Crocodile Dundee

Starring: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon, Mark Blum, Reginald VelJohnson
Directed by: Peter Faiman
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
1986

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: A strong-willed New York reporter (Linda Kozlowski) goes to Australia to interview a crocodile hunter (Paul Hoagn) and invites him to travel back and experience NYC.

Review:

Tim: Crocodile Dundee is a classic adventure comedy, a wonderful fish-out-of-water story that wins audiences over with it charm and likability. I really had great fun with this film and I believe it does so much right that I'd consider it a great movie. Oftentimes, "crowd-pleasers" are lightweight, throwaway films. That's not the case here. This is a comedy that has more to it than you might realize.

The basic idea has been done before, but it still feels fresh and fun in this film. The first half of the movie features Linda Kozlowski, a hard-nosed New York City journalist who's out of her element in the wilds of Australia. She has a charismatic guide in Mick "Crocodile" Dundee. She's our entrance into this dangerous, exotic world as she explores a foreign land. It's fun seeing what is shocking or scary to her, which routine and commonplace for Dundee. During these scenes, we get to know and care about both characters. The real brilliance comes when the roles are reversed, and the outdoorsy Crocodile Dundee comes to New York City. This is really where the movie picks up steam. It's so fun to see Dundee exposed to the exotic urban jungle and it's greatly entertaining to see him amazed by things audiences would view as commonplace and routine. It's a terrific role reversal that is pulled off brilliantly. While you might expect Dundee to be a blundering fool (and occasionally he is), it's pretty amazing to see his resourcefulness and charm.

Paul Hogan steals the show as Crocodile Dundee. He makes this character strong, funny, charismatic, caring, brave, and likeable. It's really a remarkable performance. He elevates the movie by making Dundee this instantly classic, unforgettable character. I loved his performance. Linda Kozlowski is good, too. The chemistry between Hogan and Kozlowski is apparent on screen and it's great fun to watch. These two worked so well together, and they are a big, big reason why this movie worked so well.

The film also features some classic, classic moments. My all-time favorite has to be the scene with the knife. I've been quoting this movie since I was very young- "That's not a knife.THAT's a knife." It's one of the best lines ever and I love it. The climactic scene on the subway platform is also incredible- it's funny, original, and certainly memorable.

One thing I love about Crocodile Dundee is that it's proof that great movies can come from anywhere. There's absolutely no reason for this little movie to be one of the best films of 1986, but it absolutely is on my list. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and it certainly deserved that. A lot of people will dismiss this as a throwaway movie, but it has a lot more substance than you might expect. I love this film, and I feel like I have good reasons for doing so.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Crocodile Dundee II