Director: Tobe Hooper
Cast: Mark McLachlan, Caitlin Martin, Chris Solari
Production Company: Flat Dog Corporation
Runtime: 93 minutes
You probably love The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). You may even think Poltergeist (1982) is awesome. You’ve likely even seen Lifeforce (1985), or Invaders from Mars (1986), but what about some of Tobe Hooper’s lesser known films? Let’s dive into one now…
In Crocodile (2000), a group of young people go on a boat trip on a secluded lake. They disturb the nest of a gigantic crocodile, which causes the creature to relentlessly stalk them. Escape doesn’t seem possible, especially when members of the group start to fall to the angry beast.
This movie starts off something like Spring Break (1983), before going horribly wrong. The main characters aren’t looking for much more than sex, alcohol and wild times. Unfortunately for them, this movie also includes a ravenous crocodile with no regard for vacationers.
Crocodile is bursting at the seams with unlikable characters. By the time Friday the 13th Part III (1982) rolled around, we were cheering for Jason over those annoying teenagers. This movie left me feeling the same way. It was a pleasure to watch the crocodile eat some of those blockheads!
The crocodile itself was a hybrid of practical effects and computer-generated magic. The digital effects are fine, especially for the time of release, but the practical crocodile is much better. The mechanical crocodile used in the film is thirty feet long! Greg Nicotero did the amazing special creature effects.
There were a few winks here and there to fans of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in this movie. A chainsaw is found in one scene, but is quickly disgarded when it proves to be inoperative. Shurkin’s Gator Farm also reminded me a lot of the family home from Hooper’s first movie.
There’s a poodle in the movie named Princess that often steals the show. Princess is regularly in a state of peril, leading to some tense moments. The dog also provides comic relief in a number of scenes. I never thought I’d be praising a dog in a review!
This film would make a great double feature with Tobe Hooper’s other crocodile movie, Eaten Alive (1976). I’d also like to see a sequel that explores the cursed house that is talked about in this movie, since no one ever goes there. Crocodile has bite, and a little bark too…
– John Migliore
For more information on the film, check out the links below…
Indie Horror Online 