Lake Placid (1999)

OK, so Steve Miner's "Lake Placid" contains a collection of clichéd characters - the sarcastic locals, the eccentric millionaire, and the scientist woman who freaks out at the sight of anything unpleasant - but you gotta love some of the things that the movie shows. When it got released, Entertainment Weekly's review of it was titled WHAT A CROC OF... and called it a monstrosity that sinks to the bottom. While obviously not any sort of high-value cinema, it's still a fun movie. The most interesting person in the movie is Betty White's character. She seems like the typical nice old lady, but she turns out to have a sharp tongue.Basically, the movie makes no pretense about what it is. I suspect that they had fun filming it. Producer David E. Kelley (Michelle Pfeiffer's husband) is best known for shows like "Ally McBeal" and is now behind "Big Little Lies".

Now, this is a monster movie for the twenty-first century. A good romp through the bizarreness of science fiction. In the fifties, it was the fear of radiation; now, it's mother nature.There's no explanation of the killer croc being where it is, though all the experts say it shouldn't be there. Be we don't need to know why it's in the lake, all we are worried about is the gory fun that will ensue because it is.The strange thing about the film is that it's not really about the two lead roles. I think this is down to the writers developing better roles in the Hecter Cyr played flamboyantly by Oliver Platt and Sheriff Hank Keough spiritedly portrayed by Brenden Gleeson and the repartee they have between them. Then when Betty White come on the scene as Mrs Delores Bickerman, the croc's mother, she steals the show. Which is a shame for Bill Pullman and Bridget Fonda as they look adrift next to the minor roles.The director, Steve Minor does an expert job of building up the pace and keeping the excitement and humour rolling along at an increasing pace.For the most part, the special effects are superb some of the hardest things to do are to create fur on animals and get their movements correct the digital artists did really good work here, and it was 1999. Stan Winston and his studios looked after the hard effects and the puppet crocodile, which is amazing in its lifelike quality.If you're looking for good fun that you don't need to think about just enjoy then I'd recommend this movie to you. There are laughs, there's action, there are man-eating crocodiles... what more could you ask for... Oh Yeah, there's Betty White... nuff said!

To some, Lake Placid might seem, like it mastered, the B-movie horror genre 'so bad, it's good', type of a film. However, for others; the movie is full of mean-spirited, unfunny, somewhat offensive jokes. For me, I felt like, this movie was pretty entertaining, however, I'm not one of those, who would be, a tailgater for this film. This movie can bite me! This tongue-in-cheek, killer croc film was pretty stupid. Directed by Steve Miner, the movie tells the story of a group of wildlife experts, trying to hunt a giant, 30-foot-long man-eating crocodile, which is terrorizes the small community of Black Lake, Maine. Can they capture the beast, or will they become the crocodile's next meal? Watch the movie to find out, if you want to! Without spoiling the movie, too much, I have to say, that Lake Placid isn't that great. Not at all! However, it's a lot better than the later, crocodile related horror films. One thing, that I didn't like, about the film is the characters. All, of them, has their moments of annoyance to me. The only, two characters, I was, somewhat rooting for, was Sheriff Hank Keough (Brendan Gleeson) & Fish and Game officer Jack Wells (Bill Pullman), because they were the ones, that seem, somewhat normal. Everybody else, I was kinda rooting for the crocodile to eat them. Bridget Fonda as the History paleontologist Kelly Scott, comes across as a whinny city girl, looking for a hookup. The first part of the film, with her, was very hard to get through. I really didn't care to find out, what her previous relationship did to her. Nor did, I care for her forced relationship with Bill Pullman's character. She really doesn't do, much for the film, besides endangering herself and her teammates, anyways. Nor, does she really care, that the crocodile kill people. She still wants it, to be capture, rather than, not killed. What type of human being, does that!? It was there, that I really couldn't stand her presence. Mythology professor/crocodile enthusiast Hector Cyr (Oliver Platt) was the same way. While, he was somewhat funny. His jokes were, mostly a miss, rather than a hit, due to his offensive, often homophobia and womanizer nature. I really didn't like, his preachy, keep the animal alive, approach. Both characters should had died, and the crocodile should had be luggage. See you later, alligator. Bye! Bye! Another problem, with the film was the settlings. For a movie call Lake Placid; it really has a lame excuse for the name, Lake Placid. I was really hoping, the movie settling was, indeed, Lake Placid, New York. Maybe, have, some type of Olympian swimmer, kill the beast in the end. Who Knows! It could probably, make a better movie, than we got. While, this film was a financial success at the box office and was followed by a series of sequels and a crossover film with the Anaconda series. Sadly, this animal attack movie doesn't have the thrill and chills in suspense, like Steven Spielberg's 1975's hit, Jaws. It's not scary, at all. Nor, does the movie master, any sense of horror comedy like Ron Underwood's 1990 Tremors. Still, compared to a lot of killer croc films, out there. Lake Placid features some semi great special effects by both Stan Winston and Digital Domain that, for the most part, hold up, today. The crocodile looks somewhat realistic. The gore effects was good enough for stomach curling. The sequels however not so much, though I do admittedly, they look better than most Sci-Fi Channel Original films. The movie also doesn't really, have much in exposition or plot development. It seem like the movie didn't care about the science, too much, as it's somewhat abandoned, explaining, toward the middle of the film. Even in the end, you still, don't have, no clue, how the crocodile got into the lake in the first place, and how it's able to survive there. Regardless, the movie does have, some good pacing. There were very few filler scenes in this 82 minutes film. Another thing, that I like, about the film is the music; however, it rarely matches, what's going on, with the film. Honestly, how in the hell does 'I Think I Love You' by singer, Maureen Davis & 'It's Not Unusual" by singer, Tom Jones, have to do, with a 20ft killer crocodile!? Noting, if you ask me. Overall: While, the music doesn't match, well with the film. I still have, to say, this movie still entertains me, enough to get, through it. Nevertheless, this feeding frenzy movie is only good for a one-time watch. Not worth, the rewatchability. This movie has reptile dysfunction.

I came across this spoof of the standard "an underwater beast is eating all the tourists" film on Netflix, so I feel no regret: I did not have to pay extra for it. But I am not kidding, the film is better appreciated under the influence of alcohol-induced euphoria.Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Brendan Gleeson, Oliver Platt and Betty White have fun here. Either that or all these talented actors are slumming. Which I doubt.This genre began way back with The Creature from the Black Lagoon and was best done by Stephen Spielberg in Jaws. The principal conceit is that lake or sea water conceals danger -- you never know what's gonna jump out and get you.Sit back, enjoy and don't take the film seriously.