The Merger is an Aussie Rules comedy that can’t score enough laughs for a whole game

The Merger makes a valiant attempt to blend Aussie Rules, comedy and an enlightened view of ethnic tensions in rural communities. It’s a nice try at kicking a goal, but it doesn’t hit the target.

An Australian-made comedy about an ailing country Aussie Rules team coming back from the dead after recruiting refugees to fill an empty teamsheet, The Merger is a tough one to rate.

The movie is easy to admire throughout: its heart is clearly and proudly in the right place, and the affection The Merger holds for a refreshingly diverse array of characters is sincere and infectious.

Damian Callinan in a scene from footy comedy film The Merger.

However, when viewed purely as a comedy that must entertain and amuse an audience for 100 minutes straight, The Merger falls short of the mark.

It is not an intelligence thing. The way in which the movie good-naturedly highlights racial tensions in rural communities is as clever as it is well-reasoned.

But it is a wit thing. The script is overpacked with mid-strength observational dialogue (a legacy of trying to retain too much of the successful stage show from which it was adapted) yet underdone when it comes to great lines or decent jokes.

As a result, the whole experience becomes an unintentional endurance test.

Writer Damien Callinan also stars as Troy, the former footy legend (and present-day town pariah) who coaches his ethnically exotic charges into the good books of the badly prejudiced locals.

Damian Callinan (centre) in a scene from Australian film comedy The Merger

Troy is arguably the oddest lead character asked to carry an Australian film in quite some time.

While Callinan’s script loads Troy to the hilt with interesting quirks, pastimes and views - he’s a leftie hermit with a mile-wide environmental streak who also makes his own wine - the bloke never seems all that interesting as an actual human being.

Callinan also could have sought a second opinion about how much additional energy to plough into his low-wattage performance style, which often misplaces the line where laconically laidback ends, and asleep on the job begins.

The frustratingly inert direction of Mark Grentell - particularly during the all-important on-field football scenes, which will make the most diehard AFL fan wish it was cricket season already - also smothers a lot of the goodwill you may wish to extend towards The Merger.

THE MERGER (M)

Rating: Two stars (2 out of 5)

Director: Mark Grentell (Backyard Ashes)

Starring: Damian Callinan, Kate Mulvany, John Howard, Fayssal Bazzi, Rafferty Grierson.

Misses the finals after an inconsistent game

Scene from the film The Merger withDamian Callinan and Ben Knight