So next week on the blog, we’re going to do a lookback at the Crocodile Dundee trilogy of films in celebration of the first film’s 40th anniversary. But before we do that, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Paul Logan’s more recent attempt to cash in on that legacy in the form of the awkwardly named The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee, which was on the verge of leaving Prime Video and I figured, “Why not?”
Spoiler: this film is not excellent, nor is it a Croc Dundee film. It sees Paul Hogan playing a fictionalized version of himself on the verge of being knighted and going through some shenanigans and misunderstandings that obviously causes some public image issues. Most of the humor is aimed at poking fun at the media over turning every mild issue into a huge media sensation, which is not so much funny than it is horrifically accurate to real life media.
It’s an odd film, this one. Sometimes, it’s trying to be funny and ends up being a bit cringe because the writing is just not good, but then there are moments of humanity where Paul Hogan is sort of reflecting on his place in the world and those are the moments I found myself gravitating towards… before they’re ruined with a cheap gag or two. That’s the really baffling feeling I have with Mr. Dundee; it doesn’t know what it wants to be and it ends up being a bit of a mess.
That said, I didn’t dislike Mr. Dundee as much as I feared would be the case. Even in his advance years, Paul Hogan still maintains a bit of that charm that made him such an endearing character in his prime years and those little moments pop up every now and then to keep this from being a total sloth. Not one I would recommend to anyone else looking for a good time, but not completely offensive, either.
dtm666 