by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: Discs: 2, The Film: 3.5/5, The Extras: 4/5, Overall: 7.5/10
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Nicole Kidman, Angelo D'Angelo, James Lugton, David Argue, John Ley, Bryan Marshall, Peter Browne
Intro:
… fast-paced, well acted, slickly directed and brimming with early ‘80s charm.
The Film:
The 1980s were the decade when live action kids movies became blockbusters instead of just niche entertainment for the ruggies. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The NeverEnding Story (1984) and The Goonies (1985) were all box office smashes and became perennial classics for those who grew up with them. The thing is, those flicks were all pretty much skewed for an American audience whereas – and this may come as a surprise to our Seppo friends – there are countries other than the United States! One of those countries, Australia, also had a crack at making a kid-friendly adventure flick in the form of 1983’s BMX Bandits. Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith (Turkey Shoot, Dead End Drive-In), the film also introduced the world to a 16-year-old Nicole Kidman and showed everyone how pretty Manly was in the ‘80s. But was it a good film? Or are those who think of it fondly just wearing their nostalgia goggles a tad too tight?
BMX Bandits is the story of three affable teenage ne’er-do-wells, Judy (Nicole Kidman), PJ (Angelo D’Angelo) and Goose (James Lugton). They’re not bad kids, but they seem to frequently fall afoul of the bizarre machinations of adults when all they want to do is ride their BMX bikes to jaunty ‘80s tunes! Sadly, after an accident that costs Judy her job and the boys their bikes, the trio is now stuck without gainful employment or anything to ride. Rather than neck pingers and root one another (surely, the activity most bored teenagers would turn to), they head out on the water in Goose’s dad’s runabout and flog a mysterious package. The good news? The package is full of walkie-talkies which the kids can sell to fix their bikes. The bad news? Those walkie-talkies belong to a gang of hardened criminals who want to use them in an upcoming heist, and now Whitey (David Argue) and Moustache (John Ley) are hot on the trail of our rad protagonists. Will our heroes save the day and will they be able to get a BMX track built so the kids have somewhere to ride? The answers will probably not surprise you.
Here’s the thing about BMX Bandits: even after 43 years, it’s still a good time. Yes, the plot is paper thin, rote and far from unpredictable, but there’s an undeniable appeal here that transcends the narrative ropiness. First up, all of the cast are great. Sure, they fall into the familiar roles of bossy girl, hunky guy and the funny one, but they’re all extremely charming. James Lugton, in particular, delivers his dry, droll dialogue with the deftness of a cynical middle-aged bloke, and Nicole Kidman, although raw, has obvious acting chops. Props are also due to David Argue as Whitey, whose unhinged, often improvised shenanigans are both hilarious and engaging. Argue sadly left us in 2025, but his work remains a testament to a truly unique talent. Trenchard-Smith also directs the hell out of this thing, making even the more modest stunts appear dynamic and exciting. His habit of sticking cameras to the sides of bikes and cars and setting much of the action in mundane settings like Waringah Mall (!) delivers a dynamic, propulsive film that really shines in the 4K print here.
Is it dated? Sure, but there’s a genuine joy in taking a look at Sydney in the 1980s, the sun-drenched, surprisingly sparsely populated and not very built-up city of yesteryear that only exists now in our memories and cinematic time warps like this.
The Extras:
An absolute shedload of beaut extras here, many of them new! There’s an audio commentary with director Brian Trenchard-Smith and the excellent, lengthy documentary BMX Buddies: The Men Behind the Bandits, which does a fantastic job at showing the journey of the movie from conception to release.
There are heaps of featurettes including Smashing Through Protocols – an interview with DOP John Seale ACS, That Was My Tribe – an interview with actor Peter Browne, It Will Last Forever – an interview with producer Tom Broadbridge, I’m Not Past It Yet – an interview with sound engineer Phil Judd, Father & Son – a doco on BMX Bandits enthusiasts and collectors Diamond and John Filippis, BMX WOW! – an appreciation from Eric Trenchard-Smith (the son-of, now grown up kid), BMX For Life – a documentary on World BMX champion and manager of the Australian BMX Museum and Hall Of Fame, Cameron Mitchell, A Thousand Bucks – interview with Eric Munns on the bikes and stunts in BMX Bandits and The Locations of BMX Bandits with Flynn Boffo taking us to the very different locales featured throughout the movie. There’s a rather shocking revelation that the waterpark featured only closed down last year!
There’s also an adorable little bit of footage with 16-year-old Nicole Kidman appearing on Young Talent Time, which is just delightful. Best of the lot, however, is Going where BMX bikes don’t belong – a great interview with the director. The twist? The bloke was about to have an operation, so he gave the entire interview from his hospital bed! Now that, my friends, is one hell of a work ethic. Big props to a great Aussie director who recently celebrated his 80th birthday.
The fancy edition also comes with a grand 100+ page booklet, the shooting script, art cards, a sticker sheet (!) all bundled together in a handsome looking rigid case.
Verdict:
BMX Bandits is a slight, deeply daggy and dated kids flick. But it’s precisely those factors that make it such a nostalgic bit of Aussie cinema history. It’s fast-paced, well acted, slickly directed and brimming with early ‘80s charm.
Like a half melted Sunnyboy on a summer’s day, with your skin burned red and zinc cream on your nose, BMX Bandits is an Aussie classic that’s well worth a revisit. So don’t be a prawn, come have a squiz.
