In 1986 Paul Hogan crashed into theaters and took the world by storm with Crocodile Dundee. The film became the most successful independent film of all time and spawned 2 sequels and more recently a fun return to form in an epic commercial. Now Hogan is back in his new film The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee co-starring John Cleese, Olivia Newton-John, Chevy Chase, and so many more. Could this film bring the laughs or should it have stayed in the land down under?

 

The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee follows Paul Hogan now retired in L.A. and overshadowed by his Crocodile Dundee character who is offered a knighthood by the Queen of England. But before he can accept it, Hogan gets caught up in a series of comical scandals that dominate gossip shows and social media feeds. Can he keep his reputation clean long enough to hang onto his prize — and his dignity?

 

Like most, I was a big fan of Crocodile Dundee back in the day and even enjoyed the sequels despite not fully capturing the magic of the first. I became a fan of Hogan and watched most if not all of his other films as well like Lightning Jack and Almost an Angel. Needless to say I was excited to see him back on the big screen with this latest film, but would be lying if I wasn’t worried that it might not work and end up tarnishing my memory of him. Let’s be clear for those that do not get it, this is not an entry into the Crocodile Dundee series, but their legacy is the catalyst to a lot of the story. Thankfully the movie is so much fun in both nostalgia and delivering laughs and heart making if a fun return for Hogan.

 

The play on what is no doubt a mix of truth and fiction makes for some great moments and often times hilarious situations. It always makes you wonder