Don't Miss Australia

Movie: Australia (PG-13, DVD Release Date: Mar 3, 2009)
Duration: 165 minutes
Rating: ****

Put this movie on your 'to see' list; featuring Nicole Kidman as a rich cattle property owner, Hugh Jackman as a lone wolf cattle drover, and introducing Brandon Walters as a boy so heart-melting you'll wish he was your own. Australia amazingly takes place in the continent of Australia in 1939, just as World War II is beginning. There are Allie troops stationed in the territory of Darwin in Australia, and beef is needed to feed the many soldiers. Problem is, a rich land owner by the name of Carney owns most of the beef industry in Australia and is monopolizing the beef to sell at a higher price to the army. The last gig in town not run by Carney is run by Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman). She must get her cattle to Darwin with the help of Drover (Jackman) and a mixed-race boy named Nullah (Walters). While on their journey, Lady Ashley develops a bond with Nullah and takes her in as her own.
This movie features the vast, beautiful landscapes of Australia that will surely catch your eye without effort. The beauty of the land is effectively used to draw you in and make you want to keep watching the movie to the very end. The story is very well thought out (thanks to directer and screenwriter Baz Luhrmann) and sticks very close to itself without going off into a subplot that loses your interest. The only drawback of Australia is its length; 2 hours and 45 minutes is a long time to set aside to watch a movie. I had to split it up into two different sessions when I watched it at my house in order to get through it all. Studies show that humans will lost interest in something if it lasts longer than 2 hours, which is why movies have a fairly standard length of 120 minutes. The producers of Australia could not have done this movie justice if they had decided to cut it down to this length, which I feel is a good reason to give it a try and not be drawn away by the length of it.
In terms of renting this movie or buying it I am sitting on the fence. The story is amazing and the visuals are magnificent (if I were to travel abroad, the first place I would want to visit is Australia), but its length can be hard to make it watchable more than a few times before it is put on the shelf forever. I would highly recommend that everyone see this movie at least once, because it has a story that should not be overlooked by any.
EDIT: After long personal debate, I did purchase this movie.