User reviews

One of the best classics of the 80's and one of the best comedies ever. The special effects are very good, the actors are great, the sound bamda is good and they have a very funny and intelligent comedy. Highly recommend.

This was a breakout hit for Australian TV star Paul Hogan and you can see why. He effortlessly oozes charm and witty one-liners and instantly gets you on his side.

The film is in two halves, the first half is spent in the outback of Australia where New York reporter Linda Kozlowski flies out to see the legendary crocodile hunter in person to report on his story. Not only is she charmed by small town Australia and the characters she meets but a possible romance starts to develop between the two after Mick Dundee saves her from a near death experience. She is so intrigued by him she brings him back to New York, and this is where the second half begins.

The juxtaposition of dusty outback to densely populated city is where much fun is to be had in the script as Hogan milks the fish out of water innocent abroad scenario for all it's worth but does it with subtlety, wit and charm. The memorable one-liner regarding the knife is a classic moment and helps define this breezy romantic comedy.

It's still as fresh and enjoyable as the day it hit an unsuspecting audience and thrust Hogan into international stardom almost overnight, although British audiences were already familiar with his dry Aussie wit from the popular Fosters lager commercials of the early 80's.

Linda Kozlowski plays a reporter who goes to the Australian Outback to do a story on Mick "Crocodile" Dundee, Played by Paul Hogan. She gets a good taste of Dundee's simple Tarzan-like life in the wilderness and decides to invite him to New York City. Dundee is a fish-out-of-water in the big city, of course, but it doesn't take him long to adapt, and the New Yorkers love him. Linda and Dundee naturally start to fall in love despite the fact that she has an arrogant fiancé.

"Crocodile Dundee" was released in 1986 and spawned two sequels in 1988 and 2001. It successfully combines 3 genres or themes -- romantic comedy, adventure and fish-out-of-water.

What makes the film work so well is the simple charisma of Paul Hogan. You'll likely never experience a more likable protagonist. On top of this, Linda Kozlowski is both likable and lovely, possessing an attractive spirituality and intelligence.

Paul and Linda have great chemistry. The chemistry is real seeing as how they would marry four years later in 1990. This is funny in light of the fact that one of Roger Ebert's main criticisms of the film was their supposed lack of chemistry. I love Roger Ebert. He's a great writer and critic, but he obviously missed it big on this one!

"Crocodile Dundee" was the most successful Australian film ever. It only runs about 90 minutes before the credits start. This is great because romantic comedies like "Dundee" are light fare; there's simply no reason to go much longer than an hour and a half. In other words, "Dundee" doesn't overstay its welcome.

GRADE: A-

Paul Hogan's original tailor-made 'fish out of water' flick became a massive hit in 1986 and still remains a warm, amusing and irresistibly enjoyable. In terms of plot, its simpler than simple - American reporter Linda Kozlowski is sent to Australia to investigate the legendary 'Crocodile' Dundee (Hogan) and ends up bringing the charming rogue back to the Big Apple. It's a winner in every sense from Hogan's wonderfully laid-back performance to his own screenplay, featuring an array of classic quips and moments. Peter Best's excellent musical score also deserves applause in helping to ensure that this film remains great, exciting and still novel entertainment almost two decades on.

When you think of memorable 1980's comedies, this one that might come to mind to mind. Revolving around a very colorful, witty and worry-free Australian crocodile poacher(Paul Hogan), it is a feel-good movie filled with many laughs and and witty one-liners.

It offers many laughs in the way of culture shock to both the reporter and Dundee himself. Giving not only a glimpse at culture in the outback, but also in bustling Manhattan. Dundee's innocence of adapting to the fast lifestyle of New York is a formula for laughter.

Paul Hogan plays a highly likable character, playing off of Linda Kozlowski perfectly, their chemistry is a major contributor to the overall success of this movie. It is filled with scenes of action and comedy, framed into a film that will make you laugh and feel good.

7/10

Everyone knows the story by now: a New York reporter travels to Australia to write a story about Mick "Crocodile" Dundee, a down under wild man who returns to New York with the reporter. Very 80s, but still very funny, even 15 years later (the armed kangaroo scene is hillarious no matter how many times I see it). Well paced and well done. 7 out of 10.

Paul Hogan bring the character of Mick 'Crocodile' Dundee to life. Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski) is a beautiful reporter from New York on a quest into the Austrailian Outback in search of a story, but she gets way more than she thought when she meets 'Crocodile' Dundee in the flesh.

The scenes in the outback are my favourite, a great blend of action and comedy, with some simply beautiful cinematic views thrown in; but the film does get funnier once they head back to New York. His naivety in the big city opens the door for lots more comedy moments.

Overall it's a really good comedy 7/10

As well as being loaded with every satisfying cross-cultural gag you would hope for, Crocodile Dundee also contains many heartwarming messages about what's important in life.

Also, having lived in Australia for the last decade, I can confirm that Paul Hogan's character is more fact than fiction and that bushtucker grub does indeed taste like s**t.

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.' 10/10.

Oh, how I love 'Crocodile Dundee'! This certainly is one of my favorite and most memorable comedies. And quite honestly, I believe it would never have worked so well if it wasn't for the charmingly funny - and dare I say devilishly handsome - Paul Hogan!

Mick Dundee (Paul Hogan) has such an endearing mannerism that you can't help but love him. His simple existence and naïve nature makes him incredibly sexy, and funny - being naturally funny as opposed to slapstick. I just love him!

The film features very good cinematography. We follow Mick 'Crocodile' Dundee and a reporter, Sue, on an adventure to relive the moment he was allegedly attacked by a giant crocodile, and managed to killed the crocodile. Well, so the legend goes. Whether or not it is actually true, is never revealed, but the journey makes for one hell of an exciting and funny adventure. It's so hard to find these great adventure comedies nowadays.

The romance interest was predictable, but it felt sincere and was rather beautiful, actually. 'Crocodile Dundee' is a free-spirited movie with a positive message. This is the type of movie you can sit back and enjoy and have a good time with - pure escapism. This is awesome!

Crocodile Dundee is essentially the same fish out of water story told from two different angles. The first third or so of the film is about an American reporter discovering the Australian wilderness and unique personality of her guide, Crocodile Dundee. Who returns with her to the equally wild streets of New York City. The film is very simple and straightforward, but with a tight execution and the charm of Paul Hogan, it works.

While it starts off with Linda Kozlowski as the lead, it becomes quickly apparent that the star of this film is Hogan. And as the film progresses the focus shifts increasingly over to him. This a part that he can play better than just about anyone and being one of the writers, he was able to tailor fit the role to his strengths and limitations.

Crocodile Dundee isn't perhaps the very best of filmmaking, but it's a fine example of how to make a decent film out of a modest, light story.

The Australian film industry first began to come to international notice in the seventies and early eighties with films like Peter Weir's "Picnic at Hanging Rock" and "Gallipoli", Fred Schepisi's "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith" and Bruce Beresford's "Breaker Morant". Most of these were films with a serious theme and, often, a historical setting. "Crocodile Dundee" was different. Not only did it have a contemporary setting, it was also perhaps the first great Australian comedy- certainly the first Australian comedy to achieve international success.

The protagonists are Mick Dundee, a bushman from northern Australia, and Sue Charleton, an attractive young female journalist from New York. Sue is on assignment in Australia, and hears stories about a legendary crocodile hunter from the small outback village of Walkabout Creek. (The name may be homage to Nicolas Roeg's film "Walkabout", one of the earliest manifestations of the Australian New Wave. One of the stars of that film, David Gumpilil, has a part in Crocodile Dundee). Sue meets Mick to interview him and travels with him into the bush to see the scene of his famed encounter with a crocodile that nearly cost him his leg. She then arranges for him to travel back to New York with her- the first time he has been outside Australia or visited a city.

The film is essentially a romantic comedy. Romantic comedies generally deal with a couple in love and the way in which they overcome obstacles to their love. A common type of obstacle is a discrepancy in their social backgrounds, and this is the type we have here. Sue and Mick seem to be polar opposites. She is a typical product of the American East Coast elite- urban, wealthy, professional, politically committed to liberal causes. He is from a working-class background, rural, apolitical with no fixed employment. As another reviewer has pointed out, he is as much a fish out of water in the city as she is in the outback. To make things worse, he is considerably older than her, and she already has a boyfriend, her editor Richard. There is, however, a saying that polar opposites attract, and this is as true of characters in romantic comedies as it is of magnets. The marvellous ending on the crowded subway station is one of the most memorable finales to any romantic comedy, rivalling that of "The Graduate".

Some romantic comedies concentrate on romance at the expense of comedy, but Crocodile Dundee is not one of them. The film is brilliantly funny, especially in the second half when the action moves to New York. The main source of the humour is Paul Hogan's title character. Mick is a rough diamond, but decent, kindly and good-hearted. Most of the laughs arise from his innocent misunderstanding of the seedier aspects of life in the big city- there are jokes at the expense of prostitutes, criminals like the muggers who flee when they see Mick has a bigger knife than they have ("That's not a knife. THAT'S a knife!"), transvestites (one of whom Mick mistakenly tries to chat up), drug takers (Mick thinks cocaine is a cure for blocked sinuses) and psychiatrists ("Haven't you got any mates to talk to?") This last sentiment touched a chord in Britain, ever suspicious of the American obsession with psycho-analysis. Mick may be apolitical, but he is also politically incorrect- much of the humour is aimed at the culture of political correctness, just starting to burgeon in the mid-eighties. There are jokes about race and gender, and Dundee is not only a drinker but also a heavy smoker. (And this during a decade when smoking was almost banished from the screen).

Some of the humour is perhaps a bit exaggerated- it is, for example, difficult to believe that Mick does not recognise the prostitutes for what they are, as he is no sexual innocent but a red-blooded ladies' man with an eye for the Sheilas- but this is deliberate exaggeration for satirical effect. The film both satirises and celebrates Australia's self-image as a land of self-reliant pioneers from the outback- most modern Australians, in fact, live in the suburbs of a few large cities- by contrasting idealised rural Australian values with the supposed vices of urban America.

Despite the great success of this film, the sequel was less successful and Paul Hogan and his lovely co-star Linda Kozlowski (who later became his wife) did not perhaps go on to the glittering careers that some had predicted for them. Nevertheless, Mick Dundee will live on as one of the great comic characters of all time, and the film itself as one of the best comedies of the eighties and possibly the best Australian comedy ever. 9/10

'Crocodile Dundee' is perhaps one of the most iconic films of the 80s, a unique comedy like nothing that had come before it. It's a great piece of light entertainment that gets the balance of adventure and comedy spot on.

Paul Hogan had the ability to make or break this film as the title character, but thankfully he thrives in the role and is responsible for almost all of the gags and funny scenes in the movie.

The film plays to its strengths, taking advantage of some common stereotypes for some very funny jokes. It has charm and charisma in abundance and is a real crowd-pleaser. It's also unlikely to ever grow old due to its uniqueness and quirky humour. 'Crocodile Dundee' is a great 80s film and one of the most iconic comedies of its time.

A NY journalist travels to the Australian Outback to write a feature on a famed bushman. She ends up taking him back to NYC to round off her article. All the while these two opposites develop an attraction to one and other.

Crocodile Dundee is a textbook fish out of water film. The romantic sub-plot is predictable and the general jist of the humour is as you would expect. But the movie really works primarily because of Paul Hogan's turn as the title character. He is very convincing - too convincing perhaps as he has been typecast ever since. He captures Mick Dundee's confidence at home in Aus, as well as his naivety in New York. And as this latter factor is the basis for most of the comedy, it's the strongest section of the film. There are numerous funny encounters with various New York denizens. And while it's not exactly a hilarious movie, it's certainly a likeably humorous one.

Whatever you do though, watch out for the edited pre-watershed TV version of this film that seems to be broadcast regularly. It's missing loads of the humour. The cocaine scene has been entirely removed as well as half-a-dozen of the funniest lines that have been deemed as being too risqué. It's annoying, so beware. Try and catch the original movie free of this silly interference.

Paul Hogan became known over night as an actor with the release of this box office smash hit. "Crocodile Dundee" introduced many movie fans to Australia, especially its Outback. This wasn't the first major film about Australia that reached theaters in the Americas and Europe. But it was the first big box office hit everywhere.

"The Sundowners" of 1960 starred Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr. While it did all right in the United Kingdom and was the third highest grossing film in Australia in 1961, it flopped in the U.S. That was due mostly to poor marketing and scant theater releases. Yet, it received five Academy Award nominations.

"Crocodile Dundee" once again sparked interest in Australia among the movie crowds. Other films were soon to follow. Some had big name stars doing films Down Under. Tom Selleck starred in "Quigley Down Under" in 1990. Hogan and the cast of "Crocodile" made sequels that were shot partly in Australia. "Crocodile Dundee II" came out in 1988 and "Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles" hit the screen in 2001. "The Rabbit-Proof Fence" of 2002 had a mostly unknown Australian cast but was a critical success, if not a huge box-office success. The most recent smash film from Down Under is the epic movie, "Australia" of 2008. It starred Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. There have been many others since and in between.

This is a feel good comedy and adventure film. Hogan also helped write and produce the movie, and was nominated for an Oscar for the writing. He did receive the 1987 Golden Globe for best actor for this film. And, he received two BAFTA nominations, for acting and writing. Hogan was not a total newcomer to film. Before this, he was one of the leads in the smash Australian TV mini-series about World War I, "Anzacs."

This was also Linda Kozlowski's first silver screen role, as Sue Charlton. And, native Australian actor John Meillon plays Walter Reilly, a sidekick and sometime manager for Crocodile.

This is a light comedy with some good scenery from Australia that most movie fans should enjoy.

Crocodile Dundee is a great movie with a good storyline,a great cast and plenty of very funny scenes.There is nothing about this movie that really amazed and the humor is nothing different and nothing I didn't see before,but it still is very enjoyable and I thought Paul Hogan did a great performance and makes Crocodile Dundee a very likable character.

A female reporter from New York goes to Australia to find a crocodile hunter who survived an outstanding occurrence with a crocodile,and takes the Australian crocodile hunter to New York,which he finds very hard getting use to,but is falling for the reporter.

Hogan was the reason for this films success.He really comes off naturally and is very charming.The direction techniques of this movie was only fair and the story is very very simple BUT another secret of this movie besides Mr. Hogan is the great screenplay.No wasted scenes and the story just moves along taking the audience with it for more.The screenplay works so well that although the movie is one of the most predictable movies ever,the audience still enjoys the ending,and to top it all off,the audience actually wants more!Now this is a way to make simple movies.Charm our hearts and take our emotions and curiosity for an entertaining and educational ride.Extreme gimmicks and million dollar effects are not always required.Back to the basics filmakers!

Like its star Paul Hogan this film was once big, real big, a force to be reckoned with, but has since completely disappeared into obscurity. There was a time when the slender blonde leather faced Hogan was everywhere here in the UK, mainly advertising beer and acting the gruff Aussie, it was very popular. I think what is so endearing about this film is Hogan's character, his charm, lack of tact, surprising strength, rugged looks, Tarzan like abilities, gloriously over the top threads, blatant unknowing male chauvinism and the overall stereotypical rough Aussie masculinity bordering on rudeness we've all heard about. The epitome of the typical Aussie cowboy living in the merciless Aussie outback. Yet despite all that he's still a decent man, good natured, bit of a ladies man and a very likable fellow who does what's right (most times) or what he believes is right. He accepts who he is and we the audience accept it too, he's a bit of a lad (albeit middle aged lad). I tend to think that the rather over board portrayal of Mick Dundee is kinda toyed with for the international audience. I'm sure there are folk like this in the depths of the outback but the extreme stereotyping going on I think is there to make people laugh, give them what they expect but bigger. Everybody has a perception of different people from different countries and this is what many countries probably expected to see (at the time) when it came to Aussie blokes living in the bush (or Aussie males as a whole). The ragtag, scruffy, unwashed, unshaven, dirty shirt wearing bar patrons in Walkabout Creek pretty much some up the humongous stereotyping going on. Or maybe I'm wrong, maybe this IS how blokes in small desert towns of Australia's outback look and behave! Maybe all the sheila's are rather butch with cropped hair and work behind the bar...beats me, but it seems a tad forced. The plot is pretty much your Prince Charming type affair really, but in the Aussie outback, a modern day Tarzan. The beautiful blonde Kozlowski goes walkabout with Hogan's Dundee, gets into dangerous situations, shown how to survive, meets local Aboriginal tribes folk and slowly falls in love with the athletic bushman. The first half of the film is set in the outback of Oz and displays terrific scenery alongside some great visual gags and exciting moments, including Kozlowski's ass. The second half of the film is set on the streets of New York and again displays some genius visual gags (for the time) alongside more expected exciting moments...you just knew the pair would come across street punks at some point. What is amazing is back in the day (and now even) this film was a fresh idea, it was quite unique and still is really. If you scratch beneath the surface it tends to have a kind of 'Police Academy' motif/theme really, lots of obvious setups for hero moments, love scenes, silly gags etc...But its such a slice of good wholesome cheer I really can't fault it at all. You know what I'm gonna say...looking back this film is horrendously clichéd, cheesy and predictable, seriously so. But back in the 80's this was a tremendous hit and rightly so, it has everything you could want for a great fun time with a lovely happy ending. Only downer I can see is this franchise totally typecast Hogan and pretty much ended his film career as he never bettered this, his best rough bluecollar Aussie charmer.

Paul Hogan became a minor star (o.k., a VERY minor star) as a result of this well-received comedy about a man plucked out of the middle of the Australian outback and plunked down in New York City. Cue all of the requisite fish-out-of-water jokes. Viewing the film now, one is appalled at 1.) how not very good it is and 2.) how much smaller the world must have gotten since 1986 -- this movie makes Australia seem like a country from the far side of the moon.

Hogan tried to capitalize on the success of this movie and threw his hat in the ring for a sequel. Not a good idea, mate.

Grade: C

What a wonderful adventure romance! This is a film that neither my husband, my teenage son, or myself can resist watching time after time, whenever it happens to be on TV.

The movie tells the tale of Mick Dundee, a charismatic adventurer from Walkabout Creek in the Australian outback, who ends up as a 'croc out of water' (as some reviewers have cleverly phrased it) in New York City. Naturally, there's a 'sheila' with him, a love interest in the form of beautiful blonde American journalist, Sue Charlton. The sparks fly between them, the chemistry cooks, and so on.

This movie of course is made solely by the legendary character of Mick Dundee, played to charming perfection by Paul Hogan, both in his native bush and also Big City settings. You'll be in stitches, you'll cheer for him, you'll be amazed at his adaptation of his unique Down Under bush survival skills to the streets of the Big Apple. The knife incident...what can I say? He displays an endearing innocence of the seedier aspects of Big City life, notably its drugs and prostitutes. But it's not only Mick's humour and charisma, this adventurer is a guy with integrity that would put most everyone, rural or urban, Australian or American, to shame.

The greatest supporting role here must surely go to Mick's bush buddy, Wally, who's basically 'all talk and no action', yet one of the most likable ever film characters.

The ending? I won't give it away, but it's a dilly, a dandy, and a doozy. Just one of the many reasons I can watch this great movie again and again. The first Crocodile Dundee sequel is equally entertaining, and though the second (Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles) doesn't quite measure up, I can never resist watching Mick in action.

Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski) is a Newsday writer who was due back already but she hears a story about Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee (Paul Hogan) who survived a crocodile attack in the Australian outback. He's a guide with his best friend Walter Reilly (John Meillon) based out of Walkabout Creek. He takes her out to the outback encountering aboriginal friend Neville Bell (David Gulpilil). She falls for Dundee and takes him back to NYC. Her overbearing boss Richard Mason (Mark Blum) is her boyfriend back home.

I love the sly humor taking shots at some of stereotypes. Of course, it created one of the most iconic stereotypical character of the 80s. Some of humor is still there but much of it is dated. It's still a charmer and a fun movie. I do wish they limit some of the modern world jokes. They don't all work if they keep doing them. It's a case of less is more.