Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles [DVD] [2001]

While great comedy should often appear effortless, that doesn't mean that the word should be taken literally, though on one level Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles can truly be said to be an effortless comedy. Absolutely no effort whatsoever has been made: it's in focus and the microphone never creeps into shot as uninteresting things happen in the most uninteresting way possible while the cast are given uninteresting things to say to bulk out the running time to the contractually agreed length, but that's about it for exertion. That the `plot' revolves around a smuggling operation financing a movie studio producing a guaranteed flop third episode in a dead franchise could possibly be seen as a moment of post-modernism, but it's probably just a desperate cry for help from the screenwriters. All the charm and wit of the first (and to a lesser extent the second) film has vanished, taking the characters and goodwill with them: Paul Hogan is starting to look a leathery as the crocs themselves and the most interesting thing about Linda Kozlowski here is trying to pinpoint the plastic surgery through the soft focus filters she's often shot with and work out how much of her disengaged performance is down to boredom and how much to Botox. Both are saddled with characters that simply aren't believable at their age anymore even if they do now have a rather bland son to acknowledge the passing years. She's a primary school play version of a reporter while somehow Mick Dundee seems to have suddenly become a complete simpleton with no memory of all the things he encountered in the first two films in the hope that the audience will find his newfound ignorance funny rather than simply bewildering - it's not even as if his character took a whack to the head in a contrived plot point, it's just plain lazy writing. Things improve slightly to become vaguely watchable in the last half hour, but that's not exactly a recommendation. Belated threequels are usually desperate attempts from faded stars to revive their career and bank balance, but this is so utterly disinterested in doing anything but visiting the cashpoint that it practically qualifies as a non-film.

The original crocdile dundees were rather enjoyable, both 1 and 2. The third one is rather late in showing up. In fact it has arrived some 12 years after the second one. In a vain attempt to re-vamp croc-dundee, the effect is that he has faded like a magazine left in the sun for 12 years. The jokes are regurgitations from the original films that lack the timing and sharpness of the originals and the main joke of the whole series is flawed when we find out it is no longer evident. what i mena by that is the originals had Mick dundee wrestling crocs, intimidating kangaroo hunters and vanishing from sight in the outback but is thoroughly perplexed by New York. As far as the intermittent plot has gone, Mick has been in the states for years and so would be keyed in to how it works. there is an effort to recussitate the saga by introducing another bushman but its very contrived. Very sad to see. Buy the original 2 instead.

I have to say I really enjoyed the first two, Mick going to New York and discovering a whole new world, then Sue going to the outback to find out how Australia was was just as comical, so I was wondering why they had decided to come back with yet another one? I was put off by bad reviews and people saying it was dull, but yesterday I ignored all the fuss and gave Mick and co my 90 minutes of attention.

Sue's father needs Sue to come back to the US to do some journalism work as one of their colleagues has died. Mick's adamant that she should go, and him and Mick Jr will follow later on. Sue has to investigate a new studio in tinsel town, one that seems to be rather reluctant to have visitors in certain studios.

Mick's back to his old tricks, and brings Mick Jr over to LA, to find he's learning more things yet again, and taking TV a little too serious. When Sue discovers something fishy, Mick Dundee's on the hunt for the truth.

This wasn't as bad as people made out - I quite enjoyed it, Paul Hogan's performance is just as good as 1 and 2, and young Mick is funny. OK the plot is a bit cheesy, but this is good for a Sunday evening's watching, not too serious yet not so stupid you might as well turn off your brain. The action is not as good as the first one, but this isn't the worst long awaited sequel ever, actually it does a pretty good job. It obviously isn't as good as the first movie, but that would not be easy to do.

I like the way they have kept up the cluelessness of the first movie even though he's still in the US, it's just different in LA to New York. It's funny how he's not really kept up with the new trends, and him mocking the other guy with a mobile phone was funny.

I would recommend renting this, but if you're a big fan of the crock, then you should get this as it's decently priced.