# Kangaroo Valley (film)

Kangaroo Valley is a 2022 nature drama film made for Netflix, directed by Kylie Stott and written by Tab Murphy. Narrated by Sarah Snook, the film is a coming-of-age adventure starring a nervous eastern grey kangaroo named Jackstee as he faces hungry dingos and winter snows to survive, making friends with a young, didn’t go named Bailey. The film features a debut new track from Australian pop star Sia called ‘We Can Do Anything.’ and the “Healing of a Heart’ by Anthony Callea. It was released on December 14, 2022.

## Plot

In a lush valley in Australia, a young kangaroo joey, Jackster, emerges from his mother Lowanna's pouch for the first time. Jackster is reluctant to leave the pouch, in contrast to the joyful joey Buru, who loves to hop. King of the kangaroo mob is Bamir, the largest buck in the valley and Mala's father. He loves his son, but is disappointed whenever he rushes back into the pouch, thinking that he is always nervous and will get used to it someday.
Bordering the valley is the Black Forest, burnt in recent wildfires and the lair of a dingo pack, led by the white dingo Migaloo, a stoic and evil king. Migaloo's son, Miro, is the same age as Jacksteer and is still learning to hunt. Miro chases a mother kangaroo carrying a joey in her pouch. The joey topples from the pouch during the chase, but manages to escape. Sometime later, dexter has now grown up, But it’s still very tempted and has gone Back into his mother‘s pouch 1 million times
Only one in five kangaroo joeys make it to their first birthday, so Jacysyer has a lot to learn if she's going to survive her first year. Jackster's valley is home to many creatures, including the grumpy wombat Warrin, an energetic bird Willie the Wagtail, a koala, sugar gliders and many colorful parrots. A wedge-tailed eagle threatens the joeys but the kangaroo mob is alerted to the threat by the alarm calls of the smaller birds in the valley.
On mating day, a wildfire appears, causing destruction and devastation to the savanna. Jackster Is separated from his family in the chaos and he and his father managed to escape the Wildfire. While attempting to find a cure for his father’s aching leg, dexter falls into the river and a swept away, hitting a rock and losing consciousness. When he wakes up, He’s far away from home and he ends up accidentally trapping his leg. Luckily, a capybara freeze him by digging a hole across the rock. Dexter attempts to find his father, but he ends up loss and cornered by a snake. Thankfully, a young eastern dingo manages to save him by taking the snake.
Jackster Is thankful for having escape the snake, but he doesn’t thank the Eastern dingo for his help and begins to leave. He soon encounters a stoic black bear, Who presents many of his animals and explains that he must choose a guardian. They didn’t go appears, and Jacker at first has trouble Selecting names. But he may just call the dingo Bailey. Jack and Bailey become friends, bonding with each other and Jack learns how to swim.
Winter brings snow storms to the valley, and food is scarce for the kangaroos. Miro is forced to leave the dingo pack when They lose the small stockpile to the food, and he struggles to find food. Jack and Bailey end up in a snowstorm, which freaks out and runs hide, losing the trail home. When he reunited with Bailey, the land is covered with fresh snow, and they are unable to find a way. A poison dart frog agrees to help them, Lead them to the trail and the center where they could follow their way home. Jack discovers some water berries that they can use to survive, But Bailey grows stubborn over the small water berries.
Migo finds Bamir Barely alive And weak out of food, anti hesitantly gives some of his food to feed. Jackster And Bailey get into an argument, which causes them to lose the last of the Waterberry they were using to feed, causing dexter to kick Bailey and leave to be on his own. Jackster is Surrounded and ambushed by eagles, which caused him to fall off a cliff. He ends up, injuring his leg and limping, is caught in a snowstorm and loses consciousness from the cold.
Bailey ends up alone and is captured by the dingo pack, which presents them to the leader. Migo decides to get rid of Bailey. Dexter awakens and is found by the rest of the animals that he made from string its childhood, which he loses hope. With the help from the spirits of the kangaroos, he managed and lead he and his friends to save Bailey. They didn’t go past attempts to eat him, but Jack managed to fight them all off. He ends up on an icy lake With Bailey, and managed to trick Migo into going into the sin part of the ice, causing him to fall. However, he ends up, trapped under the ice with Bailey. He manages to save the young dingo and holds him as they dive down the waterfall. A few days later, Jack is found unconscious near the shore. Bailey licks him and he awakens, happy to be reunited with his friend.
When spring arrives, Jack continues to find his home and realize with his father, who is barely alive. He may just feed him destroying life and him creating joy in him. In a final hunt, the two go head-to-head So that Jack can prove that he is brave. After finding a pack of dinos that can take a bail in, the two friends share an emotional goodbye. Jack heads home and reunite with all of his kangaroo family, having gotten through the rest of the winner. The new season's babies all begin to emerge, continuing the circle of life in the valley And Jack narrating that he has found courage in him.

## Production

In January 2021, it was announced that Kylie Stott would direct the film for producers Ari Mark and Phil Lott for Netflix. Screenwriter Tab Murphy joined the team in his first foray into nature films, a departure from his previous titles including the Disney animated movies including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and Brother Bear, which was nominated for an Academy Award Best Animated Feature.
The main filming location was Namadgi National Park, outside of the Australian capital Canberra. Filming was plagued by lockdowns and border closures caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the production team secured special permissions to continue filming. The team spent more than a year filming, and captured 300 hours of footage.

## Reception

Johnny Loftus of Decider gave a positive review, saying "Kangaroo Valley is crisply shot, warmly told, and features a marsupial pouch full of interesting facts." Amanda Guarragi of Ready Steady Cut praised the film's coming-of-age story, saying that is what "sets it apart from the rest of these wildlife documentaries."