Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles is not a good movie. It’s a dated, low-energy sequel that mistakes nostalgia for storytelling. However, it’s also not offensively bad. If you’re a Paul Hogan fan or you’re doing a complete franchise watch on a rainy Sunday, you’ll find a few chuckles and a lot of comfort-food mediocrity.
Twenty years after the original Crocodile Dundee became a cultural phenomenon (and coined the phrase "That’s not a knife... this is a knife"), Paul Hogan strapped on the bush hat one last time. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles arrived in 2001 with little fanfare and even less of the original magic.
Paul Hogan, now in his early 60s, hasn’t lost his easy-going charisma. He still delivers deadpan one-liners ("You call that a police car?") with a twinkle in his eye. However, the "danger" is gone. The Mick Dundee of 1986, who could stare down muggers and wrestle water buffalo, is now a suburban dad worried about his son’s school play. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles -2001--Paul Hog...
Hogan does his best with weak material. He has genuine chemistry with his real-life son (who plays a friend of Mikey), and his scenes navigating absurd Hollywood parties are mildly amusing. But the sharp, satirical edge that made the original so smart is replaced with broad, predictable gags.
While the first film was a fish-out-of-water romantic comedy, and the second was a semi-thriller set in the Florida Everglades, the third installment tries to be a family-friendly Hollywood satire mixed with a low-stakes crime caper. The result? A harmless, forgettable, but oddly watchable sequel that proves some characters should stay in the Outback. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles is not a good movie
For everyone else? Just rewatch the original. That’s a knife. This is a butter spreader.
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001): When the Aussie Icon Lost His Bite If you’re a Paul Hogan fan or you’re
Mick Dundee (Paul Hogan) is now living a quiet life in the Australian bush with his partner, Sue (Linda Kozlowski, Hogan’s real-life wife at the time), and their young son, Mikey. When Sue’s father, a newspaper publisher, suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances while working as a correspondent in Los Angeles, Sue is sent to take over his post. Naturally, Mick and Mikey tag along.
Once in L.A., Mick faces his biggest challenges yet: valet parking, political correctness, cappuccinos, and a sleazy movie studio executive. The plot thickens when Mick discovers that a shady film producer (played by Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad fans will recognize him) is using a kids’ movie production as a front for a massive smuggling operation. Mick must use his outback wits to save the day, rescue a talking elephant, and teach Hollywood a lesson in humility.
Discussion Question for Comments: Do you think Mick Dundee should have stayed retired after the 1986 original, or is there still room for old-school, laid-back action heroes in modern cinema? Let us know below!