I LOVED this and i thought Heath ledger was brilliant ! Stop saying you lot hate this it really hurts my feelings because your saying mean stuff about a deceased, talented, beautiful man(Heath Ledger)so just leave the poor man out of this.i have nothing else to say so I'm basically just going to type random words - hello, love, true, pink, heath, ledger, Ned,Kelly, Irish, English, police, coppers, ghost adventures, Zak Bagans, beautiful, bored, tired,yawn,interested, angry,sad, depressed, lonely, crying, broken heart, singing songs, Bagans, beautiful, bored, tired, yawn, interested, angry, sad, depressed, lonely, crying, broken heart, singing songs.Sorry about all this.

Having known nothing of the real story behind the famous Australian outlaw, I sat down to watch NED KELLY, ready to be informed and entertained. Well, I was informed, but entertained? Not particularly.The problem with NED KELLY is that the story is slim, the characters frankly unappealing, and there isn't really anyone to root for. Heath Ledger's almost amateurish performance in the leading role makes it hard for the reader to warm to his character, and Orlando Bloom isn't much better. Naomi Watts, as a token love interest, is even worse.There are flashes of drama and some decent moments, not least that climax, but too much of the production is given over to ponderous soap opera instead of hard-hitting drama. In some places, NED KELLY has a TV movie-style atmosphere, playing it safe by staying superficial instead of getting to the nitty gritty of the characters and the situation.

In 1871 Australia, heroic young Heath Ledger (as Ned Kelly) is sent to prison for horse-thievery. After serving three years, Mr. Ledger returns to the warm bosom of his close-knit Irish Catholic family. He and playboy best friend Orlando Bloom (as Joe Byrne) range, drink, and fight with their friends. When a policeman tries to pick up his sister in a bar, Ledger's anger is aroused. Alas, the Australian police force is loyal to the crown, not the peasants; and, Ledger is tired of being harshly punished by the "bloody maggots." With Mr. Bloom, brother Laurence Kinlan (as Dan Kelly), and mysterious Philip Barantini (as Steve Hart), Ledger forms "The Kelly Gang" of bank-robbers. Despite being outlaws, the handsome quartet become quite popular with the locals. But, killing policemen could shorten the lads' lives considerably… Director Gregor Jordan and photographer Oliver Stapleton handle the beautiful Australia setting.For this nicely-produced revision, the legendary "Ned Kelly" receives assistance from writer John Michael McDonagh's adaptation of Robert Drewe's "Our Sunshine" (1991) biography. This story opens with approximately eleven-year-old "Ned" saving another boy from drowning; and, it is this "Rosebud" moment which shapes our hero's life. This makes for very effective storytelling, but all is not well. Romantic interest Naomi Watts (as Julia Cook) is very beautiful, but we do not see enough of her and, frankly, her role in the outlaw's life seems hopelessly contrived. Conversely, the character played by Mr. Barantini is too ill-defined. Getting the green and gold sash, Geoffrey Rush (as Frances Hare) serves brief but more assessable adversarial role. Also, keep an eye on Joel Edgerton (as Aaron Sherritt) for outstanding support.****** Ned Kelly (3/22/03) Gregor Jordan ~ Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Joel Edgerton, Naomi Watts

From the very beginning, the political theme of this film is so obvious and heavy handed, that the outcome is entirely predictable. Any good textbook on writing screenplays will advise layering of characters, incorporating character arcs, and three act structure. In this film you will find none of that. The police are the baddies, and consequently are shown as shallow, incompetent and cowards. It never seems to occur to the makers of this film that police might be honourable citizens who see joining the police as a good way to contribute to the wellbeing of society.The viewer gets no opportunity to make up his or her mind on whether Ned Kelly is a good guy or a ruthless villain. The film opens with him being arrested for stealing a horse, but we get no clue as to his guilt or innocence. We see him walk through the door of a gaol, but only know that he has been inside for three years when we hear this much later in some dialogue.This film contains many shots of Ned looking at the camera with a serious expression. I found the film a real chore to watch. It is the direction for modern films, and this one put me off watching any more.