Customer Reviews

Kenny [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.4 Import - Australia ]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"It takes a certain kind of person to do what I do. No-one's ever impressed; no-one's ever fascinated. If you're a fireman, all the kids will want to jump on the back of the truck and follow you to a fire. There's going to be no kids willing to do that with me. So, I don't do it to impress people - it's a job, it's my trade, and I actually think I'm pretty good at it."

Kenny is a plumber for a company that specializes in Corporate Bathroom Rentals - "At the end of the day it's just a fancy way a having somewhere to ***t. Having a nice place to pooh." Sometimes that involves calculating the **ss-to-***t ratio at a rock concert (whether they're serving curry or not is a crucial factor), sometimes it means crawling in aseptic tank with a smell that's going to outlast religion and sometime it means rolling up his sleeves to retrieve a lost wedding ring before it gets a chance to `settle,' but that's not as bad as it sounds. After all, it's 80% water and the chemicals take care of the other 20%. But he doesn't think he has anything to apologize for - after all, it's not all pain and anger and he never has to worry about his business drying up overnight. It has his drawbacks: it led to his bitter divorce, but as he freely acknowledges "When you spend more time with other people's pooh than you do with your own wife you've got to pay the penalty." And it's not as if the rest of his family are going to be up for any awards. His constantly nagging dad's emotional bank account only has two cents in it and his brother can't even stand to spend a single night with them.

The comedy mock-doc is a hard beast to get right. Since The Rutles: All You Need is Cash set the style and This Is Spinal Tap caught the public imagination, the floodgates have opened for no-budget filmmakers with half an idea and a camcorder they got for Christmas giving it a go and failing miserably. Even talented and experiences professionals have failed more often than they've succeeded, often leaving films that would have been better as half-hour sitcoms or a mere sketch in their wake. So it's and especially welcome surprise that director-writer-star Clayton Jacobsen's constantly delightful Australian comedy actually manages to sustain its generous running time without ever outstaying its welcome. The reason is simple, and it's not just because the jokes are funny and the film is often beautifully observed as it follows its titular hero through the run of concerts, races and beach parties he services and the family tightrope he walks: it's that Kenny himself is such a genuinely likeable character as he shares his glass half full philosophy. Unambitious, happy in his trade but never a simpleton or an easy object of ridicule, he's well worth spending 100 minutes or so of your time with. At times feeling like a superior Australian feature-length episode of That Peter Kay Thing, it may sound "as silly as a bumful of Smarties" but this charmer really is worth sitting down to.

I simply fell in love with this movie. "Kenny" is without a doubt the best Australian film I have ever seen. In fact, in my opinion, it's one of the most entertaining films ever made anywhere. It's witty, touching and, most of all, inspiring. Shane Jacobson is my new hero. After seeing his fine performance in this marvelous picture, I'm now his biggest fan, at least here in the states. It is just so hard to believe this was his very first acting role. His portrayal of the likable, down to earth average working stiff Kenny Smyth is nothing short of brilliant. No wonder he won the AFI's Best Actor Award for 2006, Australia's equivalent of the Oscar. This movie just has to be released in the US. Wake up, America. You just don't know what you're missing.

Australia makes arguably the worst, least entertaining, most anti-mainstream audience movies in the world right now. So it's no suprise this comedy hit was independently funded completely outside the poisonous aussie film industry system. And Kenny is easily the best Aussie comedy in 10 years. If your going to make a film about a toliet plumber this is the way to do it. A simple, well told feel good movie with charming characters.Plus it's bloody hilarious!! Gags galore and trenchant character humour make 'Kenny' a riot.

It's all driven by a brilliant performance by Shane Jacobsen as 'Kenny' not only does he pump out the terrific one liners with great comic timing, he's got the kind of appeal that instantly charms an audience.

Also brilliant is Kenny's ghastly old father (Played by Shane's father Ron-right up there with such nightmare screen dad's as Frank Costanza, Frank Barone and Cotton Hill) he's a bitter old curmugeon who'd be utterly detestable if it weren't for the fact the fact that he's also damn funny.

And Kenny's co-workers are a bunch of all too familiar eccentrics that provide plenty of laughs and some killer slapstick. Just to top it off
there's a nice romantic subplot that's deftly handled.

The plot is probably a little thin in places, but it doesn't matter a hoop, Kenny's one of the only recent Aussie movies that is a sure fire crowd pleaser. More please.

This movie is of the mockumentary genre, but goes beyond that. Unlike mockumentaries where the characters are larger than life, and situations are unrealistic, Kenny is quite the opposite. He is just an ordinary bloke, doing his job, and putting up with being the butt-end of people's ridicule. He never criticizes those who dish out abuse to him - where he could so easily. He is all parts real, and quite ordinary. His life, is real and ordinary. And yet, he is more than his job, and more than what people might think. The comedy is often subtle, with brilliant one-liners and a sure and steady wit. Viewers from overseas maybe hard-pressed to get many of the jokes on the first watch. Indeed, I was amused to hear his turn of phrase - so parochially Aussie - and I am Australian! Watch this for a laugh, and a wondefully different view of Australian life, and the life of those who we take for granted.

I watched this last September on my Quantas flight from Aukland to Melbourne - everyone watching it couldn't help but to laugh aloud. I really hope it will be released in the US - I'm dying to see it again.

I LOVED this movie! Kenny is such an endearing character--one of the guys you would find in your front room watching sports or on your bowling team. And the comedy is absolutely hilarious. Ya just gotta love the puns, the crude-ness, and making fun of what we all do but never talk about--which is, of course, "85% water". I only wish that I could purchase this DVD in the U.S. as I would love to own a copy; but I'll keep holding my breath--which is a good thing for this "crappy" movie! :) Pure Comedy Genius!!!

The syle is "mockumentary", the story is "Sanitation Engineer battles on" -- "sanitation engineer" being the guy who delivers and maintains portable toilets.

Relax. I was expecting something more vulgar, but Kenny is remarkably restrained (especially considering it's Australian). Most episodes are anecdotal, and it is Kenny's comments and asides that deliver the real humor.

To paraphrase a friend of mine: In a hundred years no one will get Jerry Seinfeld, but everyone will still be laughing at toilet jokes.

After three viewings in a year, I still find it fresh and funny.

I could watch this movie again, and again, and again... (and I have). It's like Caddyshack, every time you watch it, you pick up something new and hilarious that you hadn't noticed before.

As an American living in Perth, WA, I saw this movie in 2006 and thought it was the funniest movie I've seen in years. I bought 3 DVD's before Christmas, one for me and two to send back to the USA. Unfortunately, my buddies can't watch it due to the formatting.

Buy this movie! Trust me......

This film must be released in a US format so I can send copies to friends in the States. It is one of the best examples of Aussie humour and has a story that makes your tummy hurt from laughing and chokes you up with emotion at the same time. For those who don't know, this man was so exceptional at acting this role, he still encounters people who cannot accept that he isn't actually Kenny. I had to break it to my best friend that he was really an actor, and after a few days of denial, she faced the fact with tragic acceptance. I felt Santa Claus had been stolen from her all over again. You folks across the pond don't know what you're missing. Whoever thought up these DVD formats, get over it and share cinema with the world!

This is a good movie
A first glass movie with a guy with a hart of gold.
loved this movie you will too.