Lake Placid Review by Bobby LePire. Edited by Courtney McAllister.

 

It’s the month of the chilling and the spooky, which means here at Terribly Fun, it is ‘Creature Feature Month’! Last October, “Anaconda” took us for a thrill ride in the jungle. And now, I’ll be taking a look at all the crazy, jokey action that takes place at “Lake Placid”. The 1999 released first film was such a success that there are three direct sequels, and one crossover with another franchise; we’ll get to that guy in due time. For now, let’s get the ball rolling, and the cows flying.

 

The plot is fairly standard as far as killer animal on the loose films go, but with no tourists or beaches close by, it remains a breath of fresh air in this genre:

After a cop gets killed by an unseen animal while patrolling Black Lake, in Aroostook County, Maine, Fish And Game officer Jack Wells (Bill Pullman) teams up with sheriff Hank Keough (Brendan Gleeson), paleontologist Kelly Scott (Bridget Fonda), and professor/ crocodile hunter Hector Cyr (Oliver Platt). They investigate and track as best the can, but with their differing personalities getting in the way, things are tense on land as well as in the water. Will they be able to capture the creature alive? Or will it kill them?

 

The best thing about this movie, and the main reason it still holds up some fourteen years later, is the comedy. This film is hysterical... on purpose. The quick and witty screenplay by David E. Kelley (yes, that David E. Kelley; the “Ally McBeal”, “Boston Legal” David E. Kelley!) understands that we have seen this kind of story before, and decides to put a new spin on things by having a lot of humor; as well as all kinds of differing comedy- there is plenty of physical comedic bits, mostly at the expense of the sheriff, and that’s directly due to Hector. There is a scene where Hector is setting traps in case the crocodile wanders onto land. Hank hears something happening outside, and goes to investigate (carrying his pistol for safety), and discovers Hector’s stuff. Hank then accidentally falls into one of the traps.

 

Then there’s the witty banter between Jack and Kelly:

 

Kelly: “So, does nobody in Maine make a move?” -Jack moves his dufflebag to make room for her in the truck- “You moved your dufflebag over?”
Jack: “Will you just get in the truck?”

 

This has the beats of a rather sharp romantic comedy, and most of their scenes carry that vibe. Then there’s everything, simply everything about Hector- he’s a mythology professor that almost worships crocodiles, which is why he learned to track them. His one-liners and comebacks are pretty amusing-

 

Hank: I... I... I never heard of a crocodile crossing an ocean.

Hectorr: Well, they conceal information like that in books.

and

Hank: I brought a pork chop for luck. Maybe you could hang it around your neck.

Hector: That's sweet. Maybe later you can chew the bark off my big fat log.

 

It’s not just the damned fine writing that makes him so funny, but more on that when we get there.

 

The script’s humor isn’t its only notable factor. The way it eschews certain cliches is admirable- there are no beaches to close off, no tourists to save the town’s economy for the year, hell, the whole county has like maybe 200 people living in its boundaries! This allows the film to feel very different from other movies of its ilk.

 

Director Steve Miner, director of such disparate titles as “Friday The 13th: Part 2”, “Forever Young” (who remembers that movie?), and “Texas Rangers”, was at the helm for this. And it’s probably his most stylish and visually rich movie. Director of photography Daryn Okada gave him quite a bit to work with. The colors of the forest surrounding the lake are lush, and make Maine look very picturesque. The underwater sequences are creepy, atmospheric, and taut. We don’t get a look at the crocodile in full until, roughly, the halfway mark, and the scenes on and in the lake always seem to just have something slightly disturbing just off screen- the power of delayed gratification delivers some of the movie’s biggest nail biting moments.

 

His camera blocking is also quite good, and he makes arresting use of fore- and back- ground action to move things along. In the aforementioned scene Hector sets traps/ Hank falls into one (which is one of my favorite parts), Hank’s fall isn’t the main action going on. Jack and Kelly are having a conversation, as Hank walks away, and they hear his thud after the fact. I don’t know why, but that just makes it funnier to me.

 

Paul Hirsch and Marshall Harvey’s editing keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats. The early attacks where we can’t see the giant creature, don’t feel forcefully obscured, and the visual gags are kept afloat nicely with solid edits that underscore the punchline. The score by John Ottman is also quite sublime. It never overpowers the scenes, but it does keep the pacing and tension amped up.

 

Miner is also smart enough to know when he should just let his actors go crazy and have fun. When Hector first arrives, with the most obnoxious helicopter landing since “Jurassic Park”, his gabbing on about who he is, and how/ why he should be allowed to help, is just Platt being crazy and chewing the perfect amount of scenery. An early conversation between Jack and Kelly sees Pullman pull out the sarcastic charm, and Fonda fights back just as fiercely.

I mean really, the whole cast is perfect! Pullman and Fonda’s chemistry is quite high, and their banter is fun. Pullman handles the authoritative aspect of the character with aplomb, and a moment near the ending has you actually wondering which way he will go- kill it or tranq it? Fonda is believable as an expert with little to no field experience, but seeing her transition into a better one because of this, is cool.

Brendan Gleeson plays the sheriff, because is there another actor alive today that looks more right to play a cop? I think not! His character mainly gets funny lines, and his comedic timing is spot on. But, when he does have to lay down the law (almost literally), his seriousness doesn’t come across as forced. Platt just about steals the show with his bravado for himself, his lust for life, and his contempt for the authorities are all hilarious. Betty White, as Delores- a townsperson that might just know more than she’s letting on- is great. When she asks  if it’s a crime “to wish the chewing of law enforcement?”, you’ll probably have to pause and catch your breath after laughing so hard. Also, be sure to keep any eye out for Mariska Hargitay, in small role in this theatrical release, the same year her career making show launched!

 

Finally, we get to the real star of the movie- the freaking crocodile! The rewatch for this review revealed more animatronic work than I recalled, and Stan Winston and his amazing crew at Stan Winston Studios created a threatening, creepy, and very lifelike giant croc. It moves very quickly, and seeing its full scale, once trapped in the helicopter, is impressive. The eye movements are of special note. In terms of the moments the creature is CGI, those still look mostly good. There’s a sequence with a bear that is fun as hell, but the CGI is rather apparent and rubbery there. Aside from that one scene, the crocodile’s computer effects move with an imposing weight, and blend in with the environments quite nicely. Digital Domain had their work cut out for them, but delivered in a big way. An attack on a flying helicopter where a CGI’d crocodile jumps out of the lake to take it down, looks amazing!

 

The reviews upon this movie’s release weren’t too kind, as critics found the comedy and horror to be lacking. They can all get bit, as they are all wrong. This movie is funny as balls, playing with the conventions of this type of film, and still delivers an impressive array of action and dramatic tension. 1999 was a crazy year for movies: “The Sixth Sense”, “The Matrix”, and “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” were all released then, and this delightful creature feature has aged better than two of those!