actors, and to Australians of that generation, who can 'get' the humour. Americans -- forget it. The language and jokes are in the Australian dialect of English and as such will be unintelligible.

Was the above review useful to you?

7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
My Experience Promoting "The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, 30 March 2001
Author: (foxfaurot@telus.net) from Canada

I worked with MCA Australia as the Assistant Film Promotions Manager on The Adventures of Barry McKenzie. MCA was the film distributer throughout the major cities in Australia of this film. At that time, it was rated the most popular Australian film in their history. I worked directly with Barry Humphries who not only starred in the movie as four different characters, but was instrumental in introducing Foster's Lager, the Bazza McKenzie Hat and the Aunt Edna character (who manifested herself into Dame Edna, who is widely recognized world-wide). Not to forget Bruce Beresford and Barry McKenzie! I still have a copy of the comic strip "Bazza Pulls it Off" and "The Wonderful World of Barry McKenzie" (which the movie script was derived from). Sadly, I lost the Barry McKenzie Soundtrack.

I'll never forget the Grand Opening Premiere at The Ascot Theatre in Sydney with all the cast, producers, directors, etc. The after party was held at The St. George's Club where Foster's Lager was consumed in abundance.

If anyone knows how to obtain a copy of this film in a video format, I'd love to purchase it. It would bring back so many of my memories of the wonderful experiences I had during the four and half years I lived in Australia.

Please feel free to e-mail me at if you have any idea how to access a copy of the movie.

Deborah Faurot, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Was the above review useful to you?

11 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
I must have grown up, 4 August 2004
Author: Tony Pendrey from Sunny Southend, UK

I saw this at the flicks when it was first shown in the UK. I think I was about 16 - I recall thinking that it was totally hilarious, but seeing it recently on TV just made me squirm with embarrassment. I suppose seeing people "chunder" and hearing adults swear a bit must have seemed a bit special. Spike Milligan was funny as the landlord and Dennis Price was a good sport to send his "class" up. Dumb, devoid of any real intelligence and juvenile. That goes for me and the film ;-) I will now waffle a bit to fill up the required 10 lines of review. What happened to the Aussie film scene ? You guys threatened to take over the world at one point.

Was the above review useful to you?

4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Broad 1970s Aussie humour..., 4 September 2001
4/10
Author: leask81 from adelaide, australia

A huge hit upon release with Australian audiences, it can still be funny today, but its over-the-top political incorrectness and blunt, unsubtle humour can make it a bit of a cringer. It goes on far too long; some of

the content could have been saved for the sequel, Barry McKenzie Holds His Own, which desperately needed some new stuff anyway. Granted, his ocker Aussie attitude is funny, but also becomes annoying as the film drags on. Some say Crocker's songs are the best bits, and they are certainly original, but "hilarious"? The Adventures of Barry McKenzie will go down as a landmark in Australian cinema, but we should do everything in our power to make sure that overseas audiences do not see the majority of Australians as Barry McKenzies (or, for that matter, Mick Dundees!). Rating: 5/10

Was the above review useful to you?

6 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Great movie to watch with a can of Fosters, 13 October 2001
10/10
Author: wayne peake from Sydney Australia

I love this movie like no other. Another time I will try to explain its virtues to the uninitiated, but for the moment let me quote a few of pieces the remarkable dialogue, which, please remember, is all tongue in cheek. Aussies and Poms will understand, everyone else-well?

(title song lyric)"he can sink a beer, he can pick a queer, in his latest double-breasted Bondi gear."

(another song lyric) "All pommies are bastards, bastards, or worse, and England is the a**e-hole of the universe."

(during a television interview on an "arty program"): Mr Mackenzie what artists have impressed you most since you've been in England? (Barry's response)Flamin' bull-artists!

(while chatting up a naive young pom girl): Mr Mackenzie, I suppose you have hordes of Aboriginal servants back in Australia? (Barry's response) Abos? I've never seen an Abo in me life. Mum does most of the solid yacca (ie hard work) round our place.

This is just a taste of the hilarious farce of this bonser Aussie flick. If you can get a copy of it, watch and enjoy.

Was the above review useful to you?

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Now available on DVD in Australia, 30 April 2004
Author: Bernie-56 from Melbourne, Australia

Fans will be delighted to learned that 'The Adventures of Barry McKenzie' is now available on DVD. I bought my copy at JB HiFi at the bargain price of $11. It is a PAL Region 4 disk. However, like the VHS version, the print quality is appalling. It must have been taken from a well-worn cinema release. It is dark, horrendously scratchy at the reel changes and has frames missing. The source must have been broken and repaired. Oh for a digitally remastered version of an unreleased print. Still, it's a heck of a lot better than nothing. One delightful small part is the first appearance on film of John Clarke. He is an effete ex-patriate Australian, wearing a tight paisley shirt and in a wig (or at least a hilarious comb-over), podgily overweight, and speaking in a pseud's accent. Delightful.

Was the above review useful to you?

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Grotesque, but very funny, 18 April 2003
Author: LEE BRADFORD (gypolanc@yahoo.co.uk)

This film is probably one of the most grotesque I have ever had to watch. But it is also a masterpiece of writing and comic genius. Barry Crocker is brilliant as the naive Barry McKenzie, whilst Barry Humphries is superb as Edna Everidge.

There is also excellent support from the likes of Peter Cook, Dick Bentley, Dennis Price and William Rushton- actors and comedians who did what they did well.

An all-round classic: should be made compulsary viewing!

Was the above review useful to you?

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Cracking Film, 8 November 2000
Author: lazersharks from Uk

It's a crying shame that this film is unavailable on video.

It really is a great film, crude yes, broad yes, but really very funny. There's a whole new generation of film goers (admittedly British and Australian, I can't see this garnering a wide US audience) who think Bad taste comedy started with 'There's something about Mary' and it's ilk. This is so much better yet it's being hidden. *sigh*

Was the above review useful to you?

6 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
A beauty Bottler of a film no risk, 29 October 2003
10/10
Author: bazza_mckenzie02 from Australia

This film and it's sequel Barry Mckenzie holds his own, are the two greatest comedies to ever be produced. A great story a young Aussie bloke travels to england to claim his inheritance and meets up with his mates, who are just as loveable and innocent as he is.

It's chock a block full of great, sayings , where else could you find someone who needs a drink so bad that he's as dry as a dead dingoes donger? great characters, top acting, and it's got great sheilas and more Fosters consumption then any other three films put together. Top notch.

And some of the funniest songs you'll ever hear, and it's full of great celebrities. Definitely my two favourite films of all time, I watch them at least once a fortnight.

Was the above review useful to you?

A flawed but occasionally brilliant landmark, 31 December 2009
6/10
Author: gut-6 from Brisbane, Australia

This film was a stylistic, cultural and commercial breakthrough, the first hugely profitable Australian film in decades, and the start of the revival of the Australian film industry. The humour was utterly non-PC and outrageously crude for its day. At last the hideous ocker in England was portrayed on film in all his drunken ribald glory.

However time has not been kind to it. Some of the individual jokes are still hysterically funny, such as Spike Milligan's introduction to the hotel, the Indian aphrodisiacs, and Delamphrey's attempts at psychoanalysis. Other jokes have worn thin though having been adopted by the culture at large (e.g. the largely invented Australian slang) or use of similar jokes by other comedians. Much of the humour doesn't go beyond simply using the crude invented slang in conversation. Today it isn't particularly outrageous or funny. The purportedly stereotypical depictions of English snobbery and Australian crudity are too extreme and grotesque even for a comedy, and further detract from the effectiveness of the comedy.

Another major flaw is structural. "The Adventures of Barry Mackenzie" and its main character is based on a series of self-contained comic strips. A movie on the other hand is built around scenes of protracted dialogue, development within a scene, and development of the narrative across scenes. Indeed Humphries himself has stated he didn't believe his comic strips could be adapted for film for this very reason. As a result the film is highly episodic, with some very tendentious, unfunny and laboured links written to string the episodes together. This isn't helped by the fact that Humphries is essentially a solo performer whose stock-in-trade is the self-contained one-liner. He usually has a relatively brief setup (if any) leading to his jokes in stage performances. In consequence the dialogue is often stilted and unnatural, clumsily and unfunnily targetted towards the recitation of slang expressions or the delivery of some other self-contained comic idea. I don't normally criticise comedies for flaws in structure or logic because they are essentially vehicles for jokes, but in this case these flaws are distractingly obvious and jarring, and the jokes aren't funny enough to prevent the viewer noticing.

Still, the funniest of the jokes are classics, and overall it remains enjoyable. The sequel is funnier though, perhaps because it resolves (but only partially) some of the original's flaws.

On a historical note, the opening shot shows the Hegarty's private mini-ferry approaching the Luna Park pontoon wharf, which many Sydneysiders would fondly remember but neither of which now exist.

Was the above review useful to you?
Page 1 of 2:[1] [2] [Next]

Add another review

Related Links

Plot synopsis Ratings External reviews
Plot keywords Main details Your user reviews
Your vote history