| Back to the Outback | |
|---|---|
 Official release poster | |
| Directed by |
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| Screenplay by | Harry Cripps |
| Story by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Edited by | Marcus Taylor |
| Music by | Rupert Gregson-Williams |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
Back to the Outback is a 2021 animatedfamily film that follows a group of misunderstood Australian animals who escape from the zoo to find acceptance and freedom in theOutback. It is directed by Clare Knight and Harry Cripps (in their feature directorial debuts), from a screenplay written by Cripps, and a story by Cripps and Gregory Lessans.[1] The voice cast includesIsla Fisher,Tim Minchin,Eric Bana,Guy Pearce,Miranda Tapsell,Angus Imrie,Keith Urban, andJacki Weaver, and is distributed byNetflix Animation.
The film had alimited theatrical release on December 3, 2021, prior to streaming onNetflix on December 10, to a generally positive reception from critics and audiences.
At theAustralian Wildlife Park inSydney, zookeeper Chaz Hunt has a show that demonstrates scary and deadly animals. Maddie, aninland taipan, appears regularly at the show but is feared by the public. Maddie is supported by Jackie, a motherlysaltwater crocodile, who tells her and her three best friends —Frank, afunnel-web spider, Zoe, athorny devil, and Nigel, amarbled scorpion— about theOutback, a place recognizable with three mountains where creatures like them belong. One day, Jackie is removed from the zoo after she tries to save Chaz's son, Chazzie, from a moat; the staff and patrons believed she was trying to eat him. Saddened and in despair, Maddie decides to escape to the Outback with her companions to find a place where they can live happily. During their escape, Pretty Boy, a celebritykoala, tries to alert the park's security but is paralyzed by Nigel. The group decides to take him with them, but not before he is caught on a security camera exhibiting mouth foam from his paralyzing.
While crossingSydney Harbour, they run into Jacinta, agreat white shark, who is part of the Ugly Secret Society (USS) where animals considered "monsters" help each other upon hearing a password("I'm ugly, you're ugly, we should all be this ugly, ugly is the new beautiful"). When they reachCircular Quay, Pretty Boy tries to get the attention of the city for rescue but finds that the world misbelieves he is dead from rabies after seeing the footage and his popularity has been taken by aquokka named Giggles, convincing him to tag along with them on the journey.
They get a ride from the outer suburbs on an excursion bus that takes them to theBlue Mountains. Chaz and Chazzie catch up and have the bus pulled over to search the vehicle for the creatures, but an Aboriginal girl allows them to escape. Just after Pretty Boy goes on a tirade about how Maddie and the other creatures ruined his life, Chaz ambushes them and almost sedates Maddie, but Pretty Boy says the USS password, which alerts someTasmanian devils to their presence. After the animals escape, Chaz reveals to Chazzie that his adventurous and Aussie wildlife expert history was all a lie and he only moved fromFlorida to Australia after being inspired by television shows featuring Australian zookeepers. He decides to make it up to Chazzie by really going after the animals and bringing them back to the park, though Chazzie is no longer sure about the mission.
Over the next few days, the animals are helped by many creatures of the USS on their way to the Outback, while Pretty Boy bonds more with the creatures. One night, Maddie sings a lullaby that she had sung at the park ago & was her only memory of her mother: she was washed out of the nest as an egg by aflood and after a perilous journey, was found on the road by Chaz. Pretty Boy reveals that he was also orphaned, with his mother being killed by a moving car. The next day, Pretty Boy finds a tree of koalas and leaves the other creatures.
Maddie and the others reach the three mountains. Not long after they arrive, Chaz rounds up and captures Frank, Zoe, and Nigel. Chazzie runs into Maddie and is initially scared of her, but warms up to her upon seeing that she is just as scared as he is of her. Chaz captures Maddie as well and places the creatures in boxes in the back of a truck, but Chazzie sets Maddie free without his father looking. Maddie who broke down crying over losing her friends tries to get the animals of the land to help her rescue them, but they initially refused due to the fact none of them had ever left before. However, Pretty Boy, having found life with the other koalas not as great as he thought, returns. He cheers her up and asks her to go to the rescue. Using afire truck, they catch up to the truck and break them out. When Maddie, Pretty Boy, and the other creatures save Chazzie from falling over the edge of acanyon, Chaz fully sees these creatures as heroes and decides to let them return to the wild.
At the three mountains, they reunite with Jackie, who is revealed to be the head of the USS and had escaped by knowing a few tricks to do so & then ordered the USS that she had founded during her lifetime to help the group on their journey, and they all join their new life in the Outback.
Writer and director Harry Cripps had previously created the concept for the cancelled filmLarrikins withDreamWorks Animation, which was also supposed to feature a score and music byTim Minchin;[2] the project was revived as a short film titledBilby in 2018.[3] In an interview withTheWrap, Cripps said thatLarrikins had "focused on the cute animals, and so I didn't want to go back down that same road, I went to the dark side."[4] Clare Knight, whose previous animated film experience includes her work as Lead Editor of theKung Fu Panda franchise, said "A lot of executives would say to us, 'A snake? Snakes aren't huggable. Does your lead have to be a snake?' And it was a challenge for us that we really wanted to make these animals appealing."
Initially, while Netflix was concerned about the "huggability of the animal cast", both Knight and Cripps said that working for the streaming giant's animation unit was positively heavenly. "It's been great. Again, we're first-time directors, so Netflix is willing to give us a shot and give us a voice, so we really feel great. We would've felt if this was DreamWorks, we possibly would've been pigeonholed as writer and editor and not necessarily been given this chance. And the fact that we reached such a big, global audience with this great depiction of Australia I think, is a wonderful thing for us."[4]
| Back to the Outback | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 10 December 2021 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Label | Maisie Music,Sony Music Australia |
| Singles from Back to the Outback | |
The film's score was composed byRupert Gregson-Williams. Executive producerAkiva Goldsman, as director, had previously worked with Rupert onWinter's Tale. Rupert had also previously composed the score for animated films such asOver the Hedge,Bee Movie,Postman Pat: The Movie,Open Season: Scared Silly, andAbominable.
The soundtrack features four original songs, including "Hello World" byEvie Irie and "Beautifully Ugly" byTim Minchin and Irie.[7]
All score tracks are composed byRupert Gregson-Williams.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hello World" (Performed byEvie Irie) | 2:37 |
| 2. | "ROAR" (Performed byG Flip) | 3:56 |
| 3. | "Beautifully Ugly" (Performed byTim Minchin feat. Evie Irie) | 2:45 |
| 4. | "Maddie's Lullaby" (Performed byThelma Plum) | 1:38 |
| 5. | "Jackie's Mountains" | 2:15 |
| 6. | "Chaz's Show" | 3:48 |
| 7. | "Jackie" | 2:23 |
| 8. | "Arrival in Sydney" | 2:07 |
| 9. | "Pretty Boy Trouble" | 2:49 |
| 10. | "Redbacks" | 2:30 |
| 11. | "Near Miss" | 1:20 |
| 12. | "Toad Love" | 1:44 |
| 13. | "School Bus Mayhem" | 2:37 |
| 14. | "Tasmanian Devils" | 1:10 |
| 15. | "Chaz's Secret" | 2:12 |
| 16. | "Bonding" | 2:02 |
| 17. | "Arrival at Jackie's Mountains" | 1:38 |
| 18. | "Chaz Captures the Gang" | 1:22 |
| 19. | "Maddie Caught" | 2:23 |
| 20. | "Let's Get Our Friends Back" | 1:25 |
| 21. | "Fire Truck Pursuit" | 2:51 |
| 22. | "Dung Balls" | 1:33 |
| 23. | "Saving Chazzie" | 1:57 |
| 24. | "Maddie Beautiful" | 1:42 |
| 25. | "Outback Parade" | 1:58 |
| 26. | "Let's Get Away" (Performed byAlex the Astronaut) | 2:05 |
| Total length: | 56:32 | |
Several other songs were featured in the film and trailers but not included in the soundtrack album:[7][8]
On November 30, 2020,Netflix announced that the animated filmBack to the Outback would make its world debut in late 2021.[9][10] However, in October 2021, it was announced that the film would premiere worldwide on December 10, 2021.[11] It also had alimited theatrical release on December 3, prior to its streaming release on Netflix.[12]
In the week following its worldwide release, the film reached Top 10 Lists on Netflix in 64 countries, including Australia and the United States.[13]
On review aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 81% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 6.10/10.[14] OnMetacritic, it has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[15]
Brad Newsome ofThe Sydney Morning Herald said that the "Gorgeous character design and some delightful voice performances elevate this uneven CGI romp in which a bunch of “ugly” Australian animals break out of a zoo and head for the outback."[16] Natalia Winkelman ofThe New York Times was also positive, writing: "However generic this movie is in premise, there is wit to be found in its details, and warmth in its message."[17]
Luke Buckmaster ofThe Guardian was more critical, saying "ho-hum animation won’t thrill viewers whose age exceeds their shoe size." He gave the film a 2 out of 5 rating.[18]
| Year | Association | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | The ReFrame Stamp | Narrative and Animated Feature | Back to the Outback | Won[19] |
