Fans of 1980s adventure films will love the new “Crocodile Dundee Trilogy,” now available on Blu-ray™ from Paramount Home Entertainment. Paul Hogan made a huge splash when “Crocodile Dundee” hit movie theaters on September 26th, 1986, catapulting him and co-star Linda Kozlowski (the two were married from 1990 to 2014) into the worldwide spotlight.
The film went on to gross over $328 million worldwide and spawned two sequels: “Crocodile Dundee II” and “Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles.” With the “Crocodile Dundee Trilogy,” fans and newcomers can relive the action and humor that Hogan was renowned for, and which cemented Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee and his catchphrase, “That’s not a knife… That’s a knife!” into the public consciousness.
An American reporter goes to the Australian Outback to meet an eccentric crocodile poacher and invites him to New York City.
Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski) is an American feature writer for the newspaper Newsday, wrapping up an assignment in Sydney, Australia when she hears a story about a bushman named Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee, who survived a crocodile attack and managed to survive by crawling hundreds of miles to safety. She flies out to Walkabout Creek, a small hamlet in the Northern Territory of Australia where she meets Dundee. She informs him that her newspaper would be willing to pay him for his story on the condition that he take her into the Outback and show her exactly where the attack happened. He agrees and the duo heads off into the wilderness for a few days.
Along the way, Sue learns about Dundee and finds his viewpoint that the Outback is no place for a woman, insulting. Determined to prove to him that because she is a New Yorker and can handle anything that comes her way, she sets off for their intended destination solo but soon comes to realize that Dundee was correct in his assumption as she is almost killed by a crocodile. Naturally, Dundee saves the day and kills the crocodile with his large Bowie knife. When their trip comes to an end, she offers to fly him to New York as he has never been to a big city before and he agrees. Now the tables have been turned, and Dundee is about to realize that New York is a completely different type of jungle.
“Crocodile Dundee” was a global smash hit and it put Paul Hogan squarely on the map as a Hollywood A-lister, and he would stay in the spotlight for the next fifteen years. He would return three years later in “Crocodile Dundee II” and then once more in 2001 for “Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles,” and while the first two movies were big hits, the twelve-year gap between Parts II and III would prove to be the series’ eventual downfall. “Crocodile Dundee” was the highest-grossing film of all time in Australia and the highest-grossing Australian film worldwide. While audiences fell in love with Hogan’s gruff but kind-hearted Dundee, some Australians were critical of Dundee’s persona, complaining that it gave the rest of the world a “Wild West” fantasy about Australia that didn’t exist.
While “Crocodile Dundee” is purely fiction, it offers a look at the country’s natural beauty and Australians’ friendly and welcoming nature. With its release in 1986, it boosted tourism for Australia, putting it on the map for people from all over the world to come and visit. During the 2018 Superbowl, Tourism Australia produced a trailer for what appeared to be a new movie called “Dundee,” starring Danny McBride as Dundee’s American son who travels to Australia. Also starring alongside McBride were Chris and Liam Hemsworth, Margot Robbie, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Isla Fisher. In the end, it turned out to be nothing more than a tourism ad for Australia but enthusiasm for a new film quickly began to gain momentum and fans are still eager for a new big-screen iteration, possibly with Dundee passing the torch to new blood. Whether that will ever materialize remains to be seen but in the meantime, sit back and enjoy the movie that started it all.
Mick “Crocodile” Dundee (Paul Hogan) is settling into his new Manhattan home when a South American drug dealer (Hechter Ubarry) abducts his girlfriend, Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski). But intrepid Dundee, aiming to rescue Sue, is soon on the criminal’s trail.
Two years after the success of “Crocodile Dundee,” Paramount Pictures released the inevitable sequel, simply titled, “Crocodile Dundee II.” Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski both reprised their roles and the film was another smash hit, although not as big as its predecessor. I was shocked and surprised to learn that it only has a 10% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (“Crocodile Dundee” has an 88% approval rating) because while it is nowhere near as original as the first movie, it is still thoroughly enjoyable and engaging.
This time around, Mick (Hogan) is settling into his new Manhattan home with his girlfriend Sue (Kozlowski) when she is abducted by a South American drug dealer named Luis Rico (Hechter Ubarry). Sue’s ex, Bob (Dennis Boutsikaris), works for the DEA in Colombia and managed to snap some photos of Luis killing an unknown American but was spotted by Luis’ henchmen and given chase. Before he was killed, Bob managed to mail the photos back to Sue in the US and Luis tells Mick that he wants the photos and will release Sue unharmed upon receiving them. Knowing that he will kill them both once he has the evidence, Mick and a group of friends turn up at Luis’ mansion and his friends cause a distraction, leading most of the guards on a wild goose chase while Mick rescues Sue. Knowing that it is only a matter of time before they will come after them, Mick takes Sue back to Australia where he can protect her on familiar ground.
I liked the change of direction this time out, in the first movie, it started out with Mick and Sue in Australia and ended up with them both in New York. Here, it starts out in New York and winds up back in Australia, almost as if the story had come full circle. And if the series had ended there, I would have been happy but this is Hollywood and if something makes money, they are going to wring it out for every penny. Hogan and Kozlowski are still every bit as charming and appealing as they were in “Crocodile Dundee,” individually and collectively, and it’s easy to see why they wound up getting married for twenty-four years. John Meillon returns from the first film as Walter Reilly, one of Dundee’s oldest and most trusted friends but sadly, less than a year later, the actor passed away from Cirrhosis at age 55.
In today’s day and age of movies being adapted into TV shows, I think “Crocodile Dundee” could benefit greatly from this conversion. Paul Hogan could continue in the role that made him famous but he could have a son or daughter who would eventually take over the mantle, allowing him to continue in a supporting capacity. There is no doubt in my mind that Hollywood will eventually remake the first film utilizing a new actor in the part, Chris Hemsworth immediately comes to mind but I think Paramount would have their work cut out for them, “Crocodile Dundee” is a product of its time and Mick Dundee may not have as much appeal on younger audiences today as he did 35 years ago. Present-day audiences are spoiled for diversity and poor old Mick would probably wish to remain in the ’80s in the Outback, wrestling crocodiles and laughing it up in Walkabout Creek with Walter and Donk.
Australian Outback adventurer Mick “Crocodile” Dundee travels to Los Angeles with his young son while his longtime companion suspects foul play at a movie studio.
I remember watching an interview with Paul Hogan around the time “Crocodile Dundee II” was released in 1988 and when asked if he was going to make another Dundee film, he stated that he was done with the character and wanted to move on to other projects. This was totally fine by me as I stated in my review of “Crocodile Dundee II,” I felt by the end of the movie, the story arc had come full circle and there was nothing else to tell. Obviously, Hogan felt the same way and he didn’t want to be typecast in the role for the rest of his career so it made perfect sense that he wanted to pursue other roles and projects. The problem was, those opportunities didn’t pan out too well as each movie bombed at the box office and received terrible reviews. “Almost an Angel,” “Lightning Jack,” and “Flipper” didn’t exactly set the box office on fire so in 2001, he donned his now-famous black Akubra hat and strapped on his Bowie knife and leather sheath and decided to give Dundee one more shot.
In “Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles,” Mick and Sue are living in the Australian outback with their young son Mikey (Serge Cockburn) but crocodile hunting is now illegal so Mick is reduced to wrestling crocs for spectator entertainment. When Sue is offered a job in Los Angeles as the bureau chief for her father’s newspaper, she accepts and the family heads out west to the Golden State. Once there, just like in the first film, Mick tries to get familiar with L.A. but this time he has Mikey with him. All sorts of cross-cultural mishaps transpire but when Mick and Sue learn that her predecessor died mysteriously, they begin to investigate the murder and it leads them to a movie studio that has nefarious operations with regards to priceless stolen art. When the studio head becomes aware of their snooping, he sends out his henchmen to finish them off but Mick and Sue are way ahead of the posse.
Putting Mick in Los Angeles might have seemed like a good idea on paper but the finished product wound up being unamusing and unimaginative. We already saw Mick and Sue’s character arcs come to fruition in the previous two films but here, there is nothing left for them to do. They become amateur sleuths and solve a murder and then return to Australia where they get married and live happily ever after. I would have much preferred that the movie took place in Australia as there is so much undiscovered country there and with the possibility of endless narratives, Part III could have been just as good as, if not better, than the previous two outings but instead, we are given conventional and clichéd comedy tropes that for the most part, miss the mark. Hogan was definitely beginning to show his age and you can’t help but feel sorry for him that this was his final sendoff. He should have waited for a better script, or written one himself since he penned the first film but as the old saying goes, it is what it is. For any Crocodile Dundee fans out there, this collection is worth owning, even with the mediocre third outing but you can always put the first two on repeat, thereby ignoring Part III altogether. Just a suggestion.
