Crocodile Dundee / Crocodile Dundee II Blu-ray offers solid video and audio, but overall it's a mediocre Blu-ray release
Crocodile Dundee: An American reporter goes to the Australian outback to meet an eccentric crocodile poacher and invites him to New York City. *****
Crocodile Dundee II: Australian outback expert protects his New York love from gangsters who've followed her down under.
For more about Crocodile Dundee / Crocodile Dundee II and the Crocodile Dundee / Crocodile Dundee II Blu-ray release, see Crocodile Dundee / Crocodile Dundee II Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on May 12, 2014 where this Blu-ray release scored 2.5 out of 5.
Paramount has released the fan-favorite films "Crocodile" Dundee and "Crocodile" Dundee II together in one convenient two-pack.
It's currently the only way to own and enjoy both films on Blu-ray. Reviews for each individual film, as well as additional screenshots, may be found
here and here.
Little does Dundee know that the phone line has been disconnected...
"Crocodile" Dundee
Score: 4.0/5.0
"Crocodile" Dundee. It's a name that's synonymous with a decade, one of the 1980's most widely seen and enjoyed films and still one of
the
most lovably
harmless, albeit relatively simple, Romantic Comedies of the past thirty years. The film made a star of leading man Paul Hogan and a name for its
female lead, Linda Kozlowski. The affable picture puts their characters in contrasting environments in which they discover that shared roots aren't
required when it comes to matters of the heart. The film never proves to be a technical or thematic standout but instead works on its simple
premise, charm, and first-rate
execution from its leads. It's a classic crowd pleaser, a film of limited ambition but a rather large heart, of basic characterization but complex
emotions, of simple roots but legendary status.
New York-based Writer Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski) finds herself intrigued by the urban legend of a rough-and-tumble Australian whose leg was
bitten clean off by a crocodile. It sounds like a tragic but otherwise uninteresting story until she also learns that he supposedly crawled through
the bush for a week before finally finding help. She travels to Australia to meet the notoriously reclusive individual and hear a firsthand account of
his incredible story. She arrives to find the story largely a myth. The real "Crocodile" Dundee (Paul Hogan) is a rather outgoing type with both
legs and only a nasty scar where he was, indeed, once mauled by a croc but not to the extent that urban legend claims. He shows her around the
brush, and the two form a bond. When she proposes he return with her to New York, he agrees, only to find that his potential Mrs. Right is already
being courted by another man.
"Crocodile" Dundee is a film of two distinct halves but one complete story. It takes the classic "fish out of water" story and doubles it,
spending the first half following a city slicker reporter in Australia and its second half a rough-and-tumble bushman in the urban jungle of New
York.
The film earns plenty of humor from both ends of the spectrum, but its success comes in its cadence, in its refusal to dumb down its characters in
order to make a futile effort at increasing the humor. Sue never devolves into Willie Scott from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. She's not outback material,
but
she's not helpless, either, capable of at least holding her own and understanding her environment, not falling to pieces when things get a little
rough
around her. On the other hand, Dundee carries himself well in New York, sticking out like the proverbial sore thumb but showing the skill to adapt
to
his environment without losing sight of who he is. Both characters fall into funny scenarios and the film certainly plays on their efforts to adapt to
their environments, but never does it devolve into mindless slapstick. Instead, it's a surprisingly tight yet still light film, an enjoyable romp that
earns jokes at the characters' expense but not at the cost of believability.
More, the film never tries to be something other than a light affair. There are no deeper themes beyond the idea that love need not be shared only
between two people of a similar background. The rest of the movie is largely concerned with having fun with its characters, inviting the audience
into their own worlds and finding the humor in their interactions in alien environments. The humor is frequently subtle and almost always
character-driven. Observations are never empty and there's always a purpose to every shot, whether character building or light humor. The final
scene builds on several key ideas introduced throughout, not only the romantic angle but the dichotomy between the bustling city and the intimacy
between neighbors. Dundee observes, as he arrives, that so many people living together must mean that there's a large degree of peace and
harmony and friendliness. He later shares a story of how psychology works in the outback, where everything is exposed to the open world and
problems vanish amongst the people. That end scene ties these ideas together into the happily-ever-after that everyone knows is coming, but
don't expect to work so well in the film's greater story and character context.
"Crocodile" Dundee II
Score: 2.0/5.0
There's an unwritten rule of thumb in the world of movie sequels: top the first one by making the second a bigger, more involved version of the
first.
Nobody
knows that better than James Cameron, whose sequels Aliens and Terminator 2: Judgment Day are proof of the theory's validity. They're
two of the finest sequels ever made, arguably better than the originals, and they blend together precision filmmaking and focused storytelling with
audience-pleasing action. "Crocodile" Dundee II gets it half right. It's a significantly bigger film than its predecessor, but it's nowhere near
as
good
and, more, almost nothing like the original. Aside from keeping the primary actors and building on their characters and their relationship from the
original, the sequel looks and feels completely different. That's not a death sentence -- the movie is somewhat fun at face value -- but it's a far cry
from the charming simplicity that made the first such a huge success.
It's been about a year since Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee (Paul Hogan) made waves in The Big Apple. He's stayed behind and made something of
a life for himself, living with squeeze Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski) and passing the time by dynamiting fish in the waters around New York. He's
ready to settle into a job and make something more of his time in the city, but little does he know his time will soon be occupied by danger and
adventure. When Sue's ex-husband runs afoul of some Colombian drug lords and photographs an execution, he goes on the run and mails the
photographic evidence to Sue. She's in turn kidnapped. Dundee secures the letter and sets out to rescue his girl before she meets a violent fate.
The film's larger scope is met with a slower pace. It's emphasis on action and danger is met with a decline in humor and heart. "Crocodile"
Dundee II sacrifices everything that made the original a memorable, lasting, almost infinitely viewable little gem and squanders it on what
amounts to a light Action movie with almost no value beyond the surface. The film keeps the two leads from the original and reverses the
chronology
-- here starting in New York and winding up back in Australia rather than vice-versa -- but is otherwise almost completely unrecognizable from the
first, particularly when it comes to tone. The film still finds a little bit of humor here and there as Dundee maneuvers through the city, but the
emphasis quickly shifts once the driving force action is set into motion. Expect a few decent stunts and several moments of manufactured tension
but little in the way of heart and character development.
To further aggravate the tonal shift, the cast seems almost fully disinterested. There's hardly any life to the performances and certainly none of
the charm that helped shape the original into a borderline classic of casually fun cinema. Here, the film's serious air removes all of those, and
other, qualities in favor of the action. Paul Hogan robotically maneuvers through the part, handling the role's physical requirements nicely enough
but failing to recapture the charisma that made his character one of the standouts from the 1980s. Linda Kozlowski likewise seems content to go
through the motions. The villains are stiff and completely forgettable. It's a rather dull, uninspired film all around, as much of a disappointment as
the first film was a
pleasant surprise.
"Crocodile" Dundee features a somewhat uneven but generally pleasing 1080p transfer. The film begins with a segment that looks
smoothed
over and very flat, inorganic and poorly detailed. Fortunately, it picks up -- considerably, at times -- to reveal a positive, film-like texture,
accentuated
by a rather even grain field. Here, detail can be rather striking on everything from beater cars to clothes, from wood grains to facial features. That
said,
there's an unmissable fuzziness around the edges; shelved liquor bottles are little more than a blur during an early movie bar sequence, for
example.
The
transfer displays the same attention to the urban jungle details as it does some of the weathered bush and back country shots from its first half.
The
New York City half also produces a much more vibrant color palette than the fairly earthy and drab outback scheme. Black levels can display heavy
crush, at times, particularly in dark nighttime exteriors. On the other hand, flesh tones seem mostly even and true. The print carries a good bit of
dirt
and debris with it, but not enough to distract from the overall experience. While not the refined and remastered transfer fans might want, this is a
good HD image that serves the movie well.
"Crocodile" Dundee II
Score: 3.5/5.0
"Crocodile" Dundee II arrives on Blu-ray with a good, though somewhat flawed and aged, 1080p transfer. Unlike the first film's Blu-ray
transfer, this one's a little more evenly presented, lacking the smoother stretches and softer edges in favor of a sharper image. Grain is slightly
spiky
but consistent in texture. It helps establish a rather pleasing film-like surface and accentuate finer details around the frame. Paramount's transfer
reveals with rather good attention to detail all of the clothing intricacies to be seen on Dundee's outback-style attire. City textures and earth terrains
are also well defined. Colors are bold and bright, whether light blue police paint or lush green vegetation. Black levels are fine, and skin tones don't
appear to betray natural shades. The transfer does contains quite a bit of wear and tear, showing a good bit of debris and light speckling
throughout.
Light noise and a few minor edge halos crop up from time to time as well. Overall, it's a good transfer, certainly not one on the cutting edge but a
solid
effort for
something of a budget catalogue title release.
"Crocodile" Dundee arrives on Blu-ray with a fairly flat but generally active DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The track offers
fair
front end spacing in all areas, particularly in its music and ambient effects. The former plays with adequate volume and clarity, lacking nuance and
punch but providing a rather good basic presentation. Atmospherics, too, are nicely defined, including crashes and footfalls on wooden planks at an
Australian bar and more hustle-bustle type sounds once the action shifts to the city. There's very little energy, effort, or presence to the sounds of a
jet
engine,
disappointing considering it represents the single biggest opportunity for a dynamic sound in the entire movie. Dialogue does play smoothly and
evenly
from the center. All in all, a decent enough track that gets the job done but accomplishes little more.
"Crocodile" Dundee II
Score: 3.5/5.0
"Crocodile" Dundee II features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, unlike its predecessor's 2.0-channel affair. Paramount's
presentation is nothing
extraordinary, but the added sense of space and somewhat heightened clarity help make the experience a bit more enjoyable. Musical delivery won't
dazzle but it's solid enough, presenting decent spacing and clarity. Ambient sound effects, too, help define various environments, including a
shopping
mall, city exteriors, and Australian brush. The scene with Dundee and a man contemplating suicide in chapter four is a particularly good example of
the track's ability to nicely immerse its audience into the world. Action sound effects are suitably strong, including several instances of gunfire.
Dialogue plays evenly and clearly from the center. It's not a showstopper, but this soundtrack carries the nearly three-decades-old film nicely
enough.
Both films feature fair video and audio. "Crocodile" Dundee II's technical presentation is a little better all-around, and its supplements double
that of the first. Recommended.
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Rimfire Films has released an official teaser trailer for Dundee (2018), which appears to be closely related to the classic Crocodile Dundee films. According to early reports, comedian Danny McBride is set to emerge as the son of Mick Dundee.
Blu-ray.com and Paramount Home Entertainment are offering three members the opportunity to win a copy of directors John Cornell and Peter Faiman's Crocodile Dundee (1986) and Crocodile Dundee II (1988). The classic adventure comedies star Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, ...
Paramount Home Entertainment is bringing directors John Cornell and Peter Faiman's Crocodile Dundee (1986) and Crocodile Dundee II (1988) to Blu-ray. The classic adventure comedies star Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon, Ernie Dingo, David Gulpilil and ...
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