Crocodile Dundee
Story by Paul Hogan, Screenplay by John Cornell, Paul
Hogan and Ken Shadie
With 1992, our first full year behind us, we turn to 1986
and a brand new adventure. And what better way to start than with possibly the
most “huh?” screenwriting nominee of all-time, Crocodile Dundee. I mean, how the hell did this of all movies make
it to the shortlist? Well, I guess that’s what we’re here to figure out, so let’s
put way more thought into this movie than I ever, ever expected I would.
It’s tough figuring out where to start. It’s Crocodile Dundee! Is it really a great
movie? Or was there just something in the air in the mid-80s? Us Yanks sure
seemed infatuated with Australia back then. Mel Gibson was becoming a huge
star, Yahoo Serious had a brief window of international popularity, and this
movie was one of the biggest hits of the year. So this could be the Academy
simply wanting to honor a big crowd-pleasing popcorn flick, but let’s not sell Crocodile Dundee too short.
The first thing I noticed about it was that it almost seems
like an ego project at times. Mick “Crocodile” Dundee doesn’t appear until ten
minutes in, and leading up to that we get a bunch of characters talking about
how awesome he is. Given that Paul Hogan wrote the story himself and had a hand
in the screenplay, maybe that’s not all that surprising, but it’s a relief when
Mick finally shows up so we can see it firsthand. It turns out he is pretty awesome. He knows the Outback
better than I know my own backyard and there’s something fun about watching him
in complete control of every situation. He scares off the kangaroo poachers, he
kills that crocodile, he’s in with the local Aborigine tribe. It’s decent setup
for the eventual “fish-out-of-water” escapades he’ll endure in New York.
About that, it does take a long time to actually get him
to New York, which is the hook of the entire movie, but it never stops being
that kind of movie. The entire first half of the movie casts Sue in that role,
with her just woefully out of place in the untamed wilderness. She needs Mick
to help her survive out there, and she returns the favor when they go back to
the city.
That’s really where the movie gets going, and where all
of its more well-known moments come from.
Mick isn’t presented as an idiot or anything, just a man who’s never
been to a city (not even Sydney or Melbourne) who’s a little out of his depth.
The humor of watching him navigate this world is actually a lot tamer than I
would have expected. He’s not throwing glasses on the floor like “Thor” or
anything like that. He’s genuinely trying to fit in, at least for Sue’s sake.
Even when people are giving him a hard time, like Sue’s “rich asshole”
boyfriend, he tries his best to keep his composure before the Aussie in him
takes over.
This may be the only Oscar-nominated movie ever where a
limo driver (played by Carl Winslow! This guy was everywhere in the 80s!) rips
the hood ornament off his car and throws it like a boomerang at a street punk.
My point? This movie is silly. It’s almost aggressively likable, if a little
dated. I mean, it was made in a time where a character could just casually
throw around the word “fag” for a laugh. That’s not a word I would expect the
kind-hearted Mick to be okay with, especially given his stance on foul language
and disrespecting others. But I guess it was a different time? But it is “fun,” moreso than any of the movies from ’92 were.
I’m running out of things to say, but I have two more
points. The first is, holy crap. This is a romantic comedy! I had no idea. That’s
really what it’s all about. Sue invites Mick to New York because she’s into him
and, in classic rom-com style, we find out her boyfriend Richard is kind of a
dick, which makes it easy for us to root for Mick to win the girl. That last
scene in the subway is actually super adorable, but it ends insanely abruptly.
So… does she go back to Australia with him? Does he stay in New York? They’re
from such thoroughly different worlds, it’s hard to buy them as a couple that
will last.
And finally, Crocodile
Dundee’s true legacy is that line.
“That’s not a knife… THAT is a knife.”
Of all the movies in the world, of all the screenplays, Crocodile Dundee is the first we’ve
watched for this project that has a genuinely iconic line. Even if you’ve never seen
this movie, you know this line. And you know what? It’s great! It’s a great
character moment for him, and it demonstrates that “fish-out-of-water” scenarios
don’t always have to place the protagonist at a disadvantage. I have a strong
suspicion that, in spite of two sequels, that line is what has helped this
movie survive. It’s a little strange. I’m still not convinced this goofy,
harmless little flick warranted an Oscar nomination, but it certainly sticks
with you.
So I’m definitely stealing the on-going rankings from
you. I want to do it too! And so, by default…
1)
Crocodile Dundee
Next up is My
Beautiful Laundrette, which I will be disappointed with if it doesn’t showcase
Daniel Day-Lewis’s improvised boomerang skills.
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