Crocodile Dundee parents guide

Crocodile Dundee Parent Guide

A pretty reporter talks an outback hero into visiting New York City.

Overall C

When New York newspaper jounalist Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski) goes to Australia to investigate an outback hero, she brings home more than just a story. She returns with the man himself --Crocodile Dundee (Paul Hogan).

Release date September 26, 1986

Violence C
Sexual Content C
Profanity D+
Substance Use D+

Why is Crocodile Dundee rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Crocodile Dundee PG-13 for brief strong language, some drug content and suggestive humor.

Run Time: 97 minutes

Parent Movie Review

To be honest the only thing I remembered about Crocodile Dundee was the scene in which Michael J. Dundee (Paul Hogan) and newspaper jounalist Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski) are threatened by a thug with a switchblade on a New York street. Unflustered by the demand for his wallet, Dundee reaches for his own weapon.

“That’s not a knife,” he says motioning to the thug’s cutter. Then pulling a large bowie knife out of his pants he nods to it and says, “That’s a knife.” With the tip of his blade he then slices the sleeve of the assailant’s jacket and sends the boy and his buddies scampering away like whipped dogs.

Unfortunately, that is one of the better moments in this 1985 movie starring Paul Hogan as the irrepressible Australian crocodile hunter who gains notoriety after supposedly being attacked by one of the large aquatic reptiles. Dundee and his business partner Walter Reilly (John Meollon) have seemingly embellished the story of Dundee’s miraculous journey back from the jaws of death and used it to spawn a tourist attraction of sorts.

When Sue gets wind of the event, her reporter instincts kick in and she signs up for a personally guided tour to the location of the battle. Along the way she has her own encounter with a crocodile and is saved by Dundee. The story she files spawns a lot of interest at the paper back home and eventually she talks the croc hunter into coming to The Big Apple with her. Her plans are to run a series on him. However, there’s always an aura of uncertainty swirling around the Aussie. While Sue seems attracted by Dundee’s rugged approach to life, viewers likely won’t be sure if this character is really as naive as he appears or if he’s just playing games with some gullible New Yorkers.

The other issue swirling around this comedy is the quagmire of content concerns that may arise for many parents. For instance, Dundee watches from a hidden place in a tree while Sue removes her dress and reveals a thong swimsuit (with plenty of emphasis on her bare buttocks). His mannerisms are supposed to come across as ingenuous, but instead are often crass. After meeting his first transvestite, Dundee grabs the person’s groin to confirm the gender. Later he does the same to a woman that he suspects is a man. And we are expected to believe that Dundee has been so removed from society that he doesn’t even know about prostitutes—one of world’s oldest professions.

As well, the script also contains several strong sexual expletives, lots of alcohol use and one depiction of a man snorting cocaine. Along with numerous fistfights and frequent knife use, there are also several instances of animals being killed either for sport or safety reasons.

Crocodile Dundee is portrayed as a man’s man and maybe that is what draws Sue’s interest. He certainly is different than her citified boyfriend. But I have to wonder just how long his small-town, rough around the edges persona will be appealing before it starts to grate on this sophisticated big city working girl.

Directed by Peter Faiman. Starring Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon. Running time: 97 minutes. Theatrical release September 26, 1986. Updated

Crocodile Dundee
Rating & Content Info

Why is Crocodile Dundee rated PG-13? Crocodile Dundee is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for brief strong language, some drug content and suggestive humor.

Violence: Characters engage in fistfights, some punching and a bar brawl. Thugs threaten a couple with a knife. A man fights off a crocodile and kills it by putting a knife through its head (some blood is shown). Men drive through a herd of kangaroos, shooting at them and killing them for no reason. Numerous shots are fired at animals and humans. A man kills a snake with his bare hands. A car hits a character and another is hit with a boomerang-like object. A character is kicked in the groin.

Sexual Content: A woman’s buttocks are shown after she removes her skirt and reveals her thong swimsuit. A man watches her undress from a hidden location. He also examines her buttocks, supposedly for medical reasons. A man is shown in a tub (only his bare chest is seen). A woman makes provocative advances toward a man. Some kissing and embracing is shown. A man grabs at the groin of a couple of characters to confirm their gender. A woman wears a revealing dress. Some crude sexual comments are included.

Language: The script contains several strong sexual expletives as well as an Australian term for sex. There are also numerous profanities, terms of Deity and crude comments.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters smoke and drink in several scenes. Some depictions of drunkenness are shown. A man snorts cocaine at a house party.

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Crocodile Dundee Parents' Guide

Is Crocodile Dundee appealing to Sue simply because he is unlike the men she knows? Could those differences be a good thing or a bad thing in a long-term relationship? What cultural challenges might they face over time? How long do you think Dundee will be content to stay in New York?

Do you think Dundee is as naive as he appears? Why does he seem to be a fish out of water in some scenes and completely in charge of the situation in others? How does Sue’s father feel about the croc hunter?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Crocodile Dundee movie is May 13, 2014. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Crocodile Dundee / Crocodile Dundee II

Release Date: 13 May 2014

Packaged together, Crocodile Dundee / Crocodile Dundee II release to home video on Blu-ray. Bonus features include:

- Crocodile Dundee: Theatrical Trailer

- Crocodile Dundee II: Theatrical Trailer, Behind-The-Scenes Featurette

Related home video titles:

This movie was followed by a couple of sequels: Crocodile Dundee 2 and Crocodile Dundee In Los Angeles. Steve Irwin is another Australian who a name for himself as a fearless animal fighter—he can be seen in Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course.