Reckless Kelly
title: "Reckless Kelly" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1993-films", "australian-western-(genre)-comedy-films", "australian-satirical-films", "1990s-english-language-films", "films-set-in-los-angeles", "films-shot-in-australia", "1993-comedy-films", "films-scored-by-anthony-marinelli", "warner-bros.-films", "cultural-depictions-of-ned-kelly", "films-directed-by-yahoo-serious", "1993-australian-films", "english-language-western-(genre)-comedy-films"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reckless_Kelly" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox film"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Reckless Kelly |
| image | Poster of the movie Reckless Kelly.jpg |
| caption | Theatrical release poster |
| director | Yahoo Serious |
| producer | Yahoo Serious |
| Warwick Ross | |
| writer | Yahoo Serious |
| Warwick Ross | |
| David Roach | |
| Lulu Serious | |
| starring | Yahoo Serious |
| Melora Hardin | |
| Alexei Sayle | |
| Hugo Weaving | |
| music | |
| cinematography | Kevin Hayward |
| editing | Lawrence Jordan |
| studio | Serious Productions |
| distributor | Warner Bros. (though Roadshow Distributors) |
| released | |
| runtime | 103 minutes |
| country | Australia |
| language | English |
| budget | A$20 million (est.) |
| gross | A$5.4 million |
| :: |
| name = Reckless Kelly | image = Poster of the movie Reckless Kelly.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Yahoo Serious | producer = Yahoo Serious Warwick Ross | writer = Yahoo Serious Warwick Ross David Roach Lulu Serious | starring = Yahoo Serious Melora Hardin Alexei Sayle Hugo Weaving | music = | cinematography = Kevin Hayward | editing = Lawrence Jordan | studio = Serious Productions | distributor = Warner Bros. (though Roadshow Distributors) | released = | runtime = 103 minutes | country = Australia | language = English | budget = A$20 million (est.) | gross = A$5.4 million Reckless Kelly is a 1993 Australian comedy film produced, written, directed and starring Yahoo Serious. It co-stars Melora Hardin, Alexei Sayle and Hugo Weaving. The story is a satirical take on a modern-day Ned Kelly, a famous Australian outlaw.
Plot
A modern-day Ned Kelly robs banks in Australia and gives all the money to the poor people. Ned is forced to go to Hollywood to make enough money to save his family's land. As it goes against his belief, he cannot simply rob banks there for his own benefit. Ned is forced to find another way to come up with the $1 million required to save his family island. That is when a movie producer shows up and gives Ned an offer he cannot refuse.
Cast
- Yahoo Serious as Ned Kelly
- Melora Hardin as Robin Banks
- Alexei Sayle as Major Wib
- Hugo Weaving as Sir John
- Kathleen Freeman as Mrs. Delance
- John Pinette as Sam Delance
- Bob Maza as Dan Kelly
- Martin Ferrero as Ernie the Fan
- Anthony Ackroyd as Joe Kelly
- Max Walker as Newsreader
- Willie Fennell as Mr. Arnold
- Tracy Mann as Miss Twisty
- Tyler Coppin as Hollywood Bank Teller
- Robert Alan Beuth as Beverly Hills Bank Teller
- Lulu Pinkus as Hollywood Supermarket Checkout
Production
The film was financed by Warner Bros, Village Roadshow and the Australian Film Finance Corporation. Serious used many of the same key creatives he had on Young Einstein.
Reception
Neil Jillett, film critic for The Age wrote, "There are some good gags along the way, and a few of the plot's twists have an entertainingly surreal zaniness. But there is much heavy going too. Most of the messages Serious loads into the film—protect the environment, hate violence and banks, mock the British, go for a republic, sneer at American fads and religious hypocrisy—are presented with a smugness that was missing from Young Einstein".
Box office
Reckless Kelly opened at number one at the Australian box office with a gross of $2,036,224. It remained at number one for a second week and went on to gross $5,444,534 at the Australian box office.
Soundtrack
| name = Reckless Kelly | type = Soundtrack | artist = various artists | cover = | alt = | released = April 1993 | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = | length = | label = Picture This | producer = | misc = {{Singles | name = Reckless Kelly | type = soundtrack | single1 = Wild Thing | single1date = March 1993 | single2 = I Fought the Law | single2date = April 1993
Track listing
|total_length = |title1 = Born to Be Wild |note1 = by INXS |writer1 = {{Flat list|
- Mars Bonfire}} |length1 = 3:52
|title2 = I Fought the Law |note2 = by The Dukes |writer2 = |length2 = 2:57
|title3 = Wild Thing |note3 = by Divinyls |writer3 = {{Flat list|
- Chip Taylor}} |length3 = 4:15
|title4 = Awabakelly |note4 = by Yahoo Serious |writer4 = |length4 = 1:18
|title5 = Djäpana |note5 = by Yothu Yindi |writer5 = {{Flat list|
- Mandawuy Yunupiŋu}} |length5 = 4:03
|title6 = Ride |note6 = by Mental As Anything |writer6 = {{Flat list|
- Martin Plaza}} |length6 = 3:16
|title7 = Handle the Flame |note7 = by Anthony Warlow |writer7 = {{Flat list|
- Serious
- David Roach
- Tycha}} |length7 = 2:32
|title8 = Happiness Is a Warm Gun |note8 = by The Dukes |writer8 = {{Flat list|
- Lennon–McCartney}} |length8 = 3:03
|title9 = Reckless Angles |note9 = by Yahoo Serious |writer9 = {{Flat list|
- Serious
- Tycha}} |length9 = 0:39
|title10 = From a Million Miles |note10 = by Single Gun Theory |writer10 = {{Flat list|
- Single Gun Theory}} |length10 = 4:36
|title11 = Faith |note11 = by The Dukes |writer11 = {{Flat list|
- Sean Kelly
- Geoffrey Stapleton}} |length11 = 3:20
|title12 = As You Like It |note12 = by Steve Kilbey |writer12 = {{Flat list|
- Kilbey}} |length12 = 4:28
|title13 = Bedazzled |note13 = by Succotash |writer13 = {{Flat list|
- Succotash}} |length13 = 3:52
|title14 = Reckless |note14 = by James Reyne |writer14 = {{Flat list|
- Reyne}} |length14 = 6:06
|title15 = Happy On My Way |note15 = by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver |writer15 = {{Flat list|
- Pete Pyle}} |length15 = 1:59
|title16 = Such Is Life |note16 = by Yahoo Serious and Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra |writer16 = {{Flat list|
- Serious
- Tycha}} |length16 = 0:57
|title17 = Handle the Flame (finale) |note17 = by Anthony Warlow |writer17 = {{Flat list|
- Serious
- David Roach
- Tycha}} |length17 = 0:26
Charts
::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for ''Reckless Kelly''"] | Chart (1993) | Peak position | |---|---| ::
References
References
- (2016). "Reckless Kelly (1993)". [[The New York Times]].
- "Reckless Kelly-Review".
- Andrew L. Urban, "Yahoo Serious: Reckless Kelly", ''Cinema Papers'', April 1993 p31-35, 72
- Jillett, Neil. (15 April 1993). "This Is Serious, Ned". The Age.
- (19 April 1993). "International box office".
- "''Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office''".
- (26 April 1993). "International box office".
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