Back in 1986, Crocodile Dundee turned into an out of nowhere smash. With a US gross of $174 million, it wound up in second place at the box office for that year, a mere $2 million behind Top Gun.

While fans are still waiting for a Top Gun sequel – with one finally due in late 2021 – 1988 brought another chapter in the Dundee saga. With a US take of $106 million on a $14 million budget, it made lots of money, but that represented a pretty steep drop from the first film’s gross.

Which may be why we wouldn’t get a third Dundee until 2001. However, that year’s disastrous Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles will need to wait for another review.

In Dundee II, we follow Australian outdoorsman Mick “Crocodile” Dundee (Paul Hogan) and American journalist Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski) a year after the first film’s events. Now a couple, they reside in New York City, where Sue’s articles about Mick have turned him into a popular local figure.

When Sue’s work gets her into trouble with local gangsters, they kidnap her. Mick needs to come to the rescue to save his lady love.

When I reviewed the first Dundee, my synopsis revealed one thing: the movie didn’t really offer a plot. Half of the movie offered random Outback adventures and the other provided fish out of water comedy, all with some romance tossed in for good measure.

We didn’t find anything that I would regard as an actual storyline, though. We embarked on random episodes with the leads and that became enough to turn the film into a major hit.

Apparently those behind Dundee II figured they couldn’t make a second flick that revolved around such a loose framework, and I agree with that decision. The ambling nature of the original movie would seem lazy if done again, so Dundee II required an actual plot.

While I support the decision to make the sequel much more story-based, I can’t help but wish that the filmmakers tried to find something more creative than the tedious plot of Dundee II. “Reporter deals with threat from gangsters and needs to be rescued” was really the best they could do?

Of course, the nature of the title character allows for some twists on this theme. Mick’s rough-hewn Outback attitude gives the story a spin that it otherwise would lack.

Nonetheless, much of Dundee II focuses on the same kind of “fish out of water” material seen in the first flick. We get more tension and action than in the prior film, but the purpose remains the contrast between country boy Mick and the rigors of the big city.

As perfunctory sequels go, you can find worse than Dundee II. That doesn’t act as a real recommendation, though, so expect a fairly forgettable exercise here.

Crocodile Dundee II appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this single-sided, double-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. Like the first film, this one came with a wholly mediocre presentation.

Sharpness seemed decent much of the time, though mainly via close-ups or two-shots. Wider elements tended to seem soft and without particularly appealing delineation.

Jagged edges and moiré effects remained minor, but light edge haloes appeared. Digital artifacts popped up through the movie, and I saw mild but persistent signs of print flaws like specks and marks.

Despite a natural palette, the movie’s colors looked bland. They seemed flat and muddy much of the time.

Blacks were inky, while shadows usually felt a bit thick. For a 20-year-old DVD, this wasn’t a bad image, but it seemed pretty meh.

At least the movie’s Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack proved more effective. Though not packed with action, the film offered enough lively moments to bring the mix to life at times.

Those moments brought decent involvement to the tale. Otherwise, we got a good sense of place/environment along with appealing stereo music.

Audio quality felt fine for a mix from 1988. Speech seemed reasonably concise and natural, without much edginess.

Music appeared peppy and full, while effects felt largely accurate. A little distortion crept into a few louder moments, but those remained minor. Overall, this felt like a more than competent track for a movie from 1988.

In addition to the film’s trailer, we get a Behind the Scenes Featurette. It spans five minutes, 27 seconds and offers notes from writer/actor Paul Hogan and actor Linda Kozlowski. Nothing of note emerges in this promo piece.

When the first movie turned into a hit, Crocodile Dundee II became inevitable. I wish I could claim the sequel manages fun twists on the prior flick’s themes, but instead, it seems uninspired and forgettable most of the time. The DVD offers good audio but visuals appear sub-mediocre and the disc lacks notable bonus features. Dundee II doesn’t flop but it also fails to find a groove.