Rough Stuff (2017)

Director:  Jonathan Adams
Producer:  Nicole Johnschwager, Kelly Tomasich
Main Cast:  Gareth Rickards, Vincent Andriano, Sam Glissan, Hayley Sullivan, Katie Garfield, Jamie Kristian
Runtime:  120 minutes

This is an unusual movie in that it contains four-wheel driving, made by those keen on four-wheel driving (at least so it seems) but not just for four-wheel drivers.  It’s an adventure, action comedy and has some great off-roading in locations that are quite well known for those who have done some decent off-road tracks around Sydney Australia and to top it off it’s a good movie too!  
When it was being made there was quite a bit of publicity on Facebook and sadly only got a small release at select cinemas and drive-ins. But now it’s out on disc for all to see.

The movie is about three friends Buzz (Gareth Rickards), Abe (Vincent Andriano) and Scraps (Sam Glisson) who get approached by some activists that need a lift to a new mining location so they can stage their protests.  To get there undetected they need to go through the tough Mamuya Valley and in exchange for the ride they will give Buzz a map that was thought to have been lost, a map to a stash of gold. Buzz and his friends agree however there is one thing that worries them.  Rangers.  These Rangers are not your National Park officers but more like a bounty hunter and those who get found by the Rangers don’t usually come out alive.  

There is some good four-wheel drive action in the film but it does not overpower the film, so even if you don’t have much interest in off-roading it is still a very enjoyable film as there is plenty of comedy and a few twists throughout its 120-minute runtime.  The off-roading looks and feels authentic for the vast majority of the film, the characters are likeable, has great Aussie scenery and a load of laughs.  There is, however, a reasonable amount of swearing so not completely family friendly.  As one who enjoys four-wheel driving, I loved it and noticed many of the tracks used but as stated above, you don’t need to like off-roading to enjoy the movie as there is quite a lot of comedy in it that would be appreciated by anyone.

The film has only been released on DVD (July 2017) and I reckon there was more demand for the movie than what some stores (eg. JB HIfi) had anticipated as it was a bit hard to get a copy in its release day due to many stores only stocking very low quantities but that has no doubt been sorted now.  The image is in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and is generally really good in quality though there are some scenes in lower light that gets a bit grainy and washed out but certainly nothing to be worried about.  The audio is also done well and comes to us in a Dolby 5.1 format.  The disc also contains the following extras:

• Audio Commentary with some cast and crew
• The Making of Rough Stuff
• Rough Rubber: Mickey Tompson and Rough Stuff
• Tough Stuff
• Deleted Scenes
• Blooper Reel
• Miniatures Testing
• Theatrical Trailer

Overall this is a great Aussie movie that is ambitious in its attempt to create a more realistic off-road adventure that has a good dose of comedy, action and bit of suspense all of which add up to it getting a high recommendation.  It’s a great movie and well worth watching for some Aussie flavour.

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