This was funnier than expected, something that I usually don't welcome when watching a Horror movie. Actually, it wasn't really a Horror movie, it was more of a monster flick starring an impressive giant crocodile. The practical effects (courtesy of Stan Winston) were really good but the CGI was just okay.
The cast was what made this movie good. There was a lot of chemistry between them, which offered a surprising number of laughs. This is more of a comedy than anything else, and if you're looking for a scare, look elsewhere. Overall, this was pretty fun.
I love this movie. But then again, I'm a comedic, sarcastic.
It's an alright monster movie, but aside from Betty White and the croc guy basically every character sucks. It'd be a much better film if everybody wasn't so insufferable.
Let's get the obvious comparison out of the way: Jaws. How does the stack up to the grandaddy of well-made monster movies? It's pretty damn good.
Lake Placid could easily become a B-movie, and rely on so-bad-it's-good moments or it could go full-force gorefest, but what makes this movie memorable is that it takes itself seriously. Is there comedy? Yes, but it's all very natural, makes sense for the characters, and is usually offering insight to what is happening within the story. Is there gore? Oh, yes, but it's never as intense as it would be if that was the goal here.
Where this differs from Jaws is there we got a horror movie with moments of adventure, and a family drama; here we get light comedy, and a sprinkle of romance. Again, all of this is very natural and plays out nicely.
On to the cast: Pullman, Fonda, Platt, and Gleeson all work perfectly off each other. They all understood what they were making here: there is no overacting, there is no tongue in cheek. They're playing this straight, like they wanted to make a great movie, and they did.
Betty White is who I really remembered after my first viewing, but she's barely in it. Just speaks to how well she did. There are no small parts, only small actors. RIP, madam.
Obviously, the real star here is our killer croc. So, how is he? Pretty good. He's a mix of CG, and animatronics. For this being the late '90s, I'd say the effects hold up.
Not a perfect film, but it's really good. If you like creature features, this is a must watch. If you just want a light horror movie with good humor, this is the one.
Post script: A cow is suspended in one sequence. Although, I'm sure she was safe - likely attached to a crane, and not a helicopter, like in the movie reality - it still doesn't set well with me. If there is any positive takeaway, it's that we've made some progress of how animals are treated when it comes to entertainment. Animals are here with us, not for us.
Betty White calling Brendan Gleeson "Officer Fuckmeat" gets me every time...
Lake Placid is not one of those movies you'll remember much from...except the fact that you had a hell of a time when you watched it. Well worth a watch if you haven't seen it. Just be aware of the fact that Lake Placid is mostly comedy, with a bit of creature induced gore in between.
45 minutes into this, I still couldn't decide whether it was worth finishing or not. I decided to go ahead and finish it but if I hadn't, I wouldn't have lost anything. While I love a good satire (Scary Movie), the mix of "scary" and "comedy" is so incredibly delicate and it seldom turns out right. It didn't here. There were some side-splitting comedic moments but attempting to make a truly horrific creature at the same time…it just didn't work for me here. I've had my eye on the cover art of this film for years and finally decided to give it a watch and was left wanting. The croc was good enough (by1999 standards) and I really had no complaints with the somewhat dated CGI/animatronic scenes; my biggest disappointment was the movie itself. It just never could decide whether it wanted to be "funny" or "scary" so it failed in both arenas. Don't watch this expecting to see a great "creature feature" like I expected…in fact, do yourself a favor and don't watch this at all. It's a waste of time.
"If I had a dick, this is where I'd tell you to suck it!"
Betty White is still my favorite thing about this one. I really enjoy every scene she's in and to my surprise the creature effects really hold up! What I also still find very entertaining is Brendan Gleeson running into traps every damn time, but for him it was worth it, in the end he used his big gun!
So Lake Placid is one hell of a fun creature feature and damn entertaining and well worth giving a shot considering the run time is only about 80 minutes. Not many kills but two great ones and a fantastic bear kill.
Lake Placid never fails to entertain me and this might be the year I check out one of its sequels.
"I'm rooting for the crocodile. I hope he swallows your friends whole."
Cheesy campy movie from the 90's. Perfect for that time. Funny enough, the CGI was pretty good for the time, and I am happy they created a massive animatronic crocodile for the movie.
Betty White being the croc's mom is great but the movie isn't.
classic fun movie.... i wonder this 90's cgi was way more better than its shitty sequels..............
Shout by ferretpossumVIP 8BlockedParent2018-01-28T02:44:40Z
On the surface, a routine monster movie, but actually so much more than that. A genuinely witty script and fun performances from Brendan Gleeson, Oliver Platt and Betty White and you have a terrific comedy. That just happens to have a giant man-eating crocodile in it.