After his great success with "Crocodile Dundee", Paul Hogan seemed to be on top of the world. For anyone in that position, as Tim Rice reminded us in the lyrics to "Evita", the most important question is "Where do you go from here?" For any film-maker in the Eighties who had just had a success, there was an obvious answer to that question; you made a sequel. This was the golden age of the sequel; any successful film was liable to be followed up not just by a single sequel but by a whole series of them. This became something of a joke; comedians used to speculate whether we would see a "Superman VII", a "Rocky X" or a "Friday the 13th Part 13". Such long-running series became known as franchises, a name which emphasised the commerciality of the enterprise, as though making a film was the same as running a McDonald's restaurant.
There was, however, a problem with "Crocodile Dundee". The original film, although it also contained elements of satire, was essentially a romantic comedy. This is a type of film particularly difficult to follow up with a sequel because falling in love is, generally speaking, something that most couples only do once. "The Philadelphia Postscript"? "Lunch at Tiffany's"? "The Postgraduate"? "The Second Time Harry Met Sally"? "A Fifth Wedding and Another Funeral"? Just a few of the follow-ups to classic rom-coms that never got made. This being the Eighties, however, a sequel to "Crocodile Dundee" was unavoidable, but Paul Hogan obviously recognised the problem as "Crocodile Dundee II" was made in a quite different style to the original, being an adventure comedy rather than a romantic comedy.
At the beginning of the film, Mick Dundee is living in New York with his girlfriend Sue. Sue's ex-husband Bob is working as an investigative journalist in Colombia, helping to expose the local involvement in the drug trade. Unfortunately his cover is blown and he is murdered by the traffickers, but not before he has mailed Sue a roll of film incriminating Luis Rico, one of the wealthiest and most powerful dealers. Rico kidnaps Sue in an attempt to recover the evidence; Mick manages to free her from Rico's mansion with the aid of a local street gang. The scene then shifts to Australia. (This reverses the pattern of the first film, which starts in Australia and then moves to America). Mick has taken Sue back to his home town of Walkabout Creek in the Northern Territory, thinking she will be safer there. Rico, however, tracks them down, and Mick and Sue disappear into the bush with the drug dealer and his gang in pursuit. Mick must use his skills as a tracker and his knowledge of the outback in order to outwit the villains.
The film does not come close to achieving the success of its predecessor because, although some of the elements- Hogan's larger-than-life comic character, the beauty of Linda Kozlowski as Sue, Mick's bumbling, timid friend Walt- that made the original film such a success are present, others are not. The first film succeeded largely because of a combination of romance and satire. Not only is the element of romance played down in the sequel, but much of the satire is also lacking. Most of the humour in the original arose from Mick's innocent reactions to the unfamiliar ways of the big city. In the sequel, he has been living in New York for some time and is consequently more street-smart- and less funny. There are some amusing scenes, such as the one in which he prevents a suicide from throwing himself off a high-rise building, but not many.
The scenes of adventure in the bush never generate much excitement. Mick's knowledge of bushcraft and aboriginal lore are so superior to those of pursuers that we never experience any anxiety on his behalf or doubt that he will triumph over them. The original "Crocodile Dundee" was, in my view, the first great Australian screen comedy. The sequel, although it is amiable and entertaining enough, is definitely not the second. 6/10
There was, however, a problem with "Crocodile Dundee". The original film, although it also contained elements of satire, was essentially a romantic comedy. This is a type of film particularly difficult to follow up with a sequel because falling in love is, generally speaking, something that most couples only do once. "The Philadelphia Postscript"? "Lunch at Tiffany's"? "The Postgraduate"? "The Second Time Harry Met Sally"? "A Fifth Wedding and Another Funeral"? Just a few of the follow-ups to classic rom-coms that never got made. This being the Eighties, however, a sequel to "Crocodile Dundee" was unavoidable, but Paul Hogan obviously recognised the problem as "Crocodile Dundee II" was made in a quite different style to the original, being an adventure comedy rather than a romantic comedy.
At the beginning of the film, Mick Dundee is living in New York with his girlfriend Sue. Sue's ex-husband Bob is working as an investigative journalist in Colombia, helping to expose the local involvement in the drug trade. Unfortunately his cover is blown and he is murdered by the traffickers, but not before he has mailed Sue a roll of film incriminating Luis Rico, one of the wealthiest and most powerful dealers. Rico kidnaps Sue in an attempt to recover the evidence; Mick manages to free her from Rico's mansion with the aid of a local street gang. The scene then shifts to Australia. (This reverses the pattern of the first film, which starts in Australia and then moves to America). Mick has taken Sue back to his home town of Walkabout Creek in the Northern Territory, thinking she will be safer there. Rico, however, tracks them down, and Mick and Sue disappear into the bush with the drug dealer and his gang in pursuit. Mick must use his skills as a tracker and his knowledge of the outback in order to outwit the villains.
The film does not come close to achieving the success of its predecessor because, although some of the elements- Hogan's larger-than-life comic character, the beauty of Linda Kozlowski as Sue, Mick's bumbling, timid friend Walt- that made the original film such a success are present, others are not. The first film succeeded largely because of a combination of romance and satire. Not only is the element of romance played down in the sequel, but much of the satire is also lacking. Most of the humour in the original arose from Mick's innocent reactions to the unfamiliar ways of the big city. In the sequel, he has been living in New York for some time and is consequently more street-smart- and less funny. There are some amusing scenes, such as the one in which he prevents a suicide from throwing himself off a high-rise building, but not many.
The scenes of adventure in the bush never generate much excitement. Mick's knowledge of bushcraft and aboriginal lore are so superior to those of pursuers that we never experience any anxiety on his behalf or doubt that he will triumph over them. The original "Crocodile Dundee" was, in my view, the first great Australian screen comedy. The sequel, although it is amiable and entertaining enough, is definitely not the second. 6/10