Plot: What’s it about?
Mick “Crocodile” Dundee (Paul Hogan) and his girlfriend Sue (Linda Kozlowski) still live in the outback, but a new person has entered their lives, a young son named Mickey. Mick still hunts down the crocs and guides tours of the bush, but he also picks up his son from school and is a great father, to be sure. His son isn’t quite the bushman that his old man is, but Mick tries to teach him and in truth, Mick would like to show him other parts of the world, so he could decide for himself. So when Sue takes a position at her father’s paper in Los Angeles, Mick and Mickey pack up and go also, to see the sights of California. While father and son tour the area, Sue begins her new tasks and finds herself investigating a shady film studio. So after Mick has made the news a couple of times by accident, he and Sue head off to a party, where Mick is the hit of the night and tells stories about his mate Mal Gibson, whom the guests seem to know. Soon enough, the studio under suspicion is being scouted out by Mick and Sue, to discover the truth about what happens there. Mick has braved the outback and survived New York, but can he handle Los Angeles?
After an extended absence from the screen, Mick Dundee is back and while a second sequel isn’t unthinkable, I am surprised it came so long after the first two films. I was skeptical as to if this movie could recapture the same feel, but Paul Hogan and the rest of the workers have done it, even though this isn’t as good as the first two installments. I wanted this flick to be good, but I didn’t have high hopes and in the end, I think I was pleasantly surprised. As I said, this is not as funny as the first two pictures in the series, but it has some very humorous moments. The laughs range from slapstick to verbal cues, with a lot of content for both kids and adults, which is cool. The family friendly approach removes some potential humor at times, but this is not as bland as you think, at least I didn’t think so. Hogan is up to par as Dundee and a lot of prior cast members return, which gives it a familiar feel and that’s always good, in terms of sequels. Although Paramount hasn’t done much with the disc, I still think Dundee fans will want to purchase, while others should rent.
Although he has had other roles in his career, Paul Hogan will always be best known as Mick “Crocodile” Dundee, no doubt about it. I wouldn’t say that is a bad thing either, as the Crocodile Dundee character is well liked and while this installment wasn’t a smash, the other two films raked in a nice amount of greenbacks. I think Hogan’s performance is as strong as in either of the other two pictures, but his material simply isn’t as good at times, which hinders the whole operation. I hope this marks the last appearance of Dundee, as Hogan has provided a nice out if so, as opposed to another sequel, which will probably be a step down from even this. You can also see Hogan in such films as Lightning Jack, Almost an Angel, Floating Away, and Flipper. The cast also includes Linda Kozlowski (Crocodile Dundee, Village of the Damned), Paul Rodriguez (A Million to Juan, Rat Race), and Jere Burns (Greedy, Life-Size).
Video: How does it look?
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As is often the case with their day & date titles, Paramount has supplied a terrific visual presentation here and I doubt anyone will be let down. The print is clean, as is to be expected and the film’s vivid color scheme is flawless, with bright hues and no errors to report. I saw no errors with black levels either, as contrast is solid throughout, never obscuring detail whatsoever. All in all, this is a fine visual effort and it should please all those who view it, without a doubt.
Audio: How does it sound?
As this is a comedy, the audio is not super powerful or anything, but the included Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is better than most comedic mixes. The surrounds are used to enhance the musical soundtrack of course, but also to add depth to a lot of scenes, which provides a more active, immersive experience. The dialogue is never lost in the shuffle however, as it is always clean and easy to understand. This is by no means a new reference level track, but for a dialogue driven comedy, I found this option to be very alive and effective. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
