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.
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!
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.
For everyone else? Just rewatch the original. That’s a knife. This is a butter spreader.
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.
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001): When the Aussie Icon Lost His Bite
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.
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.