Pork Pie

A remake of the iconic NZ flick from 1980, Goodbye Pork Pie, this follows the same format albeit with reversed characters and new names in the Kelly Johnson/Tony Barry roles as the tearaway Blondini Gang. Updated Mini, this time nicked and going all the way to Invercargill where loser Jon hopes to make up with the girl he jilted at the altar. Driver Luke takes the straight man duties and plays a reasonable foil to the idiotic Jon, with love interest Keira picked up via a fast food joint window shortly after the chase begins, and like the original, is ditched before it ends.
 
Likewise Luke himself exits the sojourn prematurely leaving Jon, the lone Blondini, to finally hit Invercargill. Unlike the original, this one doesn't really engage until two-thirds of the way through once the Blondini Gang has captured the imagination of the NZ public and things start to heat up.
 
Adequate performances from the leads although Dean O'Gorman's Jon I would swear is really Rhys Darby. And a nice cameo from Tim Shadbolt raised a reasonable laugh towards the end, as does the rather sinister nutter Bongo. I'd also love to know who played guitar on the soundtrack, it's awesome (if anyone can tell me I'd be grateful).
 
It's always difficult to review a remake especially one so steeped in NZ movie history but like most, I have to say I much prefer the original and wonder really why bother with an update. All that notwithstanding, it's a 7/10.
 
Geoff Horne