The new CGI animated film "Back to the Outback" is an action-packed,
family-friendly adventure about a group of exotic Australian creatures in captivity who
join forces in hopes of escaping to a more natural habitat where they can finally be themselves.
"Tonight we're going back to the outback."
Though this caper is a raucous good time for audiences of all ages,
there are some parts of "Back to the Outback" that only the grownups are bound to notice.
There are moments when Chaz Hunt seems like a truly caring and affectionate animal handler,
but there are other times when he can be downright cruel to the creatures in his care.
His whiplashing-inducing attitude towards these animals has clearly rubbed off on everyone
else in his park, too, because they all act more like prison wardens than zookeepers.
"Aw, not the pincers! Could they at least warm them up?"
"Righto guys, grab some glass."
If the "zoo is a prison" metaphor wasn't already clear enough,
when the pack of mistreated creatures finally do decide enough's enough,
their escape is highly reminiscent of a straight-up prison break.
Speaking of uncontrollable animal instincts, adult audiences are also bound to notice just
how many hysterically naughty jokes are sprinkled in throughout the story. Frank is at the center
of most of them, as we very quickly discover that he's a very lonely spider who's missing
out on mating season and constantly has to turn to a stick called "Twiggy" for companionship.
"It's a twig; I know that. But try telling my heart."
Frank isn't the only randy animal to be featured in the film,
though. We also meet singing cane toad named Doug who wastes no time showing his affection
to the love of his life when they're freed from a science lab by their new friends.
There are a lot of jokes that'll totally go over kids' heads from both of those casanova creatures,
but perhaps the funniest one comes when Frank finally gets a chance to dance for some lady
spiders of his own species, but has to go back to his, uh, tried and true method of solo romance.
"Sorry mate, mating season ended yesterday."
"Oh."
While Maddie and most of her new friends-slash-family in the animal
kingdom are wholly good-natured, there's one creature in their midst who has a
bit of a mean streak underneath his cute exterior. Nigel, that shy little scorpion,
does surprise us with some of his more hostile acts throughout "Back to the Outback."
"I can't die yet, I'm not even 27."
"Oh no, I killed Pretty Boy. I've murdered a celebrity."
"Oh no, no you didn't. Your venom only knocks them out, Nigel. He'll wake up in a minute.
He might have a headache."
That's a pretty bold move on Nigel's part,
considering he didn't know he wasn't killing Pretty Boy.
And once he feels comfortable using his tail, he's really comfortable using it.
"I am not going --"
"It's just easier."
Nigel may be a soft-talking scorpion, but adults will start to notice that
he's definitely not as innocent as some of his friends. They would certainly never
resort to their deadlier capabilities just for a little peace and quiet.
Another thing adults are bound to notice in "Back to the Outback" is its hilariously presented
statements on pop culture, particularly when it comes to Pretty Boy. At the start of the film,
this koala is so famous that even astronauts on the space station have his webcam feed running
on livestream. Needless to say, he's easily the biggest attraction at Chaz's animal park.
Even after their escape from the park,
Pretty Boy still has the right stuff -- as you can see when he's strutting down
the street and catches the eye of none other than iconic fashion trendsetter Anna Wintour.
However, after word gets around that
Pretty Boy may have contracted rabies,
he gets a taste of the medicine his new friends have been swallowing this whole time.
"Timmy, it's me. It's Pretty Boy. Doobie doobie doo. Look at me! I'm Pretty Boy!"
"Rabies? I don't have rabies. I'm Pretty Boy!"
As if that isn't enough of a rude awakening, Pretty Boy also finds out the hard way
that fame is a fickle beast when the world quickly moves onto another adorable animal.
"Coming up next, Giggles, the world's cutest quokka."
"What? That's my snugglee. He stole my snugglee."
There's a poignant lesson here about learning to be proud of who you are,
rather than basing your happiness on the approval of others -- especially
strangers on social media. That's a moral for all ages.
However wholesome Chaz's childhood backstory turns out to be, mature audiences are still
bound to have some questions about the many decisions the character makes throughout the
film -- especially when it comes to his parenting techniques. On the one hand,
he convinced his son that his mother was eaten by a snake.
"Where were we? Chapter 4: How I fought a giant python and lost your mother."
On the other hand, that lie does mean that Chaz was noble enough
to step up and raise Chazzie as a single father.
"So then mum?"
"Wasn't swallowed by a giant python. She ran off with a landscape architect called Bret."
Lifelong deception notwithstanding, once the truth does come out, Chaz decides it's his time to
actually become the hero he's always claimed to be and takes his son along for a very dangerous ride,
with a bunch of bar bikers at their flanks, as they chase down the escaped animals in
the outback. He knows he doesn't know what he's doing, and yet, he still embarks on this
terrifying adventure with a crew of strangers and almost gets his son killed in the process.
In the end, the adventure brings them closer together. But maybe their next
adventure can just be a little bit safer.
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