The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course

The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course
Company type	Film
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2002
Key people	Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, John Stainton (director and producer)
Products	Film
Parent	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (US distributor), 20th Century Fox (international distributor)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course is a 2002 adventure comedy film derived from the wildlife documentary series The Crocodile Hunter. The movie features Steve Irwin alongside his wife Terri Irwin, marking her first film appearance, with supporting roles by Magda Szubanski and David Wenham. Direction was handled by John Stainton, a frequent collaborator of Irwin. Positioned between the show's fourth and fifth seasons, the storyline follows Steve and Terri as they attempt to rescue a crocodile from supposed "poachers," unaware that these men are CIA operatives tracking a satellite beacon ingested by the animal. This project represents Steve Irwin's last film before his passing in 2006.

Theatrically released on 12 July 2002 in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and distributed internationally by 20th Century Fox, the film garnered mixed critical responses but achieved a box office gross of $33.4 million against a production budget of $12 million.

Plot

Following the destruction of a U.S. satellite, a beacon falls to Earth and is swallowed by a large Australian crocodile. The CIA dispatches agents Robert Wheeler and Vaughn Archer to recover it, while Department Director Ansell assigns operative Jo Buckley to intercept them and undermine Deputy Director Reynolds.

Nearby, cattle rancher Brozzie Drewitt intends to eliminate the crocodile due to its attacks on her livestock. The Department of Fauna and Fisheries enlists Sam Flynn to convince Brozzie to approve legal relocation of the animal. Concurrently, Steve and Terri Irwin are contracted to capture the crocodile. After their success, Wheeler and Archer track them down, mistakenly identifying the Irwins as poachers following a brief encounter.

At Thomson River, Steve finds the beacon inside crocodile droppings but assumes it is a toy. Upon releasing the crocodile, Wheeler and Archer arrive by boat. Buckley assaults them using dynamite from an ultralight aircraft, destroying their vessel. Steve crashes Buckley's aircraft into the river; she survives and reports failure to Ansell, who is subsequently arrested for his misconduct.

With the agents unsuccessful, the CIA requests military assistance from President George W. Bush to locate the Irwins. While Steve plays with the beacon during his show, helicopters arrive on the scene.

In the epilogue, Steve returns the beacon without incident. Brozzie commits to wildlife conservation efforts, while Wheeler and Archer are reassigned as volunteers at Australia Zoo. Steve offers support to all parties in adapting to their new roles.

Cast

Steve Irwin as Himself
Terri Irwin as Herself
Magda Szubanski as Brozzie Drewitt
David Wenham as Sam Flynn
Lachy Hulme as Robert Wheeler
Aden Young as Ron Buckwhiler
Kenneth Ransom as Vaughn Archer
Kate Beahan as Jo Buckley
Steve Vidler as Department Director Ansell
Steve Bastoni as Deputy Director Reynolds
Sui (Steve and Terri's Staffordshire Bull Terrier) as Herself
Robert Coleby as Dr. Weinberger
Timothy Bottoms as U.S. President George W. Bush

Production

Director and producer John Stainton conceived a feature-length Crocodile Hunter film in 1999 during an African documentary shoot, aiming to merge traditional nature documentary elements with scripted drama. His priority was crafting an accessible project for Steve Irwin, who portrayed himself despite limited acting experience. Documentary-style sequences were filmed unscripted in 1.85:1 aspect ratio across the Australian Outback, allowing Steve to improvise freely. In contrast, scripted dramatic scenes shot in 2.40:1 included actors interacting briefly with the Irwins, who were only informed of plot details immediately prior to filming.

Cheyenne Enterprises, owned by Bruce Willis and Arnold Rifkin, showed interest in producing and financing the film, while MGM secured worldwide distribution rights. Principal photography began in November 2001 after over a year spent capturing documentary footage. Although numerous animals appeared during filming, only select species—such as kangaroos, perenties, bird-eating spiders, and two snakes—were featured in the final edit. Holly Goldberg-Sloan adapted these wildlife encounters into a dramatic narrative involving agents Wheeler and Archer.

A distinctive feature of the film’s marketing was a "special shoot" teaser trailer showcasing Steve interacting with MGM’s Leo the Lion mascot within the studio logo.

Collision Course employed two different film aspect ratios: 1.85:1 for scenes featuring Steve and Terri and 2.35:1 for sequences involving Australian farmers and CIA operatives tracking a drone. In theatrical releases and on DVD, the 1.85:1 footage appears with pillar boxing, commonly used for 1.33:1 content displayed within wider frames. Fullscreen versions omit windowboxing due to cropping to 1.33:1, removing borders even when shown on widescreen televisions stretched to fullscreen format.

Critical response

The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course holds a 53% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 88 critiques, with the general consensus highlighting that the spy satellite storyline contributes little beyond what the television series already offers.

Film critic Roger Ebert awarded the movie three out of four stars, commending the engaging leads as they traverse the Australian outback while informing viewers about wildlife hazards. Conversely, Robert K. Elder of the Chicago Tribune expressed disappointment, pointing out that the film fails to provide a strong incentive to pay for it when comparable material is accessible on television at no cost. Viewers surveyed by CinemaScore assigned the movie a "B+" rating.

Box office performance

With a production budget of $12 million, the film earned $28.4 million domestically and reached $33.4 million globally, establishing itself as a significant commercial success.

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Outcome
2003	Young Artist Award	Best Family Feature Film - Comedy	Template:Won

Home media

In the United States, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course was made available on VHS and DVD starting 17 December 2002, alongside a soundtrack release. This soundtrack was subsequently incorporated as background music for The Crocodile Hunter coin-operated kiddie ride produced by Kiddy Rides Australia. The film was later issued on Blu-ray Disc on 25 April 2023.

External links