The Real Macaw

 ((FAMILY FANTASY-ADVENTURE -- AUSTRALIAN))

By DAVID STRATTON

An REP (Australia) release of a Becker Entertainment presentation, in association with the Australian Film Finance Corp., of a Becker Films production , in association with Bellwether Films, and with the assistance of the South Australian Film Corp., Film Queensland, NSW Film & Television Office. Produced by Margot McDonald. Executive producer, Richard Becker. Co-producers, Bruce Hancock, Tim Prescott, Rocky Bester. Directed by Mario Andreacchio. Screenplay, Bruce Hancock, Matthew Perry.
 
Sam Girdis ..... Jamie Croft
Grandpa Ben Girdis ..... Jason Robards
Beth Girdis ..... Deborra-Lee Furness
Rick Girdis ..... Joe Petruzzi
Dr. Lance Hagen ..... John Waters
Kathy Girdis ..... Petra Yared
Phillip Blythe ..... Simon Chan
Lou Rickets ..... Gerry Connolly
Mr. St. John.....Robert Coleby
Scarlatta ..... Nathan Kotzur
Voice of Mac ..... David Murphy
 

As if "Paulie" the talking parrot wasn't more than enough, here's Mac, the gabby macaw. The fourth animal kidpic to come from Australia in the wake of "Babe," "The Real Macaw" is a mildly engaging adventure involving a 15-year-old boy and a chatty bird. Only moderate B.O. rewards are to be anticipated, especially given that similarly themed efforts such as "Paws" and "Joey" tanked in Oz. Ancillary business could be more promising, with limited chances of international vid-bin exposure centered on miscast Jason Robards as the young hero's grandfather.

Mac is a blue and yellow macaw (enacted by a bird called Tango, assisted by three near-identical stand-ins). In the Amazon forests 140 years ago, Mac belonged to a pirate whose ill-gotten gains included a chest full of Incan treasure which the outlaw, in his final moments, buried on a remote South Sea Island.

Mac, who witnessed this event, is still going strong all these years later and is the property of eccentric exotic bird collector Ben Girdis (Robards). Ben is adored by his grandson Sam (Jamie Croft), who is having a tough time with his dad (Joe Petruzzi), who aims to sell Ben's house to pay the old man's considerable debts, and to place the oldster in a pet-free retirement home. Sam determines to save Granddad's home and way of life.

The youngster discovers that Mac can talk, and the Spanish-accented squawker proposes that Sam join him on a hunt for the buried treasure. They set off, closely followed by shifty anthropologist Lance Hagen (John Waters).

Unfortunately, a luxury hotel has been built where X marked the spot. Undeterred, Sam and Mac elude both Hagen and the irritated hotel staff as they search for the prize, getting into various predictable scrapes along the way.

Mac is a colorful and world-wise old bird, but his dialogue, which is evidently supposed to be sharp and witty, is mostly groaningly awful, a far cry from the smart talk that emanated from "Babe" and his farmyard pals. Croft is too old to play the young hero, and the adult thesps add little to the mix.

Casting of Robards, whose strong Yank accent makes him notably out of place in this otherwise very Australian family, seems designed to secure international sales interest rather than to find the ideal actor for the role.

Helmer Mario Andreacchio, who made "Napoleon," a talking dog pic that did only moderate biz, handles the action routinely, seemingly devoting most of his attention to the bird rather than to his human actors.

Production values are good, though there's a bit of obvious trickery in some of the bird scenes, especially when Mac takes flight.

Camera (Atlab color), David Foreman; editor, Edward McQueen Mason; production designer, Ross Major; art director, Michael Rumpf; costume supervisor, Lyn Askew; special effects, Brian Holmes; macaw trainer, Peter Gregg; assistant director, John Martin; casting, Ann Fay. Reviewed at REP screening room, Sydney, March 5, 1998. Running time: 91 MIN.