10 Best Movie References In Bluey

One of the primary reasons that the Australian animated children’s show Bluey has rapidly developed into a global phenomenon is how accessible it is to viewers of all ages, and that starts with the many movie references scattered throughout the show. Many adults now hail Bluey as the best modern kids show for many reasons, from its valuable life lessons and realistic depiction of parenting to its adult-friendly humor, but the many pop culture Easter eggs in Bluey may be one of its most distinguishing features. Amid a multitude of sight gags and background references, Bluey‘s movie homages stand out.

Plenty of kids’ shows make reference to modern pop culture, but none of them execute the references quite as well as Bluey does. In addition to the diverse genre of movies that receive a call-out, Bluey doesn’t just lean in to all the most obvious references, making the Easter egg hunt all the more entertaining for adults. While there are plenty of music, product, and television references mixed into the adventures of the Heeler family as well, these are the top 10 movie references that have been shown in the full-length episodes of Bluey so far.

10 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Series 2, episode 29, “Grandad”

Peter Jackson’s iconic saga-starter The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring has actually been referenced three times in Bluey so far. The most obvious reference comes in series 2, episode 2, “Featherwand”. As Bingo attempts to charge through Bandit with her powerful featherwand, he hits her with the famous line that Gandalf shouts in defiance of the Balrog of Moria: “You shall not pass!“

Only die-hard Lord of the Rings fans might catch another reference in series 3, episode 9, “Magic”, which features Chilli and her daughter Bluey battle with invisible magic, attempting to subdue each other. Once Bluey takes control of the magic fight, she forces Chilli to spin in a circle on the kiwi rug. The entire scene is a reference to Gandalf and Saruman’s fight in Fellowship, with Chilli’s spin being a direct visual reference and a dead giveaway.

Bluey
references television shows almost as often as movies, and specifically features a plethora of references to another animated TV juggernaut in
The Simpsons
.

The best reference, however, comes in the season 2 episode “Grandad”, in which Bluey, Bingo, and Grandad flee from Chilli as she tries to corral her father into resting (as he is recovering from heartworm, in one of the show’s best reminders that the cast is still comprised of dogs). As the ultra-athletic Chilli pursues them through the woods, the kids and their grandfather hide under the roots of a massive tree, which is a direct reference to when Frodo and his Hobbit companions do the very same thing attempting to hide from an approaching Nazgul.

9 Raiders of the Lost Ark

Series 1, episode 16, “Yoga Ball”

Indiana Jones movies have actually been referenced at least twice in Bluey. As Bluey remembers some of her father’s best moments and games via flashback in the season 3 episode “Perfect”, she reminisces about a game in which her father throws her on a bean bag after she doesn’t produce an imaginary ticket for him. It’s a direct quote and reference to the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in which Indy tosses a Nazi out of a train with the line, “No ticket.”

Some fans have theorized that Bandit’s love for the Indiana Jones movies is the reason that he himself became an archaeologist.

The most widely recognizable Indiana Jones reference comes in the episode “Yoga Ball”, in which Bluey and Bingo run down a hall away from a massive yoga ball that Bandit has rolled. He even refers to the game as “Raiders”, and it’s one that they’ve clearly played before. Some fans have theorized that Bandit’s love for the Indiana Jones movies is the reason that he himself became an archaeologist.

8 Crocodile Dundee

Series 2, episode 39, “Muffin Cone”

The creators of Bluey are famously deferential to Australia itself, with real landmarks (ex. The Big Peanut), sports teams, skylines, and cultural idiosyncracies littered throughout the show. It makes sense, then, that the show would have multiple references to one of the most famous Australian characters in cinema, Crocodile Dundee (Paul Hogan). The most obvious and well-timed comes in the episode “Muffin Cone”, in which Muffin accidentally uses a play carrot as a knife, causing Bluey chime in with the iconic line, “That’s not a knife.”

7 Scarface

Series 3, episode 43, “Dragon”

While this Scarface quote is among the most-repeated movie quotes ever, its use in Bluey is particularly funny. In the season 3 episode “Dragon”, the Heeler family is engaged in a family drawing session, with each character adding to the adventure. After Bingo draws a ridiculous tree that captures everyone, Bandit draws his character whipping out a massive axe to chop at the tree’s branches to free everyone. As he takes out the axe, he yells Tony Montana’s famous line, “Say hello to my little friend!” Judging by his frequent quoting of famous lines, Bandit is clearly a movie buff.

6 Dirty Dancing

Series 3, episode 9, “Magic”

The Dirty Dancing reference in “Magic” is like the Scarface line above, in that the reference is great in the context of how Bluey uses it, not necessarily because it’s a brilliant, outside-the-box reference. Bluey causes mischief while passing along knowledge of the “magic” that Chilli taught her, and unfortunately, her father and their neighbor Pat Retriever fall victim to her shenanigans. Bluey forces Bandit to take a running leap at Pat, who catches him and executes the same (extremely difficult) lift that occurs in the climax of Dirty Dancing.

5 The Wizard of Oz

Series 2, episode 49, “Typewriter”

The basic structure of the series 2 episode “Typewriter” is modeled after the basic plot of The Wizard of Oz, albeit with some entertaining adjustments. In lieu of characters searching for courage, intelligence, or emotional acuity, Bluey features Bluey herself journeying (i.e. walking across the yard of their Steiner school) to find her teacher Calypso to ask her where a toy, the eponymous typewriter, can be found.

On her journey, Bluey picks up two friends who also have problems that need solving, although they are far more adorable and dog/small child-related. Bluey’s dachsund friend Snickers is struggling with self-confidence due to the limitations of his long body and short limbs, while her English bulldog friend Winton can’t figure out why people are running away from him all the time (he invades their personal space). Just as in The Wizard of Oz, the friends find a solution to each of their personal crises independent of Calypso’s help.

4 Total Recall

Series 1, episode 4, “Daddy Robot”

This reference might have flown over the heads of many adults due to how seamlessly it’s tied into the narrative in the episode. While both Chilli and Bandit are playing at being robots, Bandit delivers an adapted version of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s line at the end of Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall about him being in a “robo dream.” Chilli responds with the almost word-for-word line from Rachel Ticotin’s Melina: “Well then kiss me before you wake up.” They even have the sunset from the original movie line behind them as a kicker.

3 Gallipoli

Series 3, episode 2, “Obstacle Course”

This might be the most obscure reference on the list, but it’s also one of the most perfect, and an homage to the show’s Australian roots. In the season 3 episode “Obstacle Course”, Bluey warms up in preparation for a race against her father on their backyard obstacle course. Chilli attempts to hype her up with a mantra referring to their training:

Chilli: How fast can you run?

Bluey: As fast as a greyhound.

Chilli: How fast are you gonna run?

Bluey: As fast as a greyhound!

That interaction is directly pulled from Gallipoli, the 1981 war drama from Australian director Paul Weir. In the early stages of the movie, Mark Lee’s champion sprinter Archy Hamilton is being trained by his grandfather in Australia, and they have the exact same exchange, with Bluey swapping “greyhound” in for “leopard”. Gallipoli is widely regarded as one of the most influential Australian films of all time, and is typically credited with kick-starting the Australian film industry due to its international acclaim. It’s very fitting that another globally popular Australian production would reference it.

2 Predator

Series 2, episode 13, “Army”

Before selecting Bluey as the primary character of Bluey, creator Joe Brumm intended to focus on Bluey’s classmate Rusty. Rusty is the driving force behind some of the best episodes of Bluey, and one of his most notable contains an off-the-cuff reference to John McTiernan’s 1987 action horror movie Predator. In the season 2 episode “Army”, a new dog at Bluey’s school named Jack recounts his first encounter with Rusty, during which they play an imaginative game called Army based on Rusty’s interest in the military due to his father being stationed overseas.

At the climax of their game, they are fleeing from a pretend enemy, with the intent of making it to a helicopter that Rusty called in via radio. As the two boys run to the treehouse that doubles as a helicopter (thanks to its handy rope ladder), Rusty yells to Jack to “Get to the chopper!” That quote is famously shouted by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character Dutch Schaefer in Predator, although it’s typically exaggerated as “Get to the choppa!” thanks to Schwarzenegger’s thick Austrian accent.

1 Friday

Series 3, episode 7, “Unicorse”

Perhaps the most clever movie reference in the entirety of Bluey comes in an episode that parents either love or can’t stand. The series 3 episode “Unicorse” introduces Bluey fans to a puppet that Bandit operates who is relentlessly annoying, rude, and able to get under Chilli’s skin. As Unicorse continues on his mischievous rampage while Chilli tries to read Bluey to sleep, Bluey touches Unicorse on the shoulder, causing him to double over in agony.

As he screams, Unicorse calls out his injuries with “My back! My neck! My back AND my neck!” That’s a clever inverse of the line shouted by Anthony Johnson’s character Ezal in Friday, F. Gary Gray’s 1995 buddy comedy featuring Chris Tucker and Ice Cube, who jokingly fakes a slip and fall injury in order to extort the store owners into giving him money. The reference is both cleverly adapted and hilarious, which is why it stands out among the many great movie references in Bluey.