Ned Kelly (2004)
Average Rating: 5.7/10
Reviews Counted: 54
Fresh: 30 | Rotten: 24
More depth about the legendary outlaw would be welcome, but as it is, Ned Kelly is a reasonably entertaining Western.
Average Rating: 5.2/10
Critic Reviews: 15
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 11
More depth about the legendary outlaw would be welcome, but as it is, Ned Kelly is a reasonably entertaining Western.
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Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 40,689
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Movie Info
Gregor Jordan's version of the Australian legend Ned Kelly stars Heath Ledger as the title outlaw. Sixteen-year-old Irish immigrant Ned is sentenced to three years in prison for stealing a horse. After his release he finds work tending to horses owned by Richard Cook (Nicholas Bell), whose wife (Naomi Watts) grows interested in Ned. Fitzpatrick (Kiri Paramore) is a police officer with a yen for Ned's sister, Kate (Kerry Condon). When she rejects him, Fitzpatrick steals the family's animals. The
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Cast
-
Heath Ledger
Ned Kelly -
Orlando Bloom
Joe Byrne -
Naomi Watts
Julia Cook -
Geoffrey Rush
Superintendent Francis ... -
Rachel Griffiths
Mrs. Scott -
Laurence Kinlan
Dan Kelly -
Philip Barantini
Steve Hart -
Joel Edgerton
Aaron Sherritt -
Kiri Paramore
Fitzpatrick -
Kerry Condon
Kate Kelly -
Emily Browning
Grace Kelly -
Geoff Morrell
Mr. Scott -
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell
Premier Berry -
Saskia Burmeister
Jane Jones -
Peter Phelps
Lonigan -
Russell Dykstra
Wild Wright -
Andrew S. Gilbert
Stanistreet -
Nicholas Bell
Richard Cook
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All Critics (62) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (25) | DVD (11)
Ultimately, Jordan's vision is so murky that Ned Kelly remains as foreign to us as wombat stew.
Top CriticIf Ned Kelly is supposed to be an anti-hero to root for, his speeches border on parody and his cause is really unclear.
Offers a couple of well-filmed showdowns and lots of pretty landscapes, but you need more than scenic views and stylish action to chronicle a life, especially one as controversial as Kelly's.
A leaden retelling of the legend of Australia's Jesse James that has understandably been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years.
A handsome, action-packed biographical drama with a credibility gap wider than the screen.
Ledger, talking into his chest for much of the film in an apparent effort to lend gravity to his performance, is pretty stiff, but so is Jordan's direction.
Much as late 19th century Australian outlaw Ned Kelly was a charismatic figure who won the adulation of the Irish immigrant masses there, Heath Ledger as that romantic revolutionary of the film's title breathes astonishing vigor into the role.
Director Jordan fails to deliver a film worthy of such mythical figure.
The story might have more resonance with Australians, since compared to American folk heroes Ledger's Ned Kelly comes off as a bit square and self-serious.
[A] tricky film, punctuated by bursts of staccato surrealism and bitter humor...
Rises above its own shortcomings through Heath Ledger's electric embodiment of Ned.
Ned Kelly suggests that not only do you not need anything of interest to watch, but you don't even need to see it at all.
Ned Kelly isn't a movie I'd recommend for anyone other than fans of Heath Ledger or/and aficionados of men's beard fashions of the 1800s.
A ride that doesn't take us far enough.
Details such as the film's stark Victoria locations and the clunky suits of steel armor the Kellys fashion for the climactic showdown root things in a distinctive time and place, allowing viewers to experience the familiar storyline in a fresh way.
A hefty dose of Australian history and legend, magnificently enhanced by a landscape that serves as more than just travelogue.
This is a traditional western, not a great one...
Audience Reviews for Ned Kelly
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Kate Kelly: They said i'd lost what it meant to be human, maybe never had it in the first place, but wasn't this about protecting the ones I loved? The ones who gave me food, and shelter, even the clothes on me back? And therefore wasn't it now a war?
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- Ned Kelly: Such is life.
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