Crocodile Dundee

Rating:
Summary: From Down Under...
Review: Delightful romantic comedy with Linda playing a New York reporter who goes to Austraila, meets a guy from the outback (Paul), they both go back to New York, have some adventures, and then fall in love. Simple story with great fun and romance along the way. Was followed by a sequal that did not go anywhere.

Rating:
Summary: Crocodile Dundee soundtrack is fun to listen to...
Review: Even though it is a very short soundtrack, it is a very fun soundtrack to hear. The track titled "Crocodile", really brings back the feeling of the crocodile attack scene.

Rating:
Summary: This Fish Out Of A Water Comedy Really Swims!
Review: Here is another light hearted comedy that can really put a smile on your face. Paul Hogan brightens up the screen with his backwater charm and humor. You would think that he is clueless at times but then he cooly pulls himself and Linda Kozolowski out of danger particularly in the scene where he scares off the NYC thugs. The scenes with the prostitutes are also fairly amusing. Overall, this film will have you thinking more open minded about out of towners. We all have our own little quirks and this film displays this quality quite well.

Rating:
Summary: PAUL HOGAN IS GREAT!
Review: I BOUGHT THIS MOVIE TO SHOW MY GRANNY AND SHE LOVED IT!! I'M A GREAT FAN OF AUSTRALIA AND I LOVE CROCODILES OF ANY KIND. I EVEN DRESSED UP AS CROCODILE DUNDEE FOR HALLOWEEN. I WATCHED THIS MOVIE WITH MY PET PYTHON AND MY GRANNY AND WE ALL LOVED IT. MY FAVORITE PART WAS WHEN PAUL HOGAN SAID '' THAT'S NOT A KNIFE,THAT'S A KNIFE''. PAUL HOGAN HAS DELIVERED HIS BEST PREFORMANCE.

Rating:
Summary: Had video but will replace it with widescreen DVD!
Review: I saw Crocodile Dundee with My mother in a movie theater when it first came out, I was about 21 years old and I liked it and it gave me an interest in Australia which I still have to this day! There are many funny scenes and lines in Crocodile Dundee but I think one of my favorites was when Nick Dundee got even with the drunken hunters. I had this on video but gave it away because it was just full frame and I will replace it with a widescreen DVD, I don't like how full frame is edited from the theatrical version. Well I like full frame only if it is one of those old classics that was made before widescreen was invented or was made for Television.

Rating:
Summary: Funnneeeee!
Review: It's old (1986) and it's schmaltzy and old-fashioned, but Crocodile Dundee is still worth watching if you missed it first time around. Paul Hogan, fresh from Down Under, is so perfectly cast that it quickly becomes apparent that he's not really acting at all: this is just who he is. He plays a relaxed Aussie tracker who shows an American reporter around his native bush country, then accompanies her to her own turf in New York City. It's the old fish-out-of-water theme, and Hogan and co-star Linda Koslowski (whom he later married, in real life), play it off perfectly.
Pure confection, but also pure fun.

Rating:
Summary: Nothing but Fun from the First "G'day" to the Last
Review: One of the great things about movies is that every once in awhile the unexpected happens, something comes along that you know immediately is just a bit different and special somehow. Usually it's the film itself, but on occasion-- and this is one of them-- a character will emerge who is not just a character in a movie, but IS the movie. Here, it's the title character of "Crocodile Dundee," directed by Peter Faiman, and starring Paul Hogan as the inimitable Mick Dundee, a rather unique individual hailing from the small hamlet of Walkabout Creek, Australia. Mick hit the big screen in 1986, and from the first moment he appeared, right up through the end of the second sequel, it's been a "G'day" for audiences around the world.

In Australia on assignment for her New York newspaper, journalist Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski) runs across a story she just has to pursue. It's about a legendary "local" from one of the small towns on the cusp of the bush, a crocodile hunter who, the story goes, had his leg bitten off by a croc, then managed to survive by crawling, alone, for days on end across the outback. So it's off to the town of Walkabout Creek in search of this larger-than-life character, who it turns out is quite a "character" to say the least. He is, in fact, one of a kind.

After a memorable meeting in the town's only pub (one of about four buildings in the whole place), Michael J. "Mick" Dundee agrees to take her on a tour retracing his steps and reconstructing the famous event where it actually took place. He promises a hard journey through some rugged terrain-- no place, in fact, for a "Sheila"-- but, like any good reporter, she's ready for anything; or so she thinks. And it's the beginning of an adventure she, as well as the audience, will never forget.

Hogan concocted the story and created the character, then wrote the screenplay along with John Cornell and Ken Shadie, after which he turned it over to director Faiman, who did a worthy, if not exceptional, job of translating Hogan's vision to the screen. Faiman, however, is destined to be the forgotten man with regards to this project, inasmuch as he was not only necessarily overshadowed by writer/star Hogan, but he presented the film in a fairly straightforward manner, without anything particularly noteworthy that "he" did that would put his "signature" on it. Add to that the fact that this was the first of only two films Faiman ever directed (his second was the lackluster "Dutch" in 1991); simply not enough to reference him, nothing added to his resume afterwards to make you take notice and say, "Oh, yes, he directed 'Dundee,' too." Still, filmmaking is inherently a collaborative medium, and as they say, a film does not "direct" itself; so credit must be given where it is due, and considering how good this film is, and how well it did at the box office, it points up that whatever Faiman did, he did right. And he deserves to be acknowledged for it.

It's no secret, of course, what really makes this film work. Aside from the engaging story with it's romantic notions of adventure, from beginning to end it has the four "Big Cs" going for it: Character, Charisma, Chemistry and Charm. Let's face it, Paul Hogan is "The Man" as Mick Dundee; he's the guy other guys admire and want to be (whether or not they'll admit to it), and he has the kind of natural good looks, charisma and charm that is irresistible to the ladies (whether or not they'll admit to it). And the chemistry between Hogan and Kozlowski is irrefutable; it's the kind that makes you want to put another shrimp on the barbie. Besides all of which there is an innate honesty about Hogan's Mick that shines through like a 1st order Fresnel light in a London fog. He's laid-back and grounded, with a refreshingly logical outlook on life-- this guy's never going to need a pill for hypertension-- and what adds even more to his appeal is that there's a touch of larceny in his make-up, hiding just beneath that twinkle in his eye and his obvious integrity. You also know instinctively that this is the guy you want in your corner when the chips are down. All of this and more is what Paul Hogan captures in his performance; this is the Mick "Crocodile" Dundee he brings to the screen.

In her motion picture debut, the lovely Linda Kozlowski brings some sizzle to the screen and proves to be the perfect counterpoint to co-star Hogan. Something of an "Ibsenesque" role model, she demonstrates that a woman can be strong and ultra feminine, capable yet vulnerable, and all at the same time. It makes her portrayal of Sue Charlton convincing, well rounded and real; much more than just a cardboard cutout kind of a character that could have been used as nothing more than a vehicle to move the story along. Instead, though this is without question Mick Dundee's story, she makes it her story, too, and it gives the film an added perspective and considerably more depth than what is usually found in light comedy, which is essentially what this film is. And there's a look in her eye and something in the way she smiles at Mick that has an absolute ring of truth to it. You could say, in fact, that Hogan and Kozlowski are the Bogie and Bacall of the outback.

Another invaluable asset to the film is the performance of the likable John Meillon as Mick's friend, Walter Reilly. The part is a true character actor's character, and Meillon does it beautifully. The supporting cast includes Mark Blum (Richard), Michael Lombard (Sam), Steve Rackman (Donk) and Reginald VelJohnson (Gus). A memorable film filled with unforgettable characters, "Crocodile Dundee" will take you to the top o'the world... "down under."

Rating:
Summary: Down Under meets the Big Apple
Review: One of the most frequently used, and most telling, elements of comedy is incongruity, and this is a film with plenty of it. The title character and his adventures should be a sheer delight for everyone, and even the romantic element is so low-keyed that there should be no complaints from boy viewers about "mush."

Paul Hogan, who wrote the original story and co-wrote the screenplay, plays Michael J. "Mick" Dundee, sometimes known as "Crocodile," who (with his more civilized partner, Walt Reilly) runs Never-Never Safaris out of Walkabout Creek, Northern Territories, Australia. He claims to have been raised by the local aboriginies (and does indeed join them, face painted, at a corroboree), doesn't know how old he is ("What year's this?" he asks, when the question comes up), and doesn't know or care what the day of the week is. He "was sorta married once...Went out for a walkabout, I come back and she'd gone." He's a highly skilled outdoorsman (sometimes accused of being a "poacher" of crocodiles) and even seems to have some unusual abilities--he puts a water buffalo to sleep when it blocks the road his Jeep is following ("Mind over matter," Walt says). New York reporter Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski), daughter of the publisher of Newsday, is in Australia doing a series of pieces, hears of one of his recent exploits (slightly inflated in the telling), and decides he'd make a good subject for a story. Eventually she persuades him to come to New York with her, and it's there that more than half the movie occurs, along with all the humorous incongruity. Mick Dundee is every country bumpkin who ever came to the big city, and his frankness, his ingenuous offerings of friendship to jaded New Yorkers, and his reactions to things like planes, escalators, elevators, a bidet, a black chauffeur, hookers and transvestites (when the former offer him "one for free," he says, "One what?"), New York traffic (he shinnies up a light pole at his first encounter with it, and has to be rescued by a mounted cop), and cocaine use are delightfully innocent. Withal, he finds his bush skills not unuseful to him: he brings down a purse-snatcher with an accurately-thrown can of food, drives off a trio of muggers by pulling out his huge Bowie knife and slashing the jacket of the leader, and "charms" and makes friends with a pair of ferocious Rottweilers.

Some of Hogan's Australian speech may be hard to understand, and the sudden attack of a crocodile on Sue (it grabs the canteen hanging around her neck) may scare some kids. But on the whole, the movie should be a hit with all ages. Part of Mick is "for tourists only": out in the bush, he switches from safety razor to his Bowie knife when Sue joins him, and after spreading out for her a feast of goanna (a native lizard), grubs, sugar ants, and yams, he cheerfully admits, "You can live on it, but it tastes like s**t," and pulls out a can. Yet he can't sleep in a bed--he makes up a doss on the floor of his hotel room--and he's careful never to hurt a fellow human being, even when driving off a group of poachers who are killing kangaroos for fun. The first crack in his lighthearted facade shows when Sue's editor proposes publicly to her at a dinner party, and only then do we realize that he's grown to love her. At the close he walks on heads and shoulders across a mobbed subway platform to rejoin her, and everybody cheers. You may well feel like cheering too.

Rating:
Summary: Down Under meets the Big Apple
Review: One of the most frequently used, and most telling, elements of comedy is incongruity, and this is a film with plenty of it. The title character and his adventures should be a sheer delight for everyone, and even the romantic element is so low-keyed that there should be no complaints from boy viewers about "mush."

Paul Hogan, who wrote the original story and co-wrote the screenplay, plays Michael J. "Mick" Dundee, sometimes known as "Crocodile," who (with his more civilized partner, Walt Reilly) runs Never-Never Safaris out of Walkabout Creek, Northern Territories, Australia. He claims to have been raised by the local aboriginies (and does indeed join them, face painted, at a corroboree), doesn't know how old he is ("What year's this?" he asks, when the question comes up), and doesn't know or care what the day of the week is. He "was sorta married once...Went out for a walkabout, I come back and she'd gone." He's a highly skilled outdoorsman (sometimes accused of being a "poacher" of crocodiles) and even seems to have some unusual abilities--he puts a water buffalo to sleep when it blocks the road his Jeep is following ("Mind over matter," Walt says). New York reporter Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski), daughter of the publisher of Newsday, is in Australia doing a series of pieces, hears of one of his recent exploits (slightly inflated in the telling), and decides he'd make a good subject for a story. Eventually she persuades him to come to New York with her, and it's there that more than half the movie occurs, along with all the humorous incongruity. Mick Dundee is every country bumpkin who ever came to the big city, and his frankness, his ingenuous offerings of friendship to jaded New Yorkers, and his reactions to things like planes, escalators, elevators, a bidet, a black chauffeur, hookers and transvestites (when the former offer him "one for free," he says, "One what?"), New York traffic (he shinnies up a light pole at his first encounter with it, and has to be rescued by a mounted cop), and cocaine use are delightfully innocent. Withal, he finds his bush skills not unuseful to him: he brings down a purse-snatcher with an accurately-thrown can of food, drives off a trio of muggers by pulling out his huge Bowie knife and slashing the jacket of the leader, and "charms" and makes friends with a pair of ferocious Rottweilers.

Some of Hogan's Australian speech may be hard to understand, and the sudden attack of a crocodile on Sue (it grabs the canteen hanging around her neck) may scare some kids. But on the whole, the movie should be a hit with all ages. Part of Mick is "for tourists only": out in the bush, he switches from safety razor to his Bowie knife when Sue joins him, and after spreading out for her a feast of goanna (a native lizard), grubs, sugar ants, and yams, he cheerfully admits, "You can live on it, but it tastes like s**t," and pulls out a can. Yet he can't sleep in a bed--he makes up a doss on the floor of his hotel room--and he's careful never to hurt a fellow human being, even when driving off a group of poachers who are killing kangaroos for fun. The first crack in his lighthearted facade shows when Sue's editor proposes publicly to her at a dinner party, and only then do we realize that he's grown to love her. At the close he walks on heads and shoulders across a mobbed subway platform to rejoin her, and everybody cheers. You may well feel like cheering too.

Rating:
Summary: Very well acted (and often quite funny) though predictable
Review: Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski prove themselves two wonderful actors. They make their roles believable and likeable. And yes, there are some laugh out loud funny moments. Yet I still can't give this one a 4 or 5 star rating since almost every single fish-out-of-water cliche was incorporated. Here are most of them: 1) a reporter is sent to a foreign country (Australia) to interview Crocodile Dundee--guess what'll happen. 2) He arrives in America but his heart and mind are still purely Australian. He causes his predictable shtick in the Big Apple. 3) He arrives in New York City with all the wonderful stereotypes of it thrown in. 4) And, as I indirectly mentioned in Cliche 1, the reporter and the lady fall in love. That is the whole movie and I've seen the formula used in trillions of others like it, both made before and after '86. Films of its ilk include MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON, COMING TO AMERICA, THE COWBOY WAY, THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY, MY COUSIN VINNY...the list goes on and on. But it is of course superior to its two dreadful, painfully unfunny sequels.