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Parents' Guide to

Crocodile Dundee

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Iconic outback comedy has strong language, drinking, drugs.

Movie PG-13 1986 98 minutes
Crocodile Dundee Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Finley H.
Finley H. Parent of 2 and 5-year-old
September 4, 2023
age 12+

It's a great movie

Great movie

This title has:

Too much consumerism
Spencer H.
Spencer H. Adult
May 28, 2021
age 14+

Still a very funny movie but not for pre-teens and younger

35 years after its first release this still holds up as one of the funniest and most likeable comedies from the 80's. Kids may want to view this as a film that was very popular from their parents and even grandparents generation but like so many 80's classics, this film is not appropriate for very young children. There is a decent amount of profanity, hell, damn GD, the f word once and several s words and ass. Additionally the word screw is used once in a sexual context. There is a scene of cocaine use and although the film tries to play it for innocent laughs it is not appropriate for children, there are also several scenes involving prostitutes and the main character misunderstanding their sexual dialogue, as well as a scene that takes place in a transvestite bar. Linda Kozlowski's character can also be sensual at times although not in an overly inappropriate manner, there is also some fist fighting, although this is done because Crocodile Dundee punches characters who use foul language in front of women so there are good morals. Additionally Mick Dundee is just a very nice and likeable man doing the best he can to survive as a fish out of water in New York. Although the film has some inappropriate content the main character has good morals at times and is just so likeable that he can prove to be a good role model. Unfortunately this films deserved popularity spawned two very inferior sequels that attempted to be more family friendly but as a result were both very boring and completely forgot what made Mick Dundee a great and likeable character to begin with. In my opinion this first movie is a classic and should not have inspired a franchise. Sure it was so popular that people wanted the story continued but the sequels were not well done and just didnt have the laughs, charm or likeability as this first film did. Although the second and third movies are more appropriate than the original kids will most likely be bored by them so my suggestion is to show this to kids 14 and up unless you have some way of seeing it with a filter or on television and then it should be more suitable for pre-teens.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

This iconic 1980s adventure-comedy centers on Mick "Crocodile" Dundee (Paul Hogan), a rugged, hard-nosed Aussie outbacker who can fend off a killer croc and a few hours later throw down a keg's worth of beer at the local pub. Dundee's life-saving machismo impresses traveling New York reporter Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski). After Dundee saves her from a crocodile's jaws, she invites him to return to Manhattan with her to see if the big, bad city is any less dangerous than the bush. Once in New York, the fish-out-of-water gags begin, such as Mick saying, "G'day, mate," to total strangers, thinking a guy snorting cocaine is trying to cure a stuffy nose, washing clothes in his room at the Plaza, hitting on a transvestite, defending two streetwalkers' honor, and nonchalantly telling a mugger, "That's not a knife," pulling out his own knife, and proclaiming, "Now THAT's a knife."

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (9 ):

For some culture-clash amusement, this outback offering hits the spot. It's easy to forget now, with all the Steve Irwin/Crocodile Hunter love what a phenomenon the fictional Crocodile Dundee was back in the mid-'80s. The movie made more than $328 million and bankrolled two sequels. Hogan and his no-nonsense "Man from Down Under" routine was quite charming back then, and though the comedy's definitely dated, it still manages to elicit chuckles at all the right spots.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Paul Hogan's character changed the way Americans thought about Australia, paving the way for Outback Steakhouse, the Subaru Outback (which he endorsed), and even the late Aussie naturalist Steve Irwin. Nowadays there are many, many Australians in Hollywood: Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Cate Blanchett, and Nicole Kidman, to name a few. Can you name five more?

  • Do you think Crocodile Dundee is representative of Australian bush culture? Is New York City still perceived as dangerous and crime-ridden?

  • What is a stereotype? Does the movie confirm or challenge stereotypes?

Movie Details

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