Kangaroo (PG)

This adorable children’s film, set in the Land of Down Under, gets a little cheesy – but it’s also full of very cute kangaroos, making it hard to dislike.

Chris Masterman (Ryan Corr) is the local weather reporter for Rise and Shine Australia, and no one takes him seriously. Chris is going to change that when the opportunity to go viral presents itself. Unfortunately, it blows up in his face and gets him fired. He has one shot to get his career back on track, and that is to drive to Broome and do some regional work. But when his car accidentally hits a kangaroo on the way, he is stuck in a small town waiting for his car to be fixed, but also looking after a now orphaned joey. He tries to offload the cute little thing, but soon realises he’s its only chance.

His path intersects with Charlie (Lily Whiteley), a sweet-natured Indigenous girl who embodies the film’s optimistic spirit. It’s nice to see a film in which caring for animals is the point, rather than having them used to pursue particular narrative goals. Charming fun for all ages.