CROCODILE (2000)

Mark McLachlan and Caitlin Martin

CROCODILE (Direct to Video/2000). Director: Tobe Hooper. 

A group of young people head for a lake and a houseboat for summer vacation, but have no idea that a humongous crocodile that is almost a century old -- brought into the country years ago by a weirdo who worshiped the crocodile god -- is on the loose and pissed off that someone made off with her eggs. Claire (Caitlin Martin) is hooked up with Brady (Mark McLachlan), but they have to put up with his jerk of a friend, Duncan (Chris Solari). A drunken Sunny (Sommer Knight) lets out that she had a one-nighter with Brady, and Claire wants to get out of the vacation. While this situation simmers, the crocodile starts chomping on residents and soon makes its presence known to one and all. 

The monster on the loose!

Crocodile is more polished and has a bigger budget than the director's most famous movie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and it's entirely watchable, although the script could have used a lot more work. Although there is an attempt to make them dimensional, the characters are not that likable, and never express any remorse when one of them gets eaten. Some of their actions are inexplicable. Worse, while the audience has been hoping that Duncan, the most obnoxious character -- who made off with the eggs and other disagreeable acts, including getting Brady thrown out of college  -- will be devoured, even when he finally does get eaten the crocodile spits him out and he survives! The monster itself consists of a kind of okay rubber construction thing that floats on the water, some passable CGI, and prop mouth and teeth into which cast members throw themselves, and the like. It's bigger in some shots than in others. As for the actors, they are competent enough, and sometimes better than that. 

Terrence Evans and Adam Gierasch

Two of the most flavorful performances come from Terrence Evans as Shurkin and Adam Gierasch as his brother, Lester. These two weirdos own an alligator farm and seem like something out of Texas Chainsaw, as does the spooky and abandoned hotel that is shown and mentioned more than once but never really figures in the action. In an amusing scene Lester feeds the big croc -- known as "Flat Dog" -- with chickens and muses that he hopes it will eat his brother --- just before he becomes a snack himself! There are bloody moments in the film but nothing over the top. Excoriated by reviewers, Crocodile is entertaining enough, although seven years later a much better -- and better-made -- killer croc movie called Rogue came out. 

Verdict: Not one of Hooper's best nor worst. **1/2.