It took me two full years to get around to seeing Rogue. Its been on my watch-list since its release, mostly because it was directed by Greg Mclean who did such an excellent job with "Wolf Creek", but I figured it would just be a step or two up from a good SyFy channel creature feature... maybe on a par with Lake Placid or its ilk, so I took my sweet time getting to it.
Wow was I surprised!
Just like Wolf Creek, Rogue builds slowly and steadily, introducing us to a group of sympathetic, yet humanly flawed characters. This is a great change of scenery from the usual Hollywood "model" stereotypes that usually fill such films. There's not a teenage jock or beach babe in sight. Likewise, the film takes its time to really set the location down in stone, with lingering shots on the wildlife and scenery that make you really feel like you're in the location with the characters.
When the action starts, it moves quickly but believably. Remember in "Deep Blue Sea" when the entire plot pivoted on the fact that a helicopter winch unexpectedly shorted out? Well, there are no such illogical coincidences or convenient plot accidents here. Everything the characters do, and everything the animal does, is explained logically and realistically. This makes the whole scenario frighteningly believable because very rarely does any character do something that makes you say "Oh C'mon!". Another refreshing change from the Hollywood norm.
The plot itself is pretty basic - our protagonists are stranded on a tiny island in a tidal river. They have a few hours before the tide engulfs the ground beneath their feet. Their boat is wrecked. It would be a case of simply swimming to the embankment and walking home if it weren't for the fact that a territorial 25-foot Crocodile has them pinned to the landmass. It could be the setup for a terrible, poorly done, B-movie, but Mclean takes his time and paces it so well as to make the whole thing seem very real and very dangerous. It's not entirely predictable either... if you could accurately guess at the opening of this film which characters live and which die I would be impressed. I've seen the large majority of animal attack offerings and this is one of the first that kept me guessing.
I'm truly amazed that Rogue doesn't get more conversation and critical acclaim. I'd say as far as animal attack horror movies go, this one should take a place on the winners podium right up there alongside "The Host" and "Jaws". It's a fantastic movie and it deserves the recognition.
