Carl Roberts 
“Kate Woods’ Kangaroo is a wonderful, charming, heart-warming and brilliant family film that will have you cooing over the baby Joey’s.”
Ok, whisper it quietly. We at The Future Of The Force are big softies when it comes to animals. Any movie that features a cute critter will almost always grab our hearts. This trend continues with Kangaroo. The Australian film, after opening in its native country in September of 2025, gets its UK release on Friday. Directed by Kate Woods, the film is inspired by the true story of Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns, the founder of The Kangaroo Sanctuary. Barns himself acts as a consultant and an animal wrangler on the movie. The cast for the film includes Ryan Corr, Lily Whiteley, Deborah Mailman, Rachel House, Rarriwuy Hick, Rick Donald and Brooke Satchwell. Can the film deliver a superb family movie, or should we hop away from the cinema as soon as possible?
PREMISE
Ex TV personality, Chris Masterman, becomes stranded in an Outback town outside Alice Springs. There, he teams up with 12-year-old Indigenous girl Charlie. The pair form an unlikely friendship and work together to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned joeys in the remote but stunning Outback community—an endeavour that proves to be life-changing for them both.
THOUGHTS
Even the hardest hearts will melt at what the film contains. Not only is it a charming and wonderfully engrossing tale, but it also tugs at the heartstrings. While inoffensive and often laugh-out-loud funny, there is a serious undertone of loss and loneliness that occasionally surfaces. This drama runs through the film underneath the surface, bringing a more human touch to complement the fun and cuteness. It also brings the bonds of friendship into the movie. Thus, the story shows us that we all need someone, whether adult, child or animal. It is this winning thread that makes the film as good and as enjoyable as it is. Throw in the lovable baby Joey’s and adult Kangaroos, and you’ve got a family movie that never fails to engage.
There are a few sad scenes during the proceedings, such as Chris accidentally running over and killing a female kangaroo. He is then forced to adopt its now orphaned Joey. While we don’t see the animal’s death on the screen, we see its aftermath. Thankfully, not in close-up but in a sensitive way, seeing Chris gently stroke the dead kangaroo’s body while apologising repeatedly. Knowing this is based on a true story hits us hard, making us angry at Chris for his self-centred arrogance and ego. With the heartache, Charlie (an outstanding performance from young Lily Whiteley) feels about her father’s death, to her constant bickering with her mother, Rosie (an incredible and heartfelt performance from Deborah Mailman), also trying to process her grief while caring for her daughter, we understand the pain each feels.
RACHEL HOUSE
Rachel House as Jesse, the local hotel owner, is superb in her role. All tough, unfriendly, hard-headed and condescending, Jesse brings so many laughs to the film that we forget the drama for a while. Initially hating Chris, she slowly comes around. She becomes an unlikely frenemy until she shows herself to be a true friend.
After Chris rescues a large adult male kangaroo from death at the hands of a local man, Chris and his Joey’s come under attack from him and his friends. Just when we think all is lost, Jesse appears to scare them away and save the day.
Rachel House is outstanding in her role, all bravado and meanness on the outside with a soft and strong heart underneath. As a result, she is a highlight of the film in a supporting role.
RYAN CORR
Ryan Corr as Chris is also outstanding. When we first meet him, Chris yearns for a bigger role at his TV network rather than being a weatherman. After rescuing a stranded dolphin, Chris initially basks in the praise as a hero, but his reputation quickly soured when the dolphin washes up dead on the beach the next day. This incident reveals that Chris is more self-centred than anyone realised. After losing his job, he receives an offer from a network near his hometown. As he embarks on this pivotal journey, he is destined to encounter Charlie, her family, and ultimately face his true calling.
Corr delivers a comedic and dramatic performance as Chris. As he slowly realises there is more to life than his own foolish desires, we see his growth. From wanting to get rid of the Joey he orphaned, to getting his car fixed so he can get out of the town he’s stranded in, right up to becoming a father figure in more ways than one, we follow his journey eagerly. Corr is superb throughout and he becomes someone we want to champion.
THE KANGAROOS
The stars of the film, however, are the kangaroos themselves. I defy anyone not to fall in love with the joeys that are abundant in the film. Yes, I’ll admit, I came out wanting one of my own. Of course, this is folly, but we fall in love with them regardless. Their cuteness makes us want to join in the eventual sanctuary, to take care of, pet, and cuddle the little bundles of joy and fur. We know they will grow into large, somewhat aggressive, and fearsome creatures, but that hardly matters. We watch them in their natural beauty, loving them as they are young, and being slightly wary of them as they reach maturity.
The film uses real kangaroos, animatronic ones and even CGI in the film. The use of animatronic and CGI recreations of the adult creatures is due to their aggressive nature. The film features many child actors in its cast to ensure there were no injuries from the animals during filming. The animatronic and CGI recreations are most prevalent during a comedic scene in which Chris enters an enclosure with a large adult male kangaroo. The comedic violence the kangaroo inflicts on Chris could never be done practically. However, it seems so real, so lifelike at times that we never doubt what we see is real.
VERDICT
Kate Woods’ Kangaroo is a wonderful, charming, heart-warming and brilliant family film that will have you cooing over the baby Joey’s. Its depiction of the creatures and the dedication Chris Barns has to them never fail to amaze, astonish, and make us smile. The film’s comedic tone, tempered by drama, fits the narrative brilliantly. We can understand Charlie and Rosie’s loneliness, heartbreak, and ways of dealing with their shared grief. All this against a backdrop of Australia’s natural beauty, stunning us with its sheer vastness and incredible sights. For such a small family movie, it has tons of heart.
This could be the family movie of the year. Sure, it’s only January, and there’s going to be an influx of family movie entertainment coming between now and the end of the year. But it’s doubtful that any of them will have the same amount of heart, charm and feelings of fun as we have here. With incredible direction, locations, visuals, and cast and, of course, lots of cute kangaroos, the film is a complete winner. The adults will fall in love with the entire movie, while children will fall in love with the joey’s, requiring one of their own after the film ends. Don’t walk to the cinema, or even hop. Jump at the chance to see the movie as soon as you can. And prepare to be amazed.
Kangaroo will be in UK cinemas this Friday, courtesy of StudioCanal.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
