ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

nerdydad1 Ah, the trouble with having to make a movie last 90 minutes.At its core, "Oddball" is a wonderful story. Swampy Marsh (marvellously played by Shane Jacobson), is a widowed chicken farmer with a lovable but trouble-prone dog (Oddball); while his conservationist daughter is struggling with a penguin colony being decimated by foxes. Marsh has an inspiration - get Oddball to guard penguins from foxes, in the same way his other dogs guard his chickens. It works brilliantly, and along the way he bonds with his granddaughter and daughter.Unfortunately, this story would struggle to stretch to an hour. So the movie is padded out with a rather formulaic sub-plot about a rival business having a vested interest in the penguin colony's demise. This sub-plot also resolves rather strangely and abruptly.Yes I recommend this movie, for the performance of Jacobsen, some very touching family scenes between the three main characters, and the delightful dog and penguins. But I wish the sub-plot wasn't there, or at least was handled differently.

faaus72 Oddball is, if a bit formulaic, well done and rewarding.The intertwined elements of family-love, nature's treasures and a heartwarming dog combine for our pleasure.The location of the story is one of magical beauty.The characters are well-drawn and believable. The fact that it's based on a true story makes it even more special.

aligraham-35973 Oddball is very well-written and will keep you engaged throughout! The film has moments of tears and moments of laughter as our hearts all unite to despise the villain and love the hero. Adults and children alike will enjoy this production, and more than likely will identify with one of its diverse lineup of characters who each did a fantastic job portraying their role in the film. Swampy is the widow of a wildlife sanctuary manager and has a daughter, Emily, who is trying deeply to continue her mother's legacy on the Middle Island penguin sanctuary. Her daughter and Swampy's granddaughter, Olivia, is a too cute proponent of saving the penguins and has a sense of vision and optimism that only a child can render. Her and Swampy's beloved dog, Oddball, is the star of her plan. The town's mayor, judge, and city council all play into the roller coaster of events that try to sabotage the preservation of the sanctuary, which has an unlikely villain working to destroy it's existence, and the feel-good outcome.

eddie_baggins A lovable based on a true story family movie that's partly filmed in one of the worlds most naturally beautiful locations and most livable cities (no bias here at all) in the form of regional Australian city Warrnambool, Oddball is a film that's enjoyable for the young and young at heart and one of the better Australian feel good stories in some time.A huge success at the local Australian box office in the later half of 2015, and in particular in the town of Warrnambool where Oddball played at the local cinema for 3 months, Oddball's the type of film even the biggest of movie grouches will have fun with despite its slight narrative and overacting from a talented cast.A dramatization of eccentric chicken farmer and genuine "oddball" Alan 'swampy' Marsh, Oddball sees one of Australia's great larrikin characters Shane Jacobson inhabit the overalls of the great bearded man who developed the ingenious idea of using Maremma sheep dogs to protect a local fairy penguin colony that had been decimated by pesky foxes.It's a unique scenario but not one that exactly makes for thrilling viewing and Oddball's major struggles come from trying to draw dramatic tension from a simple idea that just doesn't have the cinematic qualities of other such true tales. Well respected actors Sarah Snook (breakout star of Predestination), Alan Tudyk and even Australian comedy legend Frank Woodley all feel a little lost with some pretty lame supporting characters.Oddball flys on the back of Jacobson's work, young actress Coco Jack Gillies likability, the great locations and of course the lovable animals that make penguins and fluffy dogs even more adorable than one would've thought possible.A film that's appropriate for all ages and a tale that has appeal for animal lovers the world over, Oddball is a slight yet wholeheartedly enjoyable Australian film that's likely to become a new favourite of the youngest members of the family and an Australian film that holds a more universal appeal than the average homegrown movie.3 Great Ocean Road shots out of 5