Crikey! Here's a horrible idea. Take a nature show that's popular because of its host's unpredictable antics, weigh it down with a stale, predictable script, and throw on some terrible acting to boot. Well, studio execs must go in for horrible ideas because "Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course" has made it onto a big screen near you.
The movie starts off with a whimper when a ridiculous plot involving a satellite containing information that could change the power structure of the world and a croc eating said information is revealed. Really the plot is of little consequence to the movie; it could have been thrown away entirely. In fact, it should have been. The stereotypes used (the trigger-happy secret agent, the angry hermit, etc.) are stale and the acting is atrocious. Add on to that that Steve Irwin (aka the Crocodile Hunter) doesn't even attempt to act, but instead speaks to the camera like he's on his show and you have a boring hour.
The movie clocks in at an hour and a half however, and that half-hour is saved when the action veers away from the plot and settles on the Crocodile Hunter himself. Unleashed on unsuspecting and dangerous wildlife, Irwin is truly a joy to watch as he explains dangerous creatures while interacting with them, and, of course, entertaining us. It's at these times that the audience is drawn in and riveted. So, for 30 minutes, when the Crocodile Hunter is at ease with his environment and cuts loose, the movie is all it could have been. I might have even enjoyed the movie if they took off the hour of fat, but then it would seem remarkably like the show, and at least there you get a full hour.
The movie starts off with a whimper when a ridiculous plot involving a satellite containing information that could change the power structure of the world and a croc eating said information is revealed. Really the plot is of little consequence to the movie; it could have been thrown away entirely. In fact, it should have been. The stereotypes used (the trigger-happy secret agent, the angry hermit, etc.) are stale and the acting is atrocious. Add on to that that Steve Irwin (aka the Crocodile Hunter) doesn't even attempt to act, but instead speaks to the camera like he's on his show and you have a boring hour.
The movie clocks in at an hour and a half however, and that half-hour is saved when the action veers away from the plot and settles on the Crocodile Hunter himself. Unleashed on unsuspecting and dangerous wildlife, Irwin is truly a joy to watch as he explains dangerous creatures while interacting with them, and, of course, entertaining us. It's at these times that the audience is drawn in and riveted. So, for 30 minutes, when the Crocodile Hunter is at ease with his environment and cuts loose, the movie is all it could have been. I might have even enjoyed the movie if they took off the hour of fat, but then it would seem remarkably like the show, and at least there you get a full hour.
