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"CROCODILE DUNDEE IN LOS ANGELES" (2001) (Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Minor Extreme *Mild Moderate Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Minor Moderate None Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild Minor None Mild Moderate QUICK TAKE: Comedy/Action: A legendary Australian crocodile hunter moves to Los Angeles where he uncovers a criminal ring while trying to become accustomed to the trappings of Hollywood. PLOT: Mick Dundee (PAUL HOGAN) is a famed crocodile hunter in Walkabout, Australia who lives there with his girlfriend, Sue Charleton (LINDA KOZLOWSKI), and their son, Mikey (SERGE COCKBURN). When Sue gets a request from her newspaper publisher father to temporarily fill in for the Los Angeles bureau chief who died in a mysterious car accident, the family agrees to move to Los Angeles for a change of pace. There, and working with fellow Newsday employee Jean Ferraro (AIDA TURTURRO), Sue reopens an investigatory story about Arnan Rothman (JERE BURNS) and his small movie studio that keeps churning out movies despite them being box office duds. Meanwhile, Mick and Mikey take in the sights as tourists and try to deal with the cultural differences they encounter. To assist Sue and her investigation, Mick decides to get a job on the movie set and thus becomes an extra where he gets help from actor Diego Gonzalez (PAUL RODRIGUEZ). With fellow Aussie croc hunter Jacko (ALEC WILSON) watching over Mikey and falling for his elementary school teacher, Dorothy Mathis (KAITLIN HOPKINS), Mick starts nosing around the studio. After eventually spotting Rothman's henchman Milos Drubnik (JONATHAN BANKS) involved in some suspicious behavior, it's up to the croc hunter to figure out what they're doing and then save the day. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of the first two "Crocodile Dundee" films or someone in the cast, it's not very likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For some language and brief violence. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: PAUL HOGAN plays a good-natured Aussie croc hunter who moves to Los Angels with his girlfriend and their son. There, he tries to uncover a criminal ring and ends up dealing with various criminals. He also drinks some and uses some brief profanity. LINDA KOZLOWSKI plays his girlfriend and mother of their child who takes a job in Los Angeles where she investigates a corrupt movie studio. SERGE COCKBURN plays their nine-year-old son. ALEC WILSON plays their friend, another croc hunter who also arrives in L.A. to help them out. He also drinks some and hits various villains. JERE BURNS plays the corrupt head of a small movie studio. He uses some profanity. JONATHAN BANKS plays his European henchman who wants Mick dead. PAUL RODRIGUEZ plays an actor who befriends Mick on the set and uses some brief profanity. KAITLIN HOPKINS plays Mikey's elementary school teacher who has the hots for Mick and then Jacko. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this PG-rated comedy. Profanity consists of several uses of the "s" word, along with other expletives, while some colorful phrases are also used. Violence includes some villains (who have bad attitudes) trying to harm the protagonist and others (firing some gunshots at him), while various characters hit, clothesline or otherwise render others unconscious through physical contact. Some of those scenes and an early encounter with a large crocodile could be tense to some viewers, but are played in more of an action-oriented/old-fashioned way rather than striving for realism. The film's leads have a 9-year-old child but aren't married (although they do so at the end), some women are seen in skimpy bathing suits, one scene briefly deals with a gay bar, and some benign comments are made about the rear ends of members of the opposite sex. Beyond that, some characters drink and smoke and some references are made to drugs. Should you still be concerned about the film and its appropriateness for anyone in your home who may want to see it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed content listings for specific examples of what's present in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Some people drink in a bar in Walkabout, where the bartender serves tourists beer although they ordered cocktails. Mick has a beer. People have drinks at a studio reception (including George Hamilton who has a martini and Mick who has a beer). We later see Rothman with a drink and Sue with some champagne. Mick thinks that the studio is either smuggling drugs into the country, or smuggling guns out of it (based on his knowledge from watching TV cop shows). Some people have drinks on a movie set. Jacko mentions that he needs a drink after running down many flights of stairs. Mick mentions that it's the drugs that caused some thugs to try to rob them (but we don't see any drug use). Later, he thinks some villains are smuggling heroin/crack in the frames of paintings, but that turns out not to be the case. Mick and Jacko drink beer. After seeing one of Picasso's abstract works, Mick comments that he's a drinking man, but that he's never been that hammered (to make such a painting). BLOOD/GORE Mick and Mikey spot some lizard guano on the ground. George Hamilton tells Mick about coffee enemas (but nothing too graphic) while at a reception. We see some scars on Jacko's leg from past croc attacks (seen during a school's show 'n tell session). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The various villains all have bad attitudes for their criminal behavior and attempts at robbing or doing harm to Mick and others. A man tries to steal something from a woman's purse, but Mick grabs his hand inside that bag and apparently breaks it (we hear a cracking sound). FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may also be tense to some viewers, but most are played in a somewhat lighthearted and/or less than realistic fashion. The same holds true for a scene where Mick tries to bait a reportedly large crocodile. He then realizes it is big when he sees its wake in the water and it then grabs his bait and ends up tearing his boat apart (with him barely grabbing and then climbing up onto a large tree branch above the water). Jacko then shows up in a kayak of sorts that the croc suddenly grabs and sinks, just as he climbs up onto that branch with Mick. That branch eventually breaks, however, sending the two men into the water. They then swim as fast as possible toward shore with the croc in pursuit and just get out as it blasts out of the water on the shore. Another comedic bit that might be a bit unsettling for those afraid of spiders has Mick trying to keep Sue from seeing a tarantula that's entered their home. It eventually ends up inside his hat on his head. Mick sneaks into the studio at night and must then elude and eventually confront the many bad guys who come after him. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns: Used by several people to threaten or shoot at Mick and others. See "Violence" for details. Handguns/Shotguns: Aimed by the police at Mick when they mistakenly believe he's a terrorist. Handguns: Seen in some posters for a movie the studio is making. Large hunting knife: Used by Mick to "kill" a robotic snake on a movie studio tour. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You're so full of bullsh*t," "Can't act for sh*t," "Oh sh*t," "Who gives a rat's ass?" "Nut(s)" (crazy person/crazy), "Bloody" (adjective), "What the hell /are you doing (here)/happened?" "My ass," "Screw up," "Poof" (homosexual), "Smart ass," "Fags" (what some thugs call Mick and Jacko), "I'll bust a cap in your ass" (shoot you), "Bitch" (what some thugs call Mick), "Idiot," "Jeez," "Who the hell is that?" "Are you nuts?" "Piss him off" and "You look like a dork." While imitating a stereotypical guy from Brooklyn, Mick grabs his crotch and spits while donning the usual accent. JUMP SCENES A crocodile suddenly blasts up through some water and grabs Jacko's boat, a moment that may startle some viewers. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of suspenseful music, some of it playfully arranged, is heard in the movie. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 5 "s" words, 7 hells, 6 asses, 1 damn and 1 use each of "For God's sakes" and "Oh my God" as exclamations. SEX/NUDITY Sue and Jean show bits of cleavage in outfits they wear, while some women at a studio reception also show cleavage (and one miscellaneous man stares at a miscellaneous woman's chest). Mick and Mikey spot several women in Baywatch style bathing suits (very high cut along the hips and low-cut on the top). A local woman then stops and talks with them and the outfit she wears shows a great deal of cleavage. After being attracted to Mick, the woman eventually realizes he must be gay (since he's so perfect) and Mick says that he usually is (in a happy and not sexual sense). As the woman then leaves, the boy mentions that the woman has a nice ass and Mick agrees. We see Rothman getting a back massage and then with him just wearing a towel around his midsection while talking to Sue. After talking with Mick, Mikey's elementary school teacher fondly gazes at Mick's rear end and says "Nice butt." Mick and Jacko go into what's presumably a gay cowboy bar (the greeter outside is a transvestite), but we never see them inside (instead we only see them quickly rush out once they realize where they were). SMOKING A few miscellaneous characters smoke cigarettes or cigars in a few scenes. TENSE FAMILY SCENES None. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Mick and Sue finally getting married after having a son together (who's now nine or so). Cultural and other differences between life in Australia and Los Angeles. The fact that Mick says they no longer kill crocs, but instead just capture them. VIOLENCE A large croc ends up sinking both Mick and Jacko's boats and then comes after them when they fall into a body of water (they aren't hurt). Mick apparently smashes a tarantula that's inside a hat that's on his head, by hitting that hat with his hand. A man tries to steal something from a woman's purse, but Mick grabs his hand inside that bag and apparently breaks it (we hear a cracking sound). Thinking a valet is trying to steal their car, Mick grabs the man and pushes him up against the car. While on a movie studio tour through a jungle set, Mick stabs a robotic anaconda through the head with his large knife when the snake suddenly springs out at him. While acting in a movie and reacting by reflex, Mick clotheslines an actor running toward him during a take. Mikey throws a chalkboard eraser to stun a rat in his classroom. Some men try to rob Mick and Jacko at gunpoint, but the two Aussies grab the men's guns and then jump onto the top of their convertible, smashing the material down onto the men. Mick then uses the gun to hit the men through that material before dropping a large dumpster onto the top of the car. Drubnik slaps a worker on the back of the head for accidentally slamming a valuable painting into a chain link fence. While trying to elude some villains who are chasing after him with guns, Mick uses a piece of wood to knock out one man. He then runs into a door just as a man is arriving on the other side, knocking out that man. A man fires several shots at Mick, but misses. He then climbs up a tall ladder that Mick then sends falling backwards (we hear the sound of it and the man crashing to the floor, but don't see the impact). A villain enters a wind tunnel part of the set and Mick throws various objects that are caught in the wind and strike the man, including a large fake cow that knocks the man into a back wall. Jacko clotheslines a man, knocking him unconscious. Mick gets off a studio tram just before it crashes into a wall with two villains onboard. Another villain shoots at Mick who eventually places a large rock prop over the man's head and sends him into a wall, knocking him unconscious. Mick throws a large knife that lands right below a villain's crotch. Some villains hold guns on Sue and Jacko. Jacko then elbows one of the villains in the face and Mick grabs another and yanks him up against the bars of a cage, suggesting that a real lion that's there might take a bite out of his rear end. Mick then throws a villain up against a wall, knocking him out, while Jacko punches another villain in the face, also knocking him out. Reviewed April 18, 2001 / Posted April 20, 2001