Croc (2007) (TV)

User Rating:

3.2/10   

Director:

Stewart Raffill

Writer (WGA):

Ken Solarz (written by)

Release Date:

20 September 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

A large man-eating crocodile terrorizes tourists and locals near Krabi, in Thailand. Michael Madsen plays a hunter stalking the immense reptile...

Plot Keywords:

Crocodile | Thailand | Boy Eaten | Eaten Alive | Swimming Pool

Cast

Michael Madsen	...	Croc Hawkins
Peter Tuinstra	...	Jack McQuade
Sherry Phungprasert	...	Evelyn Namawong
Elizabeth Healey	...	Allison
Scott Hazell	...	Theo
Tawon Saetang	...	Andy Konsong Jr.
Wasan Junsook	...	'Cao' Konsong Sr.
Jack Prinya	...	Detective Sergeant Dang
Duangduean Kumphasee	...	Chompoo
David Asavanond	...	Som
Amy Lackgren	...	Sunee
Nophand Boonyai	...	Corporal Leu
Pim Yensuk	...	Kanya
Elizabeth Lackgren	...	Anoon
Wattana Kanchanasatit	...	Kip

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:Unrated (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Thailand

Company:

Thai Occidental Productions

Not As Good As Lake Placid, But What Is?

A crocodile farm in Thailand is threatened with closure after a few code violations. Behind this surprise inspection lies a real estate developer who wants the land where the farm sits. He will stop at nothing to get the land, even sabotaging the cages to let the crocodiles loose. And when local swimmers are being devoured, people start to notice.

My friend Chelsea and I watched this because she's been on a "bad movie" kick lately, and "Croc" was sure to fit that description, being part of the Man Eaters series (the same series that brought us the worthless "Blood Monkey"). I'm not sure if I was disappointed or not -- "Croc" is infinitely better than "Blood Monkey". Computer effects are used minimally, the acting is decent for the most part and there's an actual plot. And plenty of crocodiles, which was surprising after the absence of monkeys in "Blood Monkey".

I also have to give this film credit for not exploiting Michael Madsen. Madsen appears in the movie and plays a significant role (although he doesn't speak until the second half). Yet, the cover of the movie doesn't mention him at all. I've seen lower budget films exploit the names of mid-grade celebrities so often, I'm really impressed they decided to sell the movie with crocodiles rather than Madsen. Well played, "Croc" -- especially since this would have been an appropriate use for him.

The strength of this film is in the blood and guts. The makers of the film knew that they needed plenty of croc attacks and body parts, and we're treated to it. I also like how they explored a romance, but kept it to the bare minimum, making this more of a man versus beast picture. I learned from Sandra Bullock in "Speed" that relationships that develop during stressful events never work out.

Some things about the movie could be better. Some of the acting is poor (although not as much as you'd expect). And there's a scene with a crocodile in a swimming pool. How did he get to the pool? Can a crocodile hang out all day in a pool of chlorinated water? Granted, this scene ties up what would have been loose ends (watch it to see what I mean) with the plot... but what little I know about animal biology made this a bit hard to believe.

If you like animal-based horror pictures, let me say in all honesty: "Croc" isn't a bad choice and wasn't half as bad as I expected. It beats "Blood Monkey" by miles and even makes the boring "Prey" seem stupid. I'll always be a fan of "Jaws", but if you want a second-rate water movie (and you've seen "Megalodon") then this might be worth a spin. Hey, they made a "Croc 2" and who would make a sequel to a bad movie?