Matilda has been described online as “the worst sports movie ever made.” Kindly, as it turns out.
Matilda was a dreadful, alleged comedy about a boxing kangaroo that challenges for the world heavyweight champion title.
The movie was made in 1978, when Muhammad Ali was probably at his most widely popular (and the reigning world champion), and starred Elliot Gould, who was then still not too far off the peak of a career that continues going strong today.
Co-starring was another A-lister, Robert Mitchum, so it’s hard to argue that the cast and circumstances surrounding the movie didn’t pack a punch.
Unfortunately, the kangaroo featured in the film was clearly a bloke in a costume. With demonic eyes.
On top of that, the Australian involvement in the movie was non-existent outside of the kangaroo’s origins. And, as anybody who’s ever heard an American attempt an Australian accent or been to an Outback Steakhouse can attest, Americans don’t really put a lot of weight into authenticity when it comes to Down Under.
Matilda was based on a novel by Paul Gallico, whose research into Australia and kangaroos was so extensive he gave the male marsupial protagonist of his work a female name.
Perhaps Gallico had a portend of the movie’s fate, though, as he was most famous for The Poseidon Adventure, which would be adapted by Hollywood for another disaster movie of a different kind.
Directing Matilda was Daniel Mann, who made some impressive movies over his career.
For 考えRoom.com, though, with its interest in Australia and Japan, perhaps his most interesting movie was The Teahouse of the August Moon, which starred Marlon Brando in yellowface.
All in all, Matilda was a critical and commercial disaster. On the upside, though, it did get some decent movie posters from all over the world, as well as some other decent images, many of which can be viewed in the gallery.
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