much in the mould of similar hollywood efforts (eg GO); two medical students face expulsion if they fail one more subject, and with a matter of days until their finals, they must find enough money for some decent food, books and rent. So they become muggers - but they're after something with a little more value on the black market than notes and coins!! Day is good as always; Petra Yared (whom others may have seen briefly in JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH) looks like one for the future. And for those attracted by the possibility of seeing (finally!!) Nicola Charles' breasts, she doesn't disappoint. Australia doesn't make many of these racy films aimed at the older teenage/young adult bracket - recent efforts have been poorly scripted (DAGS; SENSITIVE NEW AGE KILLER) or not well-enough known (ALL THE WAY). Finally here's something that will appeal to a mainstream audience that also manages to convey a slightly crude view of governmental resource allocation and the Student Situation. Rating: 7/10.
8 Reviews
"First, Steal the Patient's Organs."
rmax3048238 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Two competent and ambitious medical students, handsome Brad (Matt Day) and wisecracking Gregor (Jason Barry) are about to graduate but are in deep trouble. They have no money. They can't afford to buy textbooks, they can't pay the rent on their filthy little flat, they don't have a computer, and they don't have enough money to eat. They're so stone broke that in the cafeteria Gregor stabs a nurse's tea bag with his fork and steals it.
That incident reminds me of something. The movie opens with a languorous shot of a peaceful blue sky. Then, slowly edging into the frame, crabwise, is a spread-eagled, middle-aged man's figure, evidently being blown on by a powerful fan because his suit and tie are flapping in the fierce wind and his face is pushed into rolls of flab by the pressure. But he's not in front of a huge fan. He's falling. And he lands with an elephantine FLOP in a pile of leaves. He struggles for a moment and manages to roll onto his back as he's dying. He stares upward and speaks the first words of the movie, which sound like "Forking hell!" This word, "forking", recurs throughout the film. Almost everyone uses it in an adjectival sense or as an exclamation. It's very puzzling because the only scene in which a fork figures at all is when Gregor appropriates the nurse's tea bag.
The story is a little complicated but it goes something like this. Brad and Gregor are among the best students in their class, or they would be if they could find enough cash to improve their milieus and pay off their chief debtor, Roy Rogers (Chris Haywood), who wears cowboy clothes, listens to country music, and has photos of Randolph Scott on the wall of his office. The boys find a way to do it -- without violating their Hippocritical oaths, I mean their Hippocratic oaths, of course. A healthy person can get along quite well on one kidney, so they begin relieving people of their pleonastic kidneys, starting with the guy who jumped out of a high window and plopped at their feet. Well, he was already dead, so they could have taken both kidneys and they wouldn't have been missed by the cadaver, but this was after all their first try and they were nervous.
Their plan succeeds and they branch out before running into two major problems. It appears that they're violating the turf of a pair of mean and ugly paramedics who are always among the first on the scene and have a taste for kidney-napping themselves. The second problem is that, instead of a humdrum kidney, they must acquire a liver to be transplanted into their much-admired professor or whatever he is. You can live with one kidney but you only HAVE one liver and it's indispensable. A hint: Roy Rogers dies in the saddle.
It's pretty amusing, with some scenes more so than others. The climax is pumped, with frantic chases and equally frantic music.
That incident reminds me of something. The movie opens with a languorous shot of a peaceful blue sky. Then, slowly edging into the frame, crabwise, is a spread-eagled, middle-aged man's figure, evidently being blown on by a powerful fan because his suit and tie are flapping in the fierce wind and his face is pushed into rolls of flab by the pressure. But he's not in front of a huge fan. He's falling. And he lands with an elephantine FLOP in a pile of leaves. He struggles for a moment and manages to roll onto his back as he's dying. He stares upward and speaks the first words of the movie, which sound like "Forking hell!" This word, "forking", recurs throughout the film. Almost everyone uses it in an adjectival sense or as an exclamation. It's very puzzling because the only scene in which a fork figures at all is when Gregor appropriates the nurse's tea bag.
The story is a little complicated but it goes something like this. Brad and Gregor are among the best students in their class, or they would be if they could find enough cash to improve their milieus and pay off their chief debtor, Roy Rogers (Chris Haywood), who wears cowboy clothes, listens to country music, and has photos of Randolph Scott on the wall of his office. The boys find a way to do it -- without violating their Hippocritical oaths, I mean their Hippocratic oaths, of course. A healthy person can get along quite well on one kidney, so they begin relieving people of their pleonastic kidneys, starting with the guy who jumped out of a high window and plopped at their feet. Well, he was already dead, so they could have taken both kidneys and they wouldn't have been missed by the cadaver, but this was after all their first try and they were nervous.
Their plan succeeds and they branch out before running into two major problems. It appears that they're violating the turf of a pair of mean and ugly paramedics who are always among the first on the scene and have a taste for kidney-napping themselves. The second problem is that, instead of a humdrum kidney, they must acquire a liver to be transplanted into their much-admired professor or whatever he is. You can live with one kidney but you only HAVE one liver and it's indispensable. A hint: Roy Rogers dies in the saddle.
It's pretty amusing, with some scenes more so than others. The climax is pumped, with frantic chases and equally frantic music.
Hilarious Epic!
MrTaft5 August 2002
This truly is one of the funniest films I have ever seen. The dialogue, characters, and situations they wind-up in are priceless! "Muggers" is the tale of two aspiring Med. School students who are on the verge of being kicked out. To pay their course fees, they turn to borrowing money from a pimp-turned-loan shark, and wind up having to repay him sooner than expected. To do so, they enter the game of organ donation, or more to the point, mugging anyone whose organs will do and stealing them instead!
To cut to the chase, "Muggers" is best viewed on its entertainment value. The actors are brilliant, of particular note being Marhsall Napier, who plays the Med. School professor, and of course Petra Jared and Nicola Charles. The laugh count is off-the-scale - the scene with the parking meter attendants had me rolling around on the floor, and the climaxing fight scene in Greg and Brad's apartment is classic!
All-in-all, a marvelous insight into the world of dim-witted desperados and their plight. See it!
To cut to the chase, "Muggers" is best viewed on its entertainment value. The actors are brilliant, of particular note being Marhsall Napier, who plays the Med. School professor, and of course Petra Jared and Nicola Charles. The laugh count is off-the-scale - the scene with the parking meter attendants had me rolling around on the floor, and the climaxing fight scene in Greg and Brad's apartment is classic!
All-in-all, a marvelous insight into the world of dim-witted desperados and their plight. See it!
Much worse than I'd imagined
tonyhic10 May 2001
I waited until this came out on video because it looked like an Australian rip-off of "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels".
Now that I've seen it, I realise that a rip-off of such a good film would have been a blessing. It goes for 97 minutes and every one of those minutes contains at least one moment which made me hate this film. It's sexist, full of embarrassingly outdated cliches and stereotypes, and the plot is painfully predictable, except for several flaws. This film should never have been allowed out of the puerile mind which devised it.
Now that I've seen it, I realise that a rip-off of such a good film would have been a blessing. It goes for 97 minutes and every one of those minutes contains at least one moment which made me hate this film. It's sexist, full of embarrassingly outdated cliches and stereotypes, and the plot is painfully predictable, except for several flaws. This film should never have been allowed out of the puerile mind which devised it.
A funny, enjoyable Aussie film
cezaro20 August 2007
Here is a fun film with a stellar Australian cast with enough turns to keep you glued yet plenty of laughs in between. Brad and Gregor, two broke medical students in their final year must resort to contentious lengths to finance themselves. With a large debt to the local loan shark they have little left to lose as they chase any opportunity that arises.
This is a very funny film which includes a few very, very funny sex scenes. The film has an exciting third act which others have compared to Lock, Stock. However this doesn't detract from the films fun, intelligence or tension.
All in all, I've given Muggers a few viewings and each time it's a thoroughly enjoyable film. Definitely recommended for fans of Australian Action films.
This is a very funny film which includes a few very, very funny sex scenes. The film has an exciting third act which others have compared to Lock, Stock. However this doesn't detract from the films fun, intelligence or tension.
All in all, I've given Muggers a few viewings and each time it's a thoroughly enjoyable film. Definitely recommended for fans of Australian Action films.
Great laugh, great fun, very enjoyable!
paulperr29 May 2001
I do not know what the last guy went in expecting from Muggers but I thought it was a great laugh. I saw it at the cinema and thought it was a really funny movie. The opening titles with the flying man and ambulance were just amazing and from then on I think I laughed at least once every five minutes...and the sex scene had me nearly crying from laughter. I thought the actors were good, have not gone much for Matt Day before but I thought he did a really good job and the Irish guy (sorry I don't know his name)was a real stand out.
If you want a laugh then I totally recommend this film. Congrats to the director, writer, actors and crew on a really cool movie.
If you want a laugh then I totally recommend this film. Congrats to the director, writer, actors and crew on a really cool movie.
Very, very funny! I was in stitches!
admin-15417 March 2003
I stumbled across Muggers in the video store just recently whilst trying to find the 5th of my 5 movies for $10 dollars deal. I loved it. It is hilarious! I've never been a big fan of Matt Day, but in this he really shines. Muggers is the story of two broke medical students who resort to stealing kidneys to sell on the black market. It sounds sort of yuk but isn't. The film is told with such charm and humour and had my girlfriend and I in stitches. I don't know how I missed it at the cinema but I totally recommend you make it your video title next saturday night!
Enjoyable
bitemylipp10 February 2004
the only reason why i watched this movie was because of Jason Barry(gregor). I didn't know what to expect of it but I enjoyed it after all and plan on watching it all the time. It was a funny movie just I didn't laugh because I had no one to laugh with. i really enjoyed it though and the special edition features on the DVD are quite all right. Note: that movie makes me wanna play golf and have a room filled with stuffed animals. The acting was great for actors i've never seen before in other films, with the exception of Jason Barry. I recommend it to everyone who wants to spend a nice saturday night at home.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
