Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
*1/2
Cinema
Releases - August 24, 2001
Rated on a 4-star scale. Certificate PG. 92
minutes. Directed by Simon Wincer. Written by Eric Abrams, Matthew Berry;
based on characters created by Paul Hogan. Starring Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski,
Jere Burns, Jonathan Banks, Alec Wilson, Serge Cockburn.
Looking at it, you wouldn't think that
"Crododile Dundee in Los Angeles" is a sequel to two of the
biggest blockbusters of all time. It's not just a lame film, but it's as
flat as a TV movie -- there is a dull stillness all the way through, and
in many scenes the filmmakers haven't even bothered to include background
noise. I once made a movie on camcorder that was influenced by the style
of Jim Jarmusch, and its atmosphere had more crackle than
this.
Paul Hogan promised he would never make another
picture in this series. He should have kept his word -- if he's desperate
for money, beer commercials are a better way to go than movies like this.
The first "Crocodile Dundee" was a wonderful fish-out-of-water comedy about
an Australian hunter who took a trip to New York City, the sequel was a lacking
rehash of the same premise, and now we have this third instalment, which
might have the decency to move things to a new location, but still recycles
all the same jokes.
We get the scene where Mick Dundee outsmarts urban
muggers. The scene where he gets to grips with newfangled bathroom appliances.
The scene where he tries out the American bar scene. And all the little moments
where he shows his unawareness of modern western culture. That latter feature
is written in without care or intelligence -- how would Mick know the details
of TV cop shows inside out, but not have heard of Mel Gibson? How could he
have never heard of Tom Cruise, when he was in New York City in 1986, when
"Top Gun" was all the rage? How can he not know the meaning of the word "gay"?
He's from a small Australian town, not an outback treetop. For something
to be funny, it should be remotely believable.
It may seem petty to fret over details, but details
are what the "Crocodile Dundee" movies use as the basis for their comedy,
so nothing could be more relevant. Are we really supposed to laugh at a sign
outside Mick's home town that says "Population: 23", when we can see more
people than that in pretty much any given shot?
This is not an outrageously dreadful movie. It's
just stagnant, with nothing to offer. The most interesting observation I
can make, which is not interesting at all, is that in the years since the
last "Crocodile Dundee" picture, Linda Koslowski has put on a lot of weight,
and looks completely different, while remaining pretty. The first picture
of this series became a cultural phenomenon and received an Oscar nomination
for its writing. I'll leave it to you to decide whether that will happen
this time.
COPYRIGHT©
2001 Ian Waldron-Mantgani
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