Looks like we've got us a stinker

Paul Hogan revives his most famous character with disastrous results. Avoid at all costs.

Nigel Bell

So where has Paul Hogan been since Crocodile Dundee 2 in 1988. Almost An Angel anyone? Thought not.

It's hard to believe that in the 80's Hogan was leading an Australian revolution along with The Sullivans, early Neighbours and INXS.

"Smile love, we may never get to play this role again." "Thank goodness."

His adverts for a well-known brand of Aussie lager became legendary. Then came the ultimate creation. Mick Dundee, crocodile catcher and all round top bloke.

When Mick went to New York, what a cultural shock for the laid-back antipodean. How we laughed (and we did). This was genuinely fresh humour.

But trends change. What was funny then isn't now. Sadly, no one told Mr Hogan. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles is a tired retread stuck in a time zone 20 years in the past.

"Smile mate, you might never get to play this role again." "I can hope."

Calling the film predictable and pedestrian is an under statement. Jokes which worked in the original get a re-run here but to far less effect.

When Dundee was victim of an attempted mugging in New York he uttered the immortal line "this is a knife." Cinema audiences howled with laughter. In LA the trick is tried with two hand guns. The scene brings hardly a titter.

The first 30 minutes (with the action in the outback) shows a modicum of potential. But when Dundee, his partner (again played by Linda Kozlowski, for whom time has not been kind) and son Mikey move to LA, it's downhill at a rapid pace.

I haven't done this trick since Crocodile Dundee 2

The plot in a nutshell involves Kozlowski taking over her father's newspaper business and stumbling on an art smuggling scam. Hogan, again playing the fish out of water, goes undercover to help his good lady.

This film was on the way to earning just two stars from an early stage but one scene in particular forces me to reduce my score still further.

There are two cameo appearances in the movie. George Hamilton talks about coffee enemas but worse than that is when Mick and son stumble across a cross-legged, meditating man. It's none other than Mike Tyson.

Now Iron Mike can box, he can bite ears but he cannot act. The scene bears no relevance to the plot. It is pointless, much like this film.