Crocodile Dundee (1986)

The action comedy film, Crocodile Dundee (1986), takes place in both the Australian Outback and New York City. Sue Charlton, a feature writer for her father’s newspaper Newsday, is dating the editor Richard Mason. She travels to Walkabout Creek, a small township in the Northern Territory of Australia, to meet Michael J. ‘Crocodile’ Dundee – a bushman who allegedly lost half his leg to a saltwater crocodile before making an incredible journey to safety. However, upon arriving in Walkabout Creek, Sue is unable to find Dundee and instead spends the evening at the local pub with his business partner Walter ‘Wally’ Reilly. When Dundee finally shows up that night, Sue is surprised to see that his leg is intact but he does have a noticeable scar which he jokingly calls a ‘love bite’. As they dance together, a group of city kangaroo shooters mock Dundee’s reputation as a crocodile hunter which prompts him to swiftly knock out their leader with just one punch.

Initially, Sue is underwhelmed by Dundee’s less-than-legendary qualities, finding his demeanor lacking refinement and his attempts at courtship clumsy. However, her opinion changes drastically when she witnesses ‘Mick’, as he is known, display impressive skills in the outback: taming a water buffalo, participating in an Aboriginal tribal dance ceremony, dispatching a snake with ease, and cleverly scaring off poachers who mistaken a kangaroo for a shooting animal. The next day, Sue takes offense to Mick’s belief that as a ‘sheila’ she cannot survive alone in the Outback. In order to prove him wrong, she sets off on her own but agrees to bring along his rifle at his insistence. Mick follows her to ensure her safety and when she stops by a billabong to fill her canteen with water, she is attacked by a menacing crocodile. Thankfully, Mick arrives just in time to rescue her from harm. Filled with gratitude towards him for saving her life, Sue’s feelings towards Mick take on a more romantic tone.