BACK TO THE OUTBACK (2021)

If I told you that BACK TO THE OUTBACK was about a group of animals who have sweet personalities but are treated by humans like they were dangerous due to the lack of communication, you'd probably think that they're harmless sub-species of creatures that are usually harmful, right? Even though that would've made more sense and even though there was a perfect opportunity since the group includes a snake and a spider (which can be pets), the movie instead presents harmful sub-species. There's no in-universe explanation as to why they all behave so nicely. Sure, they were taken from their habitats at an early age, but they would still have the same instinct as their ancestors, right? It was easier to buy this situation in MADAGASCAR and in THE WILD (this movie rip-offs both, but mainly the latter, due to the diva koala), because those movies highlighted how much those characters had become absorbed by the human environment. They only wanted to eat the same food as us, they felt they needed our technology, etc... Here, Chaz (the zookeeper) performs a show where these creatures are displayed and he explains to the audience why they're dangerous in great detail, so why would they develop a personality that goes against their nature? And the makers are trying so hard to make these characters look adorable, with brightly colored bodies and huge pupils, to the point where it feels like compensation. In fact, if you don't look at his tail, Nigel (the scorpion) looks like a crab. Maddie (the snake) isn't trying to be sexy, but she has cute features and an appealing personality. It's one of those rare cases where you can feel attracted to her even if you're not a furry. Judy Hopps from ZOOTOPIA is in the same category, but it's more impressive for a reptile to achieve it than a mammal. Now, the movie baffled me with the random song choices and also with how it contradicts its own "Don't judge a book by its cover" message. No, really. After breaking out of the zoo, the group meets some animals and the reactions are fear and/or disgust. There's a scene where they hear singing and then they're disappointed to discover a gross-looking toad. Why?! He has a lovely voice, so who gives a fuck?! The beginning establishes that the anthropomorphism has a limit. However, there are moments where it seems like the humans can in fact understand the animals, including a little girl with braces who seems like she's going to play an important role. No, she never comes back, but for some reason, she's included in the end credits sequence that features drawings of the characters. Oh, and there's also a moment where Chaz kicks Lenny (a Tasmanian devil) in the balls. What person would do that without knowing the level of his opponent's sentience in advance?! Lenny is supposed to be screaming in pain, but he sounds like his WiFi stopped working or something.

3/10
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