The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee
The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee is a 2020 Australian comedy film directed by Dean Murphy, written by Robert Mond and Dean Murphy, and starring Paul Hogan, Rachael Carpani, Jacob Elordi, Charlotte Stent, Nate Torrence, Chevy Chase, John Cleese, Olivia Newton-John, Reginald VelJohnson, Shane Jacobson, Wayne Knight and Kerry Armstrong.
| The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Written by | Robert Mond Dean Murphy |
| Produced by | Nigel Odell Dean Murphy |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Roger Lanser |
| Edited by | Peter Carrodus Robert Mond |
| Music by | John Foreman |
Production companies | Clock Sounds Productions Pty Kathy Morgan International Piccadilly Pictures Salt Media & Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Transmission Films |
Release date | 17 July 2020 |
| Countries | Australia United States |
| Language | English |
It was released on Amazon Prime Video on 17 July 2020,[1] and was the final film Olivia Newton-John starred in before her death in 2022.
Premise edit
Paul Hogan is reluctantly thrust back into the spotlight as he desperately attempts to restore his sullied reputation on the eve of being knighted. The title pays homage to Hogan's famous role of Crocodile Dundee.
Cast edit
- Paul Hogan as Paul
- Jacob Elordi as Chase, Paul's son
- Chevy Chase as Chevy
- John Cleese as John
- Olivia Newton-John as Olivia
- Reginald VelJohnson as Reggie
- Wayne Knight as Wayne
- Rachael Carpani as Angie
- Nate Torrence as Luke
- Paul Fenech as Paul's Mexican Landscaper
- Shane Jacobson as Neville Dundee
- Kerry Armstrong as Ella, Paul's date
- Julia Morris as Carol Knight
- Charlotte Stent as Lucy
- Graham Tate as Graham
- Mark Ellis as Mark
- Jessica Gower
Production edit
Filming took place in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Los Angeles, California, USA in 2018.[2]
Release edit
The film was originally scheduled to be released in Australian cinemas on 30 April 2020, but had its theatrical release cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee was released exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on 17 July the same year.
Reception edit
This new film has been summarized by Penelope DeBelle in Adelaide Now as "the latest in a long line of old man movies... Crocodile Dundee was 34 years ago, followed two years later by Crocodile Dundee II. Not even surgical uplifts and impeccable veneers can alter the fact that Hogan is now 80 years old. ...the idea of Hogan trying to revive the warmth and affection we had for his younger self seems a forlorn hope, just as casting a creaky Harrison Ford as a man living off the land seems an unnecessary stretch."[3]
The film has mostly negative reviews, with one and two-star reviews from ArtsHub,[4] Screenspace,[5] The Sydney Morning Herald[6] and The Guardian.[7] The Australian newspaper's Stephen Romei gave it one star: "The kindest comment I can make about Paul Hogan's new movie, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee, is that it includes John Cleese's worst performance ever (and, yes, I have seen Fierce Creatures from 1997)."[8]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 14% based on 21 reviews, and an average rating of 3.9/10.[9] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 24 out of 100, based on 4 critics.[10]
Accolades edit
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Supporting Actor | Chevy Chase | Nominated | [11] |
References edit
- ^ "The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee, July 17th, Amazon Originals". Amazon Prime Video Official YouTube. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ Kaye, Ben (12 June 2018). "Paul Hogan to star as himself in The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- ^ Debelle, Penelope (23 May 2020). "Paul Hogan's The Very Excellent Mr Dundee just the latest in a string of old man movies". The Adelaide Advertiser. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ Morris, Anthony. "Film Review: 'The Very Excellent Mr Dundee' is a trainwreck". ArtsHub Australia.
- ^ "THE VERY EXCELLENT MR. DUNDEE - Reviews - Screen-Space". screen-space.squarespace.com.
- ^ Byrnes, Paul (16 July 2020). "Paul Hogan retains his charm but has forgotten how to be funny". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ "The Very Excellent Mr Dundee review – Paul Hogan tries to not get cancelled in confused film". The Guardian. 17 July 2020.
- ^ "Paul Hogan's Mr Dundee is worse than bad. It's embarrassing". www.theaustralian.com.au. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ "The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ "The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (12 March 2021). "'Dolittle', Sia's 'Music', '365 Days' Lead 2021 Razzie Awards Nominees". Rolling Stone. from the original on 12 March 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
External links edit
- The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee at IMDb