Without question, a bona-fide phenomenon of the late 1980s which catapulted Australian TV comedian Paul Hogan to the realms of the big-hitters in Hollywood, as well as doing more for the tourist trade than Max Rockatansky or Ned Kelly could combined.
CROCODILE DUNDEE stars Hogan as Michael J. ‘Crocodile’ Dundee, who is approached by New York journalist Sue Charlton (Linda Koslowski) to recount the tale of how he managed to escape the seemingly fatal jaws of a crocodile in the Outback in his workplace of Walkabout Creek. Charlton is seemingly bemused by his manner and doesn’t really believe the dangers of the outback, but soon enough she finds out otherwise.
She manages to get the facts, but then offers Dundee a chance to complete the story by returning to New York with him, where he soon discovers how out of place, but how refreshing he is in the Big Apple with his honesty….
The film was the biggest box-office hit when it opened in the UK in December 1986 and steamrollered everything else on its’ release during 1987, thanks in part to one key line that sold the film when the first trailer premiered on UK TV during the WOGAN show around September of 1986.
Hogan got a nomination for Best Original Screenplay and became the darling of the chat shows, as well as opening the Oscars 1987 in good spirits. The film also spawned two other less critical and successful sequels.