The Emu War: Collector's Edition

“Keep them safe, Aussie Jesus.”

Inspired by the failed military attempt in 1932 to cull the emu population in Western Australia, The Emu War drains every last bit of irony in the history books. It exaggerates the details to a painful end, resulting in a mindless war spoof. Helmed by the film group Hot Dad Productions, the flick has a distinctly loud and obnoxious tone, making for an exciting spin on the often stodgy war film genre. 

The film opens on Emu Massacre Creek, where Major Meredith (Damian Callinan) is ordered not to advance as the enemy has set a trap. Under duress from an intense battle, the Major has a flashback to the day his son was taken by an emu, resulting in his wife taking her life. “Oh no, not the suicide shed!” he shouts. We return to the battlefield, where he ignores the order and sends his men off to die at the hands of armed emu birds. In the end, 37,000 soldiers lost their lives that day. 

Meredith is soon offered by Prime Minister Harold Holt (Cameron James, Sex Lives) to lead a covert mission to kill the Queen Emu. By the end, as any good war flick should, his revenge will be met with a confusing and dreadful closure. The Major’s squad includes his disguised daughter Mary Sue (Lisa Fineberg, A Flicker of My Mother), bloodthirsty doofus Jackie (Aaron Gocs, Double or Nothing), and slacker Archie (Dane Simpson, The Merger). As the soldiers advance on the flightless birds, the film paints them in a sympathetic light, all the while dolling out cringe-worthy dick jokes and insane visual effects. 

Hot Dad Productions uses every tool in its kit to sell the flightless birds as true enemies of the state. The crew creates characters and worlds for the invasive species using green screens, practical models, and puppetry. Extra points for the model makers tasked with crafting the giant milk-spurting breasts for the Queen Emu. The Emu War is relentless in its pursuit of laughs. Every moment is filled with crass, disgusting jokes that often seem meant to fill time. However, some hilarious ideas are explored here, like the flashbacks with Jackie as a divorced dad or comedian Gertrude (Lena Moon, El mundo es un vampiro) performing at an emu USO show. The imbalance of the humor certainly impacted my enjoyment of the film, leaving me waiting for the next reason to laugh. 

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Thanks to Umbrella Entertainment, The Emu War arrives on Blu-ray. Housed in a transparent keep case with a reversible artwork sleeve, the BD25 disc includes an insert booklet and slipcover. The disc loads the Umbrella logo before landing on the static Main Menu screen with typical navigation options.

The Emu War is is presented on Blu-ray with a solid HD image in the film’s original 2.00:1 aspect ratio. Low-budget CGI effects paired with emu puppetry create a silly-looking film that works if you’re in the right frame of mind. Fine detail is evident, though faces are occasionally waxy and have a sheen, giving the aesthetic a heavy digital look. Black levels are solid even during nighttime scenes. The colors are drab and lack pop except for blood spurts and occasional costume choices. it all brilliantly fits the color palette of war movies like Gallipoli. Overall, it is an excellent presentation of the digital and practical elements combined for the film’s unique look. 

The Emu War sounds the alarm with a confident DTS-HD MA 5.1 and a suitable  DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio track. Epic scoring compliments this goofy tale of Aussie history with big moments of swelling dramatic melodies and eerie screeching strings conveying the horrors of the enemy. Dialogue is pointed and sharp through the center channel without hiss or pop detected. Exchanges are clean, though some unfamiliar with Australian accents may want to switch on the subtitles. Surrounds carry atmospherics nicely, while LFE rocks within battle sequences and canned symphonic scoring. 

Umbrella Entertainment doesn’t load this disc with features but provides an excellent look into the process of bringing war-hungry emu birds to life. I recommend starting with the short film before moving through other options. 

• Audio Commentary with Directors and Creators of The Emu War Writer/Directors Jay Morrissey, Lisa Fineberg, and John Campbell and Writer/Creator Jonathan Schuster provide a running commentary of the film that is worthwhile for fans. 
• VFX Breakdown Featurette (HD 4:34) Individual scenes are separated and combined to their various digital intermediate elements. Sequences involving the puppeteers in blue stretchy suits are my favorite to see assembled.
• Deleted Scenes (HD 3:38) Director/Writer/Producer Jay Morrissey presents two deleted scenes from the film. 
• The Emu War 2018 Short Film (HD HD 6:58) This proof-of-concept film is an excellent little comedy that may be better than the feature-length production. 
• Trailer (1:36)

The Emu War carries the tradition of cheap comedy spoofs overflowing with crude humor. On paper, the film is a hilarious revisionist history of the battle against the invasive bird that pushes the bounds of good taste. Still, this war flick is more preoccupied with the quantity of jokes than the quality. The Import Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment provides a solid A/V package and a satisfying collection of bonus features. If you’re into Asylum or SyFy Channel films, grab this one ASAP, otherwise, this is For Fans Only.