Crocodile Dundee II starts out, quite literally, with a bang -- and perhaps the funniest moment in the film. Then it settles down into what can only be called more of the same.

For a sequel to be effective, it has to take the characters to new territory and show the audience something we haven't seen before. Unfortunately, this seems to go against every atom in a Hollywood film producer's being, for whom the motto is "if it worked the first time, why can't it work again?"

In all fairness, a new twist has been added to the franchise. This time we get a villian. But before I get ahead of myself, the film starts out right where the first one left off. Mick Dundee (Paul Hogan) is still in New York with his girlfriend, Sue (Linda Kozlowski). It would seem that the couple hasn't quite been in New York long enough for Mick to shop for a new wardrobe, but he has been there long enough to get hooked on soap operas.

Mick decides that it's time to find a job. He's offered a position by his friend, Leroy Brown (an early performance by Charles Dutton). Leroy appears to be some sort of cross between a drug dealer and a pimp, but it's all an act -- he really sells stationary.

Meanwhile, Sue's ex-husband is in South America investigating real drug dealers (the above mentioned villain). He manages to shoot some incriminating photos and mails them to Sue shortly before the drug dealers kill him. The bad guys figure out where the photos went and go to New York to get them back. They kidnap Sue, forcing Mick to enlist the aid of Leroy and some gangsters to rescue her.

Following the rescue, Mick decides that the best way to keep Sue safe is to return to Australia. The drug dealers follow and now must deal with Mick on his own terms.

The whole tone of this film seems to be one of under-reaction. Take for instance when Mick gets home from a fishing trip and surprizes Sue in the shower with his catch. Her reaction is to just roll her eyes in an "oh, Mick," fashion. Also, Mick and Sue's relationship still suffers from the lack of passion that plagued the first film. These are two people being polite to each other, not two people in love.

The film has added an element of danger in the form of the drug dealers, but even then, there is no real sense of peril. The film remains too light-hearted for anyone to seriously believe that Mick won't save the day.

There are a couple of good laughs in the film, but for the most part we see all of the same jokes played out in the original. Michael "Crododile" Dundee is essentially a one-trick pony and as charming as the character is, the joke eventually wears thin.