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Click above to purchase "Crocodile Dundee" at amazon.com
"Crocodile" Dundee
review by Zach B.
Rated PG-13
Studio: Paramount
Running Time: 97 minutes
Starring Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, Mark Blum, David
Gulpili, Michael Lombard and John Meillon
Screenplay by Paul Hogan, Ken Shadie & John
Cornell
Story by Paul Hogan
Directed by Peter Faiman
Retail Price: $24.99
Features: Theatrical Trailer
Specs: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, English Dolby
Surround, French Mono, English Closed Captions, English
Subtitles, Scene Selection
Released: September 18th, 2001
Where to even start with "Crocodile Dundee"? Paul Hogan
became a breakout star in America and an icon of sorts due
to the role he created, and the film as well as its
characters and catchphrases quickly worked its way into pop
culture ("That's not a knife. THAT'S a knife."). The film
was a true success story. Good reviews, good box office and
even an Oscar® nomination for the screenplay. While that
was all in the 1980s and times of glory, looking to the
future we see that the third installment of the series
showed status of the film's stars... but more on that
another time.
So the saga begins here, when Sue Carlton (Linda
Kozlowski, Hogan's real life wife) goes to the Australian
outback to investigate Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee (AKA
Mick). Mick is a legend of sorts, as he is known to be quite
an outdoors guy who's skilled and leads an interesting life.
Sue invites Mick to New York, and that's where the fun
begins. Mick has never been outside his Australian village,
and as the ultimate tourist, he runs into a lot of trouble
in New York City with the ultimate clashes of cultures.
This, of course, leads to great, hilarious and zany comedy.
I guess we can all relate to Mick as we've all been
alienated at one point in our lives and not sure about
things and adapting to new ways, but I doubt any of our
stories are as fun and entertaining as Mick's.
So does the movie hold up well over fifteen years later?
I think it does. Hogan's screenplay, co-written by John
Cornell (who would go on to direct the second installment)
and Ken Shadie is quite good. While at the start it may feel
a little dragged out, it's quite necessary. It builds the
relationship between Sue and Mick, and establishes what Mick
is all about. There's some classic scenes all over the
script and was worthy of an Oscar® nomination. There's
good development all around as far as characters, plot and
relationships.
The direction in the movie from Peter Faiman is good. He
establishes a sense of wonder through Mick's eyes, and we
get a glorious taste of Australia so we sort of have our own
sense of wonderment. The movie, at a brisk 97 minutes, is
quite even and goes by really fast. It never gets dull or
boring, and always keeps things up.
The acting in the film is also very good. Hogan, while he
may be stereotyped as Dundee, is perfect in the role he
created (not to mention he did win the Golden Globe for it).
While he can be sharp and cunning, and have his way, he
captures his innocence and the naiveness of the character.
His accent, his mannerisms... it's all great. He has great
chemistry with real life love Kozlowski, and the other
supporting roles are fun and energetic as well.
Well mates, that's about it. A comedy classic, a movie
that screams the 1980s and a small but worthy part of pop
culture, "Crocodile Dundee" is a must see.
The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen isn't spectacular. I
wish it was cleaned up more. The main problem, I thought,
was the great deal of dirt, blemishes and scratches. They're
all over this print and in great abundance. That can be
REALLY distracting. The print can be a little bit soft at
times too. Still, it's not all bad. Color saturation is
really good as fleshtones are accurate and on par. Black
levels are stunningly solid, while detail is pretty good.
Exterior shots looks wonderful, and interior shots look
pretty good too. However, night scenes don't look as good
usually while there is some grain too. Still, it's not so
bad. I just wish it was a little better.
The English Dolby Surround track is also pretty good.
It's not a full blown out 5.1 mix, but dialogue is clear and
easy to hear. I didn't notice any distortion as the sound
appears to be in good shape. The other sounds don't
overpower each other either. Music sounds pretty good too,
and the more action oriented scenes are nice. Nothing too
spectacular, but it's fine for what it is. A French track in
mono as well as English closed captions and subtitles are
included.
Paramount has provided the original Theatrical
Trailer. Too bad. I wish there was a commentary,
retrospective interviews or something more substantial on
the film.
"Crocodile Dundee" is a great comedy featuring a fine mix
of comedy and romance. This movie is classic, and helps show
popular culture of the 1980s. While the transfer and sound
aren't bad, there's no worthwhile bonus features. Still, the
price is not the usual Paramount 30 dollars, so you could
probably pick it up for around 20 bucks. It's worth it if
you ask me, and a fine piece of entertainment you can just
sit down and enjoy. Besides, where would we be without it?
No "Crocodile Gandhi" on "The Critic," that's for sure!
 (4/5 - NOT included in
final score)
 (3/5)
(3/5)
 (.5/5)
(3/5,
NOT an average)
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