Crocodile Hunter, The

Quality: * * * * Acceptability: +1

RATING: PG

STARRING: Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, Magda Szubanski, David Wenham, Lachy Hulme, Aden Young, Kenneth Ransom, and Kate Beahan

DIRECTOR: John Stainton

DISTRIBUTOR: MGM/UA

GENRE: Comedy/Documentary/Action-Adventure/Spy Thriller

INTENDED AUDIENCE: All ages

SUMMARY: The Crocodile Hunter Collision Course stars TV wildlife expert Steve Irwin as he and his wife, Terri, try to save a crocodile while being chased by U.S. government spies after a recording device swallowed by the croc. Steve and Terri get up close and personal with the crocodile, a snake, a lizard, a spider, and a wide-eyed baby kangaroo. Complicating this plot is a feisty widow, who wants to kill the crocodile to stop him from eating the cows on her ranch.

Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course is a schizophrenic movie. All of the shots featuring the Irwins are projected on a mostly rectangular screen, while the shots without them are in widescreen. This makes the movie a weird experience at times, but it doesn't lessen all the fun. As usual, Steve Irwin is funny and a little bit crazy as the passionate wildlife expert. His wife brings a warm, stable presence to the proceedings. Younger children may get a little bit scared by some of the encounters with the wild, dangerous animals. Despite the movie's lightweight Romantic, environmentalist worldview, however, Crocodile Hunter is good family-friendly entertainment. It's one wild, fun ride!

CONTENT: Light Romantic worldview with some environmentalism, but pro-family, moral elements make for mostly wholesome family entertainment about five light obscenities, Australians say, "Crikey," woman says "nuts," plus brief talk of animal "poo" and several shots of animal dung; some scary violence with handling and capturing snakes, a spider and crocodiles, plus some action violence; no sex but man pats wife on behind during affectionate moment no nudity; no alcohol; no smoking.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Jul 22, 2002
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