Two strong points: Rhys Darby doesn't try too hard to be funny the whole time and the duck is a real duck (though the sounds have been pitched and timed to fit nicely into the story line, as does the Queen soundtrack). Rhys thought he had a good life, till his girl walked out on him. She is clearly ambitious and thought the fact he was living in his parents' house (even though it's his and well located) showed he wouldn't offer her the life she craved. And with the perfect looks for a trophy wife you'd think she'd have moved on from there. Yet her attempt to catch his poseur friend is treated by him as a nice one-night stand (shortly before he goes broke) and then she wants to get back with Rhys and train him to satisfy her needs - is there such a shortage of upwardly mobile materially driven yuppies in Auckland, indeed NZ? Well good for you guys, you obviously have better values in life and that's what this film is about. At the beginning we saw a pair of Shelducks (that bond for life, we are told) being shot at. One of them lands on Rhys' roof, with a damaged wing, which starts a relationship that leads to Rhys broaden his perspectives. Part of that process leads him to meet zoologist Sally Hawking. Who has a son by her deceased former husband, a boy who is in no hurry to see his father replaced, least of all by the man who had treated him badly when he accused him of stealing the duck from the zoo. You can see where this is all headed and I can understand why Sally reacted badly when told Rhys had a dinner date with his ex. But heck, a reunion was the only thing he could dream of after she'd ditched him, and Sally's son did seem to be a big barrier to taking that relationship any further. But anyway, love conquers all, even the damaged wing of a bird we were told would never fly again. Maybe Rhys and the Shelduck weren't so different after all!

Doug (Rhys Darby) has just been jilted by longtime galfriend, Susan. An item for two years, Susan can't stand the fact the Doug still lives in the house he inherited when his parents died, she'd prefer something more upscale. Also, she detests the fact that he adores the rock band Queen, having a wall devoted to their photos and playing their music constantly. So, she's had enough and walks out the door. Hurting immensely, Doug keeps the breakup news from his best buds at work and at play. Luckily, this road worker's attentions soon get diverted. A rare black duck lands on his roof, having broken a wing. Rescuing the bird, he takes it to a nearby small zoo, where the expert on winged creatures, Holly (Sally Hawkins) says she can't help him. Instead, she hands him a phone number for a nearby vet (Bryan Brown, how nice to see him!). Declaring that the bird will never fly again, the doc suggests that Doug foster it until he can find another solution. Settling the duck, which he names Pierre, with his own room, complete with Doug's former wading pool, he soon becomes very fond of his feathered friend. They sleep together and sometimes even take a bath together, when Pierre hops right in. Meanwhile, since Doug liked the looks of Holly, he tries to get "something going" with this nice lady. But, there are complications. Holly has a son, Taylor, who misses his deceased dad and detests Doug on sight. Then, Susan returns to make small overtures to her former flame once more. This confuses Doug, naturally. Between going to trivia contests at his favorite bar friends, trying to decide who he loves, and caring for Pierre, who suddenly gets lost in a woods, what will be Doug's near future expectations? Just ducky, that's what this movie is, viewers will adore it. Hawkins, a Brit star, is always welcome while Darby is handsome and charming. Other cast members of many ethnic groups are total delights, too. As for the scenery, how wonderful and exotic it is, looking nothing like other places on earth. The script is clever, the costumes are winning, and the direction is sure-footed and fun. On top of all this, the trained duck is beyond cute and quite talented, worth the price of the film entirely by himself. So, ducks, get your things in order and go find Love Birds for this coming weekend.

I quite like Rhys Darby and I do like Sally Hawkins, so seeing this at my local video store, had to get it out. I was blown away by its humour, good, gentle story and fine acting. Fabulous aerial shots of Auckland, and a very well-trained duck. Yes, it's a corny story, and it's not earth-shattering,(but then neither is the asteroid). For its genre, it ticks all the boxes and entertains along the way. The kids are polished performers too. It's made me want to get up in a hot-air balloon, which probably isn't a good thing, but it held my attention all the way through - and there are not many movies that do that today. Full marks to all concerned. Will be going out to buy this one.

I just saw this film and have to say that i was surprised and warmed by the kind of films they are making in New Zealand.As a European i had no idea what to expect (from New Zealand) coming into the film. Its not perfect, but in the end i didn't care, for i laughed, had a tear in my eye at times and had an all round good time. The performances are strong from both Kiwi comedian Rhys Darby and up and coming English star Sally Hawkins, as well as strong back up performances from Emily Barclay and veteran Aussie Bryan Brown.The real treat however for music lovers is the soundtrack provided courtesy of rock legends Queen. There was around 9 or 10 of Queen's greatest tracks in the film including 'Somebody to Love', 'Bicycle Race', 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'.As i said, its not perfect. But you know what, you wont care. Its just a good old fashioned movie of the type that we need more of. Overall this is a very sweet film with a difference and shows that New Zealand cinema is unique, alive and well.8/10