Ned Kelly

Long on fiction and short on depth, this bio-pic of a legendary Australian outlaw plays like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, minus the excitement, charm, and humor. Bearded and brooding Heath Ledger stars as Ned Kelly, the folk-hero bushranger (Aussie for "cowboy") who, according to this film, was an upstanding citizen of the Outback frontier until contemptible, crooked, downright sinister lawmen drove him to a life of Robin-Hood-ish crime by picking on his family. If the film weren't loosely based on fact, there would be little to hold one's interest; there's so little spark of life in the rote performances that even magnetic Orlando Bloom (as a Kelly Gang member), Naomi Watts (as a married Englishwoman with whom Kelly has an obligatory sexed-up romance), and Geoffrey Rush (as Kelly's dogged pursuer), seem gray and nondescript. Directed by Gregor Jordan (Buffalo Soldiers), who does have an eye for beautiful vistas, Ned Kelly finally picks up a bit as it builds toward the showdown that turned the man into the legend--a final shootout, with the gang wearing homemade steel armor. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD extras include the 14-minute featurette “Ned Kelly: Cultural Icon” on Kelly's influence on popular culture, “The Real Kelly Gang” photos, “Artist to Feature” sketch/film comparisons, a selection of poster campaign one-sheets, and trailers. Bottom line: a lightweight extras package for a lightweight film.] (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—July 14, 2015—Olive, 113 min., PG, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1970's Ned Kelly sports a decent transfer and Dolby Digital mono sound but no bonus features. Bottom line: Jagger fans may want to take a look, but others can pass on this curio.]