Crocodile Dundee

 (Australia)

By VARIETY STAFF

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Rimfire. Director Peter Faiman; Producer John Cornell; Screenplay Paul Hogan, Ken Shadie, John Cornell; Camera Russell Boyd; Editor David Stiven; Music Peter Best;; Art Director Graham Walker
 
Paul Hogan
Linda Kozlowski
John Meillon
Mark Blum
Michael Lombard
David Gulpilil
 

As the title character, Paul Hogan limns a laconic if rather dim crocodile hunter who achieves some notoriety after surviving an attack by a giant croc. New York reporter Linda Kozlowski journeys to the Northern Territory to cover the story.

Plot bogs down somewhat as Hogan and Kozlowski trudge through the outback. However, proceedings are intermittently enlivened by John Meillon who is slyly humorous as Dundee's manager and partner in a safari tour business.

Rather implausibly, Kozlowski persuades Hogan to return to Gotham with her. Here he is initiated into the delights of the Big Apple.

Director Peter Faiman, essaying his first theatrical venture after an impressive career in Australian TV, directing Hogan's shows among others, has problems with the pacing and a script [from a story by Hogan] that has its flat, dull spots.

Hogan is comfortable enough playing the wry, irreverent, amiable Aussie that seems close to his own persona, and teams well with Kozlowski, who radiates lots of charm, style and spunk.

[Quotation marks were put around the word Crocodile by distributor Paramount on release outside Australia and seven minutes cut from the running time.]

1986: Nomination: Best Original Screenplay

(Color) Widescreen. Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1986. Running time: 102 MIN.