Lesha, 16 of our Hollywood Preview crew went to a
screening of a new family film. Here's the scoop on:
CROCODILE
DUNDEE IN LOS ANGELES
Mick Dundee,(Paul Hogan) the original "Crocodile
Hunter" made the term "Now, THAT'S a knife" a household
phrase in the late 1980's with Crocodile Dundee and Crocodile
Dundee II. Now, Mick has set up house with his reporter sweetheart
Sue (Linda Kozlowski) and they are living happily with 7-year-old
son Mikey (Serge Cockburn) in the Australian outback where they run
a tourist business.
When
Sue is asked to come to Los Angeles to run her family magazine for
a while, Mick is all for taking the whole family.. It will let their
son see the big city so he can decide where he really belongs; in
his dad's world or hers. L.A. is total culture shock for Mick and
young Mikey. They cause a pile-up on the freeway trying to rescue
a dog (that turns out to be a skunk) and Mick stabs and breaks a giant
animatronic anaconda in a theme park jungle ride because it looks
like the real thing back home! While Sue investigates a story about
a failing film studio, Mick and outback pal Jacko (Alec Wilson) tour
the town, get the best of some would-be robbers and are fascinated
by Wendy's drive through service window. When Sue decides that the
film studio has got to be a cover for some illegal activity, Mick
goes "undercover" at the studio as an extra and then animal
trainer. Investigations lead to the exposure of a plot to smuggle
priceless art masterpieces out of the old Yugoslavia by disguising
them as film set decorations. Mick catches the criminals in the act
and a chase around the film lot is on! Mick is able to use his skill
at communicating with animals to capture the crooks. Sue's magazine
gets the credit for the big bust and Mick and family return home to
the outback where, finally, Mick and Sue are officially married. Young
Mikey decides he wants to grow up to be a crocodile-hunting magazine
publisher so everybody's happy.
This film provides harmless family fun, laughs and action.
Stunts are more humorous than violent and no one
is killed. Paul Hogan as Dundee proves he's still the original "Crocodile
Hunter" (not that Aussie guy on t.v.) and that his brand of "stranger
in a strange land" humor is still endearing even if re-hashed from
his '80's films. 10-year-old newcomer Sean Cockburn got the part as
Mikey when his mom saw an ad in the paper and sent a tape to the director
who chose him over 10,000 Australian children. Short appearances by
boxing champ Mike Tyson and Latino comedian Paul Rodriguez are fun.
A new generation of kids should find Mick and family's adventures entertaining.
If you're an older teen looking for rough action, kinky, gross out laughs
or intense romance, this isn't your film. If you'd like to have a few
"clean" laughs with your pals or family, go see Mick Dundee
hunt crocs, crooks and skunks in Tinseltown!