The misadventures of a brother & sister when they escape the big city and venture into the Outback

A sister and her younger brother from a rich family in Melbourne flee to the Outback for a much-needed break. Ricky is a minstrel with a geologist degree while Pete is a subdued mechanical genius and inventor, albeit penniless. They find sanctuary in a desert mining town.

This decent Australian production from 1988 is not a comedy as touted; it’s a semi-offbeat drama with some amusing touches. It’s reminiscent of flicks like “Joyride” (1977) with Anne Lockhart & Melanie Griffith about youths fleeing the big city and their misadventures trying out a new life in the vast wilderness (not to be confused with the 2001 road rage flick “Joy Ride”).

Nina Landis comes across as a plain Jane at first, but grows more alluring as the movie proceeds, particularly when she’s in tight jeans later in the story (just kidding, not really). Tetchie Agbayani is also on hand on the feminine front, a kinda cute Asian. The guy who plays Pete looks like an Aussie version of Charlie Sheen.

At the end of the day, “Rikky and Pete” may not be great, but it ain’t bad either, particularly if you’re in the mood for a quirky misadventure flick like “Joyride” (1977).

The movie runs 1 hour, 42 minutes and was shot in Australia (New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland).

GRADE: B-/C+