The film really can be divided into three main parts and with a running length of two hours 45 minutes none of the parts is cut short. The first part is the rise of conflict. Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) gets a wild welcome when her luggage gets waylaid in the opening fight scene and her undies get exposed to prying male eyes, leaving her red-faced and flummoxed within minutes of her arrival down under. She has left the safety of England to sell an inherited ranch located in northern Australia. At the dock, she meets one of her husband's workers, Drover (Hugh Jackman), picks up what’s left of her luggage, and heads to her ranch. However, all is not well at the ranch and Ashley must attempt to set things right which includes driving out one of the workers, Neil Fletcher (David Wenham), with her horsewhip.
Part two, the rise of the villain, focuses on Bryan Brown's "King Carney," which translates to "king of beef." Carney is a cattleman extraordinaire and his beef is prime which means droving (moving livestock) them to the docks first. Carney and the exiled Neil team up and conspire to get a big contract and literally destroy the competition. Beef is bad business. Neil portrays one of the best cinematic villains in a long while.
Enter the "singing" of the old man King George (David Gulpilil who is of Aboriginal descent), who is accused of a capital crime and has become “invisible." George is the magic behind the movie's strong droving scenes. He and Nullah risk life and limb for Sarah as she tries to drive her own cattle hundreds of miles.
How Australia pays homage and highlights the belief and ways of the walkabout make it a must-see film. Sarah tries to tame Nullah and rein in his black magic potential, which means keeping him away from King George. But Brandon Walters' enchanting performance as Nullah reminds seasoned actors why they should never be a part of a film with a fabulous child actor or a well-trained animal… animals and children steal scenes and don't give them back.
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