stormhawk2018
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.
slightlymad22
I loved this movie back in the 1980's and having not seen it in over twenty five years, when I realised SkyMovies were showing this, and Crocodile Dundee 2 back to back, I decided to revisit my youth and watch them. Sadly this first movie did not live up to the fond memories in my mind. I'd have rated this as an 8, if I was reviewing it without rewatching it, however now it is not the case.Plot In A Paragraph: Sue Charlton, a New York reporter (Linda Kozlowski) is working on assignment in Australia, when she heads to the outback to interview the living legend Mike Dundee (Paul Hogan). When she finally locates him, she is so taken with him that she brings him back with her to New York. In New York, Mike Dundee is amazed by the wonders of the city and the interesting people there.Paul Hogans performance is full of charm and I still find him an engaging lead as Mick "Crocodile" Dundee, but overall the movie was a letdown from what I remembered. Linda Kozlowski was the high point of the movie for this reviewer. She is gorgeous, talented, had great chemistry with Hogan (who she would later marry) and boy what an ass!! The scene where she is in the thong bikini is what has lingered in my memory, even though I didn't remember it from all those years ago. Reginald VelJohnson is a lot of fun as Gus the Limo driver. Mark Blum is simply perfectly slimy as Richard Mason, Sue's fiancée. I'll still watch the second movie now (I'm writing this during the ad break) but I remember it not being up to the standard of this one. I'll still vote it a generous 7/10. It would have been a 6/10 but I'm awarding a bonus point for Kozlowski's ass in THAT thong bikini.
Jakemcclake
This movie has some comedic touches. It is a fish out of water story again, this time with Mick Dundee (Paul Hogan) a guy from the Austrailian outback coming to New York at the invite of Sue Charelton (Linda Koslosky), a magazine reporter that is doing a story on Mick.Sue then gets engaged to her long time boyfriend in front of Mick, and Mick decides to leave New York for a "Walk About." (wondering around the country for a couple months).We then get the ending that makes the movie worth seeing.Just to mention this (not that it has any relation to how the movie ends), the actress Linda Koslosky has married her co star, Paul Hogan in real life.
