Crocodile Dundee II (1988)

Though much of the innovative rawness of the first film has gone now, this is still quite an half-decent follow up with Paul Hogan still having some magnetism as the no-nonsense, but now loved-up “Mick”. He is happily ensconced with “Sue” (Linda Kozlowski) in New York, dynamite fishing in the Hudson and generally proving to be a popular eccentric around town. It’s her ex-husband, photographer “Bob” (Dennis Boutsikaris) who livens things up for them when he finds himself embroiled with a murderous drug cartel controlled by the silk-shirted “Rico” (Hechter Ubarry). It’s this man who gets his goons to kidnap “Sue” and so after rescuing her they flee to the relative safety of “Walter” (John Meillon) and the outback. Thing is, “Rico” isn’t the forgiving sort and so sets off after them. Now, the tables are turned and with the help of his old pal and some shrewd locals, “Mick” sets about getting even. Now this is a bit too long, and it does take a while to get it’s wheels up, but once they are all out of the urban jungle and into the bush, the characters we tuned in to see revert more to those we saw in 1986, the wildlife gets more than the occasional starring role and this has more than an hint of “Miami Vice” to it - only with less glitz and more earthiness. I could have done with a little more of Meillon’s sidekick wit as it can be just a bit dialogue heavy at times, but though it has certainly dated, it’s still quite good and irreverent fun.

***Mick & Sue vie with Columbian drug lords in New York City and, then, the Outback*** Sue (Linda Kozlowski) inadvertently obtains evidence against two Central American brothers who are drug moguls with offices in New York City. To protect Sue, Mick (Paul Hogan) takes her to his vast property in the Outback, but the gangsters follow them with murder on their minds. This sequel does precisely what a good sequel should do: Carry on the story, go deeper with the characters and keep the spirit of the original. “Crocodile Dundee II” (1988) cost $6 million more than the original 1986 movie and runs 11 minutes longer. It was a hit at the box office, albeit nowhere near as successful as the first film. Both movies effectively combine three genres or themes: romantic comedy, fun adventure and fish-out-of-water. What makes these films work so well beyond the Tarzan-like spirit of adventure is the simple charisma of Paul Hogan. You'll likely never experience a more likable protagonist. On top of this, Linda Kozlowski is lovely and celestial, possessing an attractive intelligence. Paul & Linda’s chemistry is real seeing as how they would marry two years later in 1990. Unfortunately they divorced in 2014, but they gave us a third ‘Crocodile’ Dundee flick in 2001, which is the least of the three. The film runs 1 hour, 48 minutes and was shot in New York City and the Australian Outback (Northern Territory & Main Arm, NSW). GRADE: B

I remember enjoying the film's star Paul Hogan's commercials for 'Foster's Lager', on television back in the day, when I was growing up. His identification with Australia, and the outback, made him original and gave him worldwide fame. Though I never bothered with the much-more esteemed original, which came from nowhere and captured the imagination of filmgoers worldwide, this was charming and likeable despite its unimportance and relative inanity. The small barrel of jokes wear thin after a while, and the magic ran out as it did for the 'Romancing the Stone' sequel, 'The Jewel of the Nile', not much earlier, or more recently, the insipid retread of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'. Their decent attempt to capture lightning in a bottle unfortunately fell short. One could envision that if this couple existed in real life, their entrenched philosophical differences would mount, and they would end up breaking up after a few years, at most. This is the sort of thing that only works 'in the movies'.

The Crocodile Who Walks Like a Man. After the coinage and all round good will generated by the first Crocodile Dundee movie, the sequel was inevitable. This time the formula is reversed as Mick Dundee (Paul Hogan) is forced to take his lady, Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski), back to the wilds of Australia in order to protect her from gangsters. There, Mick, with all his Outback skills, starts to pick the gangsters off one by one. Nah. I don't need a gun. I got a Donk! Within the plot structure there are numerous occasions for Dundee inspired jokes and scenarios, where although they are not as strong as in the first movie, they are amusing and not straining for the laugh factor. The genuine chemistry between real life couple Hogan and Kozlowski is evident and keeps the film grounded in warmth. Hogan is such a likable guy, he's a natural at playing the rugged adventurer type, and it's his charisma that rightly drives the picture forward. He throws a great punch as well, very believable. Returning characters like Wally and Donk are reassuring presences, while Charles Dutton as Leroy Brown provides solid comedy foil for Dundee during the New York part of the plot. The Northern Territory of Australia is once again the visual bonus (cinematography again by Russell Boyd), though we never really get the sweeping shots the setting deserves, and Peter Best once again provides an appropriate musical score for the two continent setting without pushing anything new on us. Problems elsewhere? There's a raft of stereotypes, particularly with the Ernie Dingo led villains, while the unoriginality of the story (a rehash of the first film) is a touch frustrating. Not exactly great and not deserving of the ill advised second sequel that followed 13 years later, part 2 of Mick and Sue's adventures is none the less still a fun way to spend an afternoon. 6.5/10