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Croc (TV)
R1 - America - Genius Products Review written by and copyright: Rob Fields (29th January 2008). |
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The Film
 I remember when I was kid, I was watching TV and saw ads on ABC for an evening movie (I don't remember the exact night) called "Alligator" (1980). I ended up watching the movie. I don't remember too many details about it at this point and time (that whole passage of time thing...), except that the creature started out as a baby when it was flushed down the toilet. Then it was quite the huge monstrosity when revealed in the film's climactic moments. It wasn't scary, however. Probably because it was cut for television (I didn't find out it was a theatrical movie until many years later). I wouldn't see another gator movie again until "Lake Placid" came out in 1999. While there were some gore scenes and a somewhat believable story, it turned out to be more of a laugh-fest thanks to Betty White who was throwing out multiple four-lettered words. Now I'm in the process of watching my third movie of this nature. Let's see how this one fares. "Croc" (1:30:07) takes place on the outskirts of a beach resort in Thailand, where a killer crocodile is on the loose. Locals are missing and body parts are bobbing in the swamps. In the meantime, at Jack's Croc Farm, Jack McQuade (Peter Tuinstra) is working hard showing off his star attraction, a crocodile by the name of Delilah. All is not well here as business is falling and Jack finds himself in financial trouble. His main competitor, Andy Kongsong's Croc World, is willing to do anything and everything to try and shut him down for good. In time, Delilah goes missing and bodies (and body parts) start turning up. With a five-thousand-dollar reward offered for the capture of the beast, crocodile hunter Croc Hawkins (Michael Madsen) is the first man on the job. But as the bodies continue to pile up and jungle screams fill the air, Hawkins soon learns that the crocodile he is after is no ordinary crocodile and that he is in for the fight of his life. This film was originally shown on cable's Sci-Fi channel. Now it's being released on DVD by Genius Products as part of their 'Maneater Series'. I liked how the movie starts off with a typical creature feature style opening fitting this type of film. Two people are out on the lake fishing. The killer crock comes at them. Soon it's busted the boat in half : right down the middle. The next thing you know, they both end up in the belly of the beast. The story itself is easy to follow, and that's good. I'll admit, when I first held this DVD in my hand, I was wondering if I had to scan the cover carefully to see if the Troma logo was on there anywhere. No, it's definitely not a schlock film : not that there's anything wrong with schlock. I definitely liked how smart the killer crock seems to be. How the heck did he get out of the lake and into some guy's in-ground pool...? At least the killer croc doesn't look fake, not to me anyway. The downsides? There are a few "Jaws" (1975) moments where people THINK they've killed the croc only to have the real one snap its jaws around them. In fact, I think there are a few other moments that seem reminiscent of "Jaws". And then there's Croc Hawkins. Didn't "Jaws" have a professional killer helping out in trying to capture the shark? Well, at least I liked Madsen's character. I didn't like Quint (Robert Shaw's character in "Jaws"). While there are some original characters, the story itself seems to be borrowed from "Jaws" in most aspects. Also, for you gorehounds out there, the only payoff you're going to get is the swimming pool scene. Even then, the body parts shown throughout the film definitely looked fake. But, being that this film probably didn't have the budget of a more elaborate release, I guess it's better than nothing. My final word is that if you are looking for a good creature feature, it's not a bad one to watch. You would probably want to rent it before buying it (unless, of course, you have already watched this on Sci-Fi channel and have already passed judgment on it yourself). In any case, this review will probably not sway you.
Video
The film is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen format (1.85:1 ratio). There are chapter selections (the only other option besides playing the movie itself). Some of the shots in the early part of the film with just the killer croc by itself show signs of grain. There are lots of vibrant colors. Many of the greens are evident (the movie is shot on-location in Thailand). Even the underwater scenes are very nicely lit. I don't know how good the picture might have looked on the Sci-Fi channel, but the DVD release definitely does it justice. Also, I think there might have been some footage in this release that had to be cut for when it was originally sired, based on some of the gore I've seen.
Audio
The film features an English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono soundtrack. There are no subtitles available. For utilizing only the front two speakers, the mix could easily be a Dolby 2.0 surround. You can hear every sound made in the water, when the killer croc makes an attack, and the intensity of its jaws snapping. If anything, those parts alone will get your attention quick.
Extras
The only extras on this disc are a series of bonus trailers that play before the Main Menu and they include: - "Furnace" which runs for 1 minute 29 seconds. - "Maneater" which runs for 1 minute 35 seconds. - "In the Spider's Web" which runs for 1 minute 34 seconds. - "Blood Monkey" which runs for 1 minute 38 seconds.
Packaging
This single DVD is packed in an Amaray case with a cardboard slipcase.
Overall
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