Customer Reviews

The Castle

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As a Pom who has just moved back from Australia, I thought I would buy this DVD to remind me what I'm missing. It is, of course, a great film and a funny one. However, I should warn anyone who has seen and loved the film in its original Australian release that there are some rather annoying edits for the American market. For example, Darryl now thinks that 'The only thing funnier than Funniest Home Videos is the best of Funniest Home Videos'. RIP Hey Hey it's Saturday. He's also waiting for some 'Cheap facing' for the extra room he's building. Oh, and no-one in the family has 'ever left their home town'. The idea that 'no-one's been further than Alice Springs' was obviously deemed meaningless.

Not only that, but (and I'm sure this isn't my imagination) there are some rather interesting background music additions. Some of it is pretty sappy.

Unfortunately, until a DVD version is released in Australia there is no alternative for people who want to get a copy of this film, but be warned - if you're a die-hard purist you will find this a bit annoying.

I must have watched the original version of this film (bought in Australia on VHS) at least 10 times. For many years I've wanted to get rid of the VHS version and buy it on DVD. During trips to Australia over the last few years I have tried to buy it (region 4, PAL), but have always been told that it is not available on DVD.

How disappointing that Australians have to buy the US version on DVD, which is technically illegal - and unless they have illegally modified their DVD players to watch region 1 discs, technically impossible.

Australian veiwers will then be further horrified when they find that their cult film has been altered in about 30 places. Many words and phrases have been changed, and the fact that the words don't match the lip movements is patently obvious. Music has been changed, music has been added where it didn't exist, and some scenes (which were very funny!) have been deleted entirely. For example - watch the trailer on the disc, the scene where she talks about not having kids until she is "at least 23" has been removed entirely. Why? The running time is only 84 minutes!

Fantastic film, but a huge thumbs down for Miramax. If the rest of the world is forced to listen to American slang and work it out using context, why can't the US listen to the slang from another country? I'm sure the writers of the Castle were less than thrilled to have their work altered in this way.

Then of course some American audiences are wondering about the rating - R. The only reason for this is the f... word. On a recent trip to the US I observed that 8 out of 12 films at a local cinema were rated R. In some cases these same films are rated 12-14 in Switzerland. For those wondering - the original rating on the Australian version was "M 15+ medium level course language"

Some might argue that American audiences would have be unable to understand an unaltered version, but please - is there really a big difference between "scooped it [icecream] out of the punnet" (original) and "scooped it out of the bowl" (US). Or the plane flying overhead is no longer from Brisbane, it is "Sydney to Melbourne" in the US version. "Tertiary education" is also deemed too difficult and is instead simplified to "College education". This is but a small selection....

So in short - fanstastic film - but I'm keeping my original VHS version. Should the Australian distributors ever decide to make this great film available on DVD for their own audiences, I'll be the first to buy a copy.

My text, despite what the system might say, refers to the *DVD* version of this film. I can only assume that the American VHS version has been similarly altered from the Australian version.

Ok, so the video isn't out yet, but I'm one of the few people who actually saw this movie. Poor Miramax, they didn't market it very well, and thats unfortunate for them and for the general public. A hokey, funny, beyond charming story of a man, a family, and their home, which is THEIR castle. He can't understand how he got his home so cheap, soooo its next to an airport runway, and high tension wires are in his back yard. Its all theirs. Until... the airport wants to expand. How will they fight a huge corporation? The BEST movie to come out of Australia in years! I belong to a film symposium class that viewed this movie. Its the only movie of the year that actually got a standing ovation.

Living where I live, there was zero chance of seeing this film in a theater so I bought the video on the recommendation of a friend from Australia (thanks Natalie). Turns out that it's one of the funniest films I've ever had the pleasure to see. In it you'll find Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Caton) fighting for his 'Castle'. Facing seemingly impossible odds against the compulsory acquisition of his home by a quasi-governmental airport authority, to make way for an airport expansion project, Darryl takes them head on, and with hysterical results. The ensuing battle will leave you cheering for Darryl, his family, and yes, even his hapless lawyer, Dennis. I laughed so hard my sides hurt and I was in tears.

This is a warm, 'make you feel good' film, chock full of great, quirky characters that are nicely developed and wonderfully portrayed.

Folks, this is definitely one of the funniest, most charming comedies you'll ever see (in my humble opinion). Unless your sense of humor has been surgically removed, you'll laugh 'til it hurts, so buy it!! (or borrow it, not my copy of course)

P.S. If you'd like to see a couple more really nice Aussie flicks, look for 'Muriel's Wedding' and 'Soft Fruit' (a very dark and touching comedy). They're both on my list of favorites along with The Castle.

Enjoy!!

This is a great movie, I rented it when visiting a friend in Australia. I have since rented the US version, and it is not the same movie. As the other reviews say, much has been changed. Even the music has been replaced, so I've heard (its been years since I saw the original version so I wouldn't have caught that on my own). The Australian feel to it helped make it great. Now they've dubbed over everything with American phrases and names, and have simply cut out a few other things. There is now a DVD of it out in Australia, but it isn't widescreen. However, as much as I love widescreen, I'd rather hear the original soundtrack and have the scenes in place. A DVD with both versions for Americans would be nice even, though I'd never watch the American release as it sucks. Don't watch the US version!

It is similiar to The Dish in that it is filled with likable, funny Australian characters. The Castle is a little farther down the wackiness/realism scale, I laughed out loud more often at The Castle. Its slightly more sit-com feel allowed for some 'harder' punchlines (not so much in terms of swearing, but more in the comedic sense) and quite often it works great.

It is similiar to Local Hero in that both are about how local people (in Local Hero, Irish people) react to a rich, outside entity coming in and attempting to buy their homes. While the townspeople in Local Hero have a very different reaction, both movies deal with what makes somplace 'home' and the quality of life that has nothing to do with the dollar value of the place.

Either The Dish or Local Hero would make an excellent companion to The Castle for a home double feature night.

A WORD OF CAUTION: Do *NOT* watch the trailer on the DVD first!!! It gives away plot points (not that then ending is not predictable, but the trailer also gives away parts of the journey).

My wife picked this up at the local public library for our weekend viewing pleasure. I initially wasn't enthused because the movie is described on the sleeve as "This Year's Full Monty." I didn't like Full Monty that much. Anyway, it was a Friday evening and it seemed the night for either a porno or a comedy and (as our daughter was still awake) the comedy prevailed and this was all we had in that category.

Two minutes into the movie I knew it was going to be great. This is a great family movie. That might make you think it is boring, but I mean it is a great movie about a GREAT FAMILY. This is about a family that doesn't know they are middle class (if not poor). This is a family that is rich in love, loyalty, spirit, respect and dreams. They are kind-hearted yet fearless in the face of unfairness and oppression. The wife character recounts how she fell in love with the husband and it related to his sense of principle. This is a great movie about PRINCIPLES. And these lofty subjects are somehow couched in a humorous setting for which it is hard to come up with an exact comparison, but suffice it to say I found every character very endearing, dimensional, rich. I laughed so hard my eyes were tearing up.

This is the type of movie that "they" ought to make often. It promotes only good and healthy outlooks. This is not a prudish movie by any means, but it is wholesome and positive and it makes you glad you share the planet with people in the hope that at least some of them are as good as the people portrayed in this movie.

I had never even heard of this movie before seeing it. Hopefully word will get out and the makers of this film will get the recognition they deserve, but nothing less than an Academy Award for Best Picture seems sufficient. This is not a cute little "sleeper" of a film. It is a brilliant portrayal of an ideal family fighting together for principle. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but I think it is profound and will forever be a classic.

My wife picked this up at the local public library for our weekend viewing pleasure. I initially wasn't enthused because the movie is described on the sleeve as "This Year's Full Monty." I didn't like Full Monty that much. Anyway, it was a Friday evening and it seemed the night for either a porno or a comedy and (as our daughter was still awake) the comedy prevailed and this was all we had in that category.

Two minutes into the movie I knew it was going to be great. This is a great family movie. That might make you think it is boring, but I mean it is a great movie about a GREAT FAMILY. This is about a family that doesn't know they are middle class (if not poor). This is a family that is rich in love, loyalty, spirit, respect and dreams. They are kind-hearted yet fearless in the face of unfairness and oppression. The wife character recounts how she fell in love with the husband and it related to his sense of principle. This is a great movie about PRINCIPLES. And these lofty subjects are somehow couched in a humorous setting for which it is hard to come up with an exact comparison, but suffice it to say I found every character very endearing, dimensional, rich. I laughed so hard my eyes were tearing up.

This is the type of movie that "they" ought to make often. It promotes only good and healthy outlooks. This is not a prudish movie by any means, but it is wholesome and positive and it makes you glad you share the planet with people in the hope that at least some of them are as good as the people portrayed in this movie.

I had never even heard of this movie before seeing it. Hopefully word will get out and the makers of this film will get the recognition they deserve, but nothing less han an Academy Award for Best Picture seems sufficient.

The Castle starts off with an introduction by one of the sons in the family who then goes on to narrate the familiy's struggle with a multinational Australian corporation in the fight to keep their home from being subsumed under the airport next door's burgeoning development.

The family all come off as a bit thick, its meant to be a satirical look at working class mentality, but it is done without mean spiritedness, which is what gives the movie its charm. The family members obviously love one another despite chinks in the personal armour. The oldest brother is in jail, the father keeps adding rooms to the house without actually finishing them, and the mother specializes in frozen entrees for the majority of the family meals.

What makes the movie so funny is that at various moments you can see parts of your own family portrayed in the movies characters, and the good humor and sense of fun inherent in the directors intent for this film stays put throughout the movie.

The Castle is one of those movies where big budgets and special effects were never a consideration. Just a great script, and a bunch of artist's who have worked previously together to bring you one hilarious movie.

Whether your Australian or not, you will find yourself laughing at the in your face characters and no holds barred language.

A tale about big business pushing aside the little man, but this little man wont be pushed. He has his "Castle" and is not going to give it up without a fight.

I recommend this film to anyone after a good laugh as they wont be dissapointed.