Paul Hogan really was a one-hit wonder actor. After achieving international success with the Crocodile Dundee film series it seemed all of his films after got weaker and he began to wear out his welcome with audiences after a promising series of films that made him a popular movie star.
One exception to this was 1990's Almost an Angel which despite being a box-office flop was a somewhat decent movie that allowed him something promising outside of a Dundee film.
Only a few years later did the likeable Hogan attempt to gain audience respect with this Western comedy which was directed by of all people Simon Wincer director of Lonesome Dove which I consider the greatest Western ever.
The first half actually has some pretty funny jokes and good chemistry between Hogan and his co-star Cuba Gooding Jr.
However by the last half hour the film almost seems like a Western version of Almost an Angel where every Western cliche is used and the jokes simply aren't funny anymore.
Also starring is Beverly D'Angelo whose performance here is simply bad acting. It most likely isnt her fault though. I think it most likely has everything to do with Hogan's script (he also wrote this), and Wincer's unfortunate lazy direction. Where was the directorial intensity he delivered so well in Lonesome Dove?
In the last half hour I was so bored and tired that I didnt really care where the plot was going and just stopped paying attention.
I think this movie definitely had potential but just filled up its last half with far too many shortcomings.
It's a shame because Paul Hogan is an immensely likeable actor and one we simply cannot forget won over our hearts in the 80's with Crocodile Dundee.
Gooding of course made better films later on before his career tanked in a similar fashion to Hogan's. Unfortunately D'Angelo demonstrates here that she was only good in really one role that of Chevy Chase's wife in the National Lampoon's Vacation series.
I wasnt expecting this to be the next Blazing Saddles or the sadly underrated wonderful Western comedy Goin' South with Jack Nicholson, but considering Hogan's talent and likeability I definitely expected better and his co-stars Gooding and D'Angelo deserved better material than this to support him.
Why did Paul Hogan's career take a decline? I think its because he takes on too many responsibilities in his movies. I think this movie would have been a whole lot better if he simply would have been the lead actor and left the writing responsibilities to someone else.
It's a shame that the talented Aussie actor never made any other good movies aside from his most famous role.
Here was a really funny guy who could still be a popular movie star to the present day if he selected better scripts and left them in the hands of other writers.
Unfortunately movies like this are easy to see why he all but disappeared at a time when his career should have continued to flourish.
If you liked any of the Dundee films this may be worth one watch but on the whole this is a very uneven film that does not demonstrate the best talents of its main actor or co-stars.
I think Paul Hogan needed a crossover Crocodile Dundee film to be back in the mainstream. This idea was thought out to have him cross-over with Eddie Murphy with his Beverly Hills Cop character, Axel Foley. That could have been a huge hit needed for both actors whose careers have hit rock bottom.
Maybe the movie would have even been better had Murphy played Gooding's role and was an equal to Hogan as opposed to the sidekick who doesnt do anything.
Paul you made one great movie but everything after should have been better thought out. In times like this cinema can use an actor as likeable as Hogan.
Unfortunately for that to be the case he would need stronger material than demonstrated in this film.
One exception to this was 1990's Almost an Angel which despite being a box-office flop was a somewhat decent movie that allowed him something promising outside of a Dundee film.
Only a few years later did the likeable Hogan attempt to gain audience respect with this Western comedy which was directed by of all people Simon Wincer director of Lonesome Dove which I consider the greatest Western ever.
The first half actually has some pretty funny jokes and good chemistry between Hogan and his co-star Cuba Gooding Jr.
However by the last half hour the film almost seems like a Western version of Almost an Angel where every Western cliche is used and the jokes simply aren't funny anymore.
Also starring is Beverly D'Angelo whose performance here is simply bad acting. It most likely isnt her fault though. I think it most likely has everything to do with Hogan's script (he also wrote this), and Wincer's unfortunate lazy direction. Where was the directorial intensity he delivered so well in Lonesome Dove?
In the last half hour I was so bored and tired that I didnt really care where the plot was going and just stopped paying attention.
I think this movie definitely had potential but just filled up its last half with far too many shortcomings.
It's a shame because Paul Hogan is an immensely likeable actor and one we simply cannot forget won over our hearts in the 80's with Crocodile Dundee.
Gooding of course made better films later on before his career tanked in a similar fashion to Hogan's. Unfortunately D'Angelo demonstrates here that she was only good in really one role that of Chevy Chase's wife in the National Lampoon's Vacation series.
I wasnt expecting this to be the next Blazing Saddles or the sadly underrated wonderful Western comedy Goin' South with Jack Nicholson, but considering Hogan's talent and likeability I definitely expected better and his co-stars Gooding and D'Angelo deserved better material than this to support him.
Why did Paul Hogan's career take a decline? I think its because he takes on too many responsibilities in his movies. I think this movie would have been a whole lot better if he simply would have been the lead actor and left the writing responsibilities to someone else.
It's a shame that the talented Aussie actor never made any other good movies aside from his most famous role.
Here was a really funny guy who could still be a popular movie star to the present day if he selected better scripts and left them in the hands of other writers.
Unfortunately movies like this are easy to see why he all but disappeared at a time when his career should have continued to flourish.
If you liked any of the Dundee films this may be worth one watch but on the whole this is a very uneven film that does not demonstrate the best talents of its main actor or co-stars.
I think Paul Hogan needed a crossover Crocodile Dundee film to be back in the mainstream. This idea was thought out to have him cross-over with Eddie Murphy with his Beverly Hills Cop character, Axel Foley. That could have been a huge hit needed for both actors whose careers have hit rock bottom.
Maybe the movie would have even been better had Murphy played Gooding's role and was an equal to Hogan as opposed to the sidekick who doesnt do anything.
Paul you made one great movie but everything after should have been better thought out. In times like this cinema can use an actor as likeable as Hogan.
Unfortunately for that to be the case he would need stronger material than demonstrated in this film.