Big Crocodile - Big Log - Big Fun.
There's a gigantic crocodile loose in the waters of Maine. A number of local hicks and big city eccentrics converge to try and stop the beast...
Wonderful! A modern day homage to the creature feature movies of lore. It's not a spoof, it's a fun packed tongue in cheek thriller, hell it may even have some literary worth as regards ecological concerns, while the cultural clashes that thrive are written with knowing skill.
Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda and Brendan Gleeson are superbly underplaying things, but they all get usurped when at the 20 minute mark Oliver Platt flies in on his helicopter and promptly owns the film from that point on.
The script crackles with choice wit and sarcasm (the Gleeson/Platt on going feud an absolute joy), while Stan Winston provides beastly graphics that are blended with genuine suspense courtesy of director Steve Miner. Oh and "Golden Girl" star Betty White turns in a support slot - with a potty mouth!
Double view it with something like "Tremors", movies that know exactly what they want to homage. 8/10
Not bad for a giant-gator Creature Feature, but Goddamn listening the dialogue in the first act is aggravating as sin.
_Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._
Good watch, would watch again, and can recommend.
I like a crocodile movie, they don't even have to be giant-sized, they make really good "monsters", and the reality of their danger sits in the back of your head.
The cast was great in this, though Bridget Fonda screams a lot, and I can't say it's very endearing.
They do sort of a "unlikely crew" trope with this, but most of the movie is dedicated to trying to find the thing in one capacity or the other.
I just feel they did a good job on everything all round, and while it's not phenomenal, part of me REALLY wants a re-make of this one.
It's the humour garnished all over Lake Placid that makes it more than an entertaining watch about crocodile terror. You know it's a spoof but you know there's danger out there too that the characters are going to fall into. Add to that the on-the-point performances and dialogue delivery by Bridget Fonda, Oliver Platt, and Brendan Gleeson and the overall atmosphere of the film, and you have a terrific film to enjoy with friends and family. This is some great popcorn entertainment. **Grade B**.
