Under the Radar (2004) Poster

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5/10
Wait until it's on weekly release, then be pleasantly surprised!
colettesplace22 December 2004
In Under The Radar, Nathan Philips plays Brandon, a surfer sentenced to community service in a home for the intellectually disabled after a "surf rage" incident. He befriends a shifty bogan, Trevor (played by comedian Steady Eddie, who has cerebral palsy), and recurring amnesiac Adrian (Clayton Watson from "Matrix Revolutions"). The three of them go on a road trip and meet up with runaway waitress Jo (model Chloe Maxwell in her first acting role), and two warring groups of gangsters.

The latest film from Evan Clarry (Blurred) is an enjoyable mainstream experience, although it does look like it was made for television. There's little new here, but it's quite watchable – and improved by the non-linear narrative. With his brain resetting every half hour, Adrian's the most interesting character, and his coping mechanisms are explored in some depth, though this is not nearly as well done as in Memento. Special mention to the tropical Queensland forest, which was made to look both temperate and menacing by cinematographer Philip M Cross. **½/***** stars.
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6/10
I'm not saying it's a quality film, but......
burnsey7113 January 2007
There are countless films with the same plots or they have riped off stuff from other films and they still suck. Yes this film may have taken ideas from other movies like Momento and Tarentino films but at least it is entertaining. It has a good story, interesting characters and is very funny in spots. Steady Eddie comes up with some classic lines. It does have that amateur feeling about it that you get with many Aussie films but it's achieves what I consider the most important thing a movie should do and that is entertain you. I've given it a 6/10 but it probably deserves a 6.5/10. It's worth watching if you don't want to watch something too serious.
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7/10
Excellent but unoriginal...
jim26bass15 January 2005
It's a shame when Film Makers have to rip off other movies. Especially when the idea for their's is good enough, yes it's always going to be done, but most can pull it off without making it obvious... This film was great, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but with the Tarentino like soundtrack, to go with the pulp fiction style development of the plot, it just pi#%ed me off! If they had just re-scored the tracks it would have made all the difference. They also had a bit of bad luck with using the same amnesia problem that Drew Barrymore suffered from in '50 First Dates'. As that was released only months before, but it was just another factor grating at the unoriginality for the films overall structure. Other than that it was very entertaining & I do recommend you check it out. There are many great moments and I'm proud to admit it's an Australian made film.

Without a doubt a positive step forward for the Australian Film Industry.
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6/10
Under the radar, comedy, not
videorama-759-85939120 March 2014
Here was another comedy that disappointed me. Why? Because it comes off as more a drama than a comedy. It's all too serious, and the music score doesn't help, neither does the unsettling jarring start, with a torture scene, in a film that goes back and forth. Wolf Creek's Phillips, someone who really doesn't act, plays an avid surfer, with the frizzy sandy hair to prove it, who gets dropped from the competition, on the account of a violent attack on another surfer, as I remember. His punishment sees him as a carer at a intellectual disabled facility. When going on a cruise, he's not suppose to, I think, taking two of the patients, Steady Eddy, bloody scary when he's angry, and Adrian somebody, the eye catching character who has a shaking condition, tourrettes too, I think. I'm 20 percent sure on it, he runs into some big trouble, where the start fits into it the story. I don't really see how this could of been intended sheerly as a comedy. It's way too serious. The filmmakers must of known, it had more dramatic purpose, or just give it the toss of a coin, and see how it evolves. I'm not saying it's bad. It still is very entertaining, partly thanks to Steady Eddy's input (and yes he can act) Adrian's world isn't all doom and gloom. He shares a screen kiss with Jo, model Chloe Maxwell, in a surprising nominated performance, as a sexy girl. thumbing it, who they pick up en route to the beach, who even scores better than the trying Phillips, who I must admit, got on my nerves a little. As a comedy, this movie doesn't work. As a comedy drama, it just gets by. Both criticisms here, aren't inspiring, or an invitation to a good movie.
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4/10
Popcorn anyone?
MyEdge96129 July 2004
Well- let me just start off by saying that this film doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it a drama, a thriller, a comedy, an action flick!? And if it is meant to be a melding of all those genres- it didn't pull it off at all! This film was a rip-off of so many other films just thrown into one... and then spewed out!

The only thing that saved this film were the performances of most actors, particularly Steady Eddy, Clayton Watson and Nathan Phillips... They all did a good job with the plastic dialogue. The most intriguing character was Clayton Watson as Adrian. The film could have been a straight thriller and it would have been more appealing...

A lot of people have classified this film as "Popcorn" and "Candy"- just a light entertainment piece that audiences will enjoy with their popcorn and coke... Hmmmmmmmmm. Well, let me tell you- no amount of popcorn in the world could change my mind about this film! I can't believe people/companies/funding bodies invested $4.5 million in this film! It's beyond me...!

Bad direction... bad script... bad cinematography... Even on a "comic/popcorn" level this film was uninspiring. Couldn't they see this when reading the script?! No character development! And a predictable/dull plot! I walked out of "Legally Blonde" more inspired! No wonder Australian film is floundering!

But credit MUST be given to most of the actors, who really did do their best with the weak material.

Can we please invest MORE money into interesting and original films like "Lantana" and "Sommersault", and LESS on to these supposed 'new wave' popcorn flicks...!

Rating: 4/10
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8/10
Unpredictable genre twists and very funny
BarrySum15 January 2007
I watch about 100 to 200 films a year.

Some are just crap. This one was NOT.

I really enjoyed this Aussie Film. I liked each and every character in this film. So many genre twists I couldn't work out what was going to happen next. Which usually turned out surprising and funny. So funny and so entertaining. I watched it three days ago and I'm still smiling and laughing about it.

And yes the ending surprised even me. Brilliant! This was just a fun film for me.

Thanks to all in the Australian film industry who had anything to do with this film.
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8/10
Hit the spot
dreamchaser-14 February 2007
Yeah, this film is a blend of Momento and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, but I'm yet to see a completely original film that hasn't borrowed something from another film. Under the Radar takes these themes and makes them its own. The actors do a top notch job and the director handles this well written piece with pace and style. Evan Clarry and Steve Pratt have managed to weave together the multiple genres seamlessly in a form that keeps us guessing right to the end. The locations across the Gold Coast look stunning and are well utilized and the surfing sequences take you face first into the waves. The stunts are big for a low to mid budget film, but it looks and feels anything but low budget. In my opinion this is one little Aussie gem that has truly slipped; Under the Radar. Steady Eddy - Keep on shaking'. You owned the screen with a great first time performance.
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9/10
Hilarious!
bryanmfinnerty28 October 2020
After 15 years we watched it again and it's still ridiculously funny. so underrated.
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Hokey personified
kymurphy12 October 2011
I too watch 100 films a year.

Under the Radar was a great disappointment. It is films such as this that give Australia a very bad name in the film industry.

Fundamentally the script was uninspiring, with predictable characters and stilted dialogue. Who would fund something like this...

I wouldn't use the writer again.

The script let this film down and was carried by the director and the actors. The characters were hollow and seemed to reflect the writer's poor understanding of people.

I
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