Oddball

Oddball is an Australian family adventure set in the seaside town of Warrnambool, where a colony of little penguins on Middle Island draws tourists and gives the place its livelihood. When foxes begin crossing to the island and raiding the colony, the town faces the loss of its main attraction. An eccentric chicken farmer, Swampy Marsh, and his young granddaughter Olivia take on the problem, training Swampy's unruly dog to guard the birds instead of chasing them. The scheme puts the dog at odds with local authorities, including a council figure and his granddaughter's mother, while the family works toward its own reconciliation.

The film was directed by Stuart McDonald, his first feature in a run that continued with A Perfect Pairing in 2022 and Choose Love in 2023. Peter Ivan wrote the screenplay, and the cast is led by Shane Jacobson as Swampy, Sarah Snook as Emily Marsh, Alan Tudyk as Bradley Slater, Coco Jack Gillies as Olivia and Deborah Mailman as the mayor and narrator. It is a fictionalised take on real events involving a dog used to protect penguins on Middle Island.

Released in 2015, the film took about 10 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.5 out of 10 from around 3,400 votes, and on TMDB 6.9 out of 10 from about 100 votes. A critics' score of 6.1 out of 10 from 23 reviews places it close to the audience ratings.