Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001)

Well I guess you know what I'm gonna say about this third sequel. The first film was great and the second was decent enough but was walking a tightrope in terms of how much further they could take the franchise. This final film falls from that tightrope right into a large vat of poo.

The idea is weak, so very weak. The intrepid bushman is back, this time in LA, why? because his love must go there to run the family newspaper business for a time. This of course equals lots of pathetic predictable visual gags that refer to LA culture and anything remotely well known in the area. For example 'Dundee' goes to Paramount Studios for a tour, he ends up as an extra on movie sets and there is a hideous cameo by Mike Tyson, pretty much all the things you would expect from a comedy film set in the vile city of LA.

Its sad because it just seems that LA has nothing to offer in terms of locations or ideas that somehow don't end up revolving around the film business. I mean there are other tacky moments of course, you have the obligatory attempted drive by mugging by some stereotypical Latin American youths, dubious nightclubs, airhead blondes, fast food drive thrus etc...but still the whole thing still ends up revolving around the movie business with most sequences taking place on movie sets.

I get the impression that because the first two films were set in New York, movie folk in LA (the West) were jealous so they had to make another with 'Dundee' in their neck of the woods battling with their cross cultural problems (gotta have something to do with LA it seems, can't not have that *groan*).

I mean really, the whole notion is such a waste of time, you could of made a much better go of it in another country at least. Try 'Dundee' in Japan or Russia or Italy or where ever! sure the whole idea is still stretched and pointless but at least it would be more interesting, but no lets make it in LA, cos we can't possibly leave out LA.

Ignoring all rational advice we have this terrible result, a total cheese fest. Admittedly the continuity is again good with cast members returning, down side is 'Dundee' now has a brat (son of 'Crocodile' Dundee? thank god not yet), luckily he is not involved too much which begs the question why put him in there in the first place?. Hogan still defies the laws of time and looks damn good as 'Dundee', his weather beaten tanned leathery face still looks youngish as does his body, makeup aside.

With US/Hollywood meddling this final chapter in the Aussie franchise is a by the numbers load of fluffy crapola that didn't even need to be made. Could of been reasonable with better imagination. And what the hell happened to his croc skin waistcoat?! guess that wasn't very PC for nowadays.