The “giant killer animal” subgenre of horror flicks has been in a terrible state of disrepair as of late. Personally, I blame the Sci-Fi Channel, with their cheap and stomach-turning “Original Movies” which they seem to pump out on a monthly basis, over half of which involve “killer animals” in some way, shape or form. So all of you who have had to suffer through these cinematic abortions, I urge you to purge these recent atrocities from your minds and look back to a time when “giant killer animal” movies weren’t guaranteed to suck before the first letter of the script had been typed. Lewis Teague’s “Alligator” stems from this bygone era.
The year is 1968 and a baby alligator finds itself being helplessly flushed to its doom. As fate would have it, a research firm decides to start dumping (illegally, mind you) genetically mutated dog corpses deep down in the stagnant sewer depths. So, what happens when a baby alligator starts chowing down on dead mutant puppies? A thirty six foot-long super alligator, naturally. Fast forward to “today”, a cop (Robert Forester) and a reptile specialist (Robin Riker) are charged with the unenviable task of finding and killing this gigantic eating machine before it decides to step out of the sewers and on to the streets.
Their progress is mixed, at best.
“Alligator” hit theaters only a couple of years after “Jaws” and is pretty shamelessly trying to ride the success of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster. As much as I loved “Alligator”, I can’t lie about that. And yet, in a few ways, the film actually manages to improve upon its inspiration, if you’re willing to buy that. Primarily, what “Alligator” pulls off that “Jaws” never quite could was effectively bring its villain to life. As much as I adore “Jaws”…the damn shark looks fake and you know it (can’t argue with Marty McFly). Alexander (the name of the alligator in “Alligator") is realized most effectively with a variety of techniques. Alexander manages to move and waddle about very fluidly and hardly ever looks clunky or awkward. Granted, the majority of the time all you see is his mouth swinging and chomping wildly, but it still works.
The year is 1968 and a baby alligator finds itself being helplessly flushed to its doom. As fate would have it, a research firm decides to start dumping (illegally, mind you) genetically mutated dog corpses deep down in the stagnant sewer depths. So, what happens when a baby alligator starts chowing down on dead mutant puppies? A thirty six foot-long super alligator, naturally. Fast forward to “today”, a cop (Robert Forester) and a reptile specialist (Robin Riker) are charged with the unenviable task of finding and killing this gigantic eating machine before it decides to step out of the sewers and on to the streets.
Their progress is mixed, at best.
“Alligator” hit theaters only a couple of years after “Jaws” and is pretty shamelessly trying to ride the success of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster. As much as I loved “Alligator”, I can’t lie about that. And yet, in a few ways, the film actually manages to improve upon its inspiration, if you’re willing to buy that. Primarily, what “Alligator” pulls off that “Jaws” never quite could was effectively bring its villain to life. As much as I adore “Jaws”…the damn shark looks fake and you know it (can’t argue with Marty McFly). Alexander (the name of the alligator in “Alligator") is realized most effectively with a variety of techniques. Alexander manages to move and waddle about very fluidly and hardly ever looks clunky or awkward. Granted, the majority of the time all you see is his mouth swinging and chomping wildly, but it still works.
The gator prop is constantly shrouded in darkness during the sewer sequences, which adds a great deal of atmosphere and dread to the moment, as well as masking some of the puppet’s inadequacies. In one of the film’s best moments, Robert Forester and his expendable sidekick are trying to read a map with a flashlight, and as the beam of light swings about behind them you very briefly glimpse the monster. Expertly executed.
The effects aren’t all worthy of the proverbial thumbs up, though. Although mercifully brief, a few scenes feature an actual-real-live-alligator walking down a model city street. It doesn’t look convincing or menacing…it just looks like an alligator walking down a model street. Teague also employs a few directorial techniques ripped directly from the film’s inspiration, “Jaws”, and only manages to cheapen the experience for the viewer. These bits include moments shot from “alligator-vision” as a theme noticeably similar to John Williams’ “Jaws” tune churns out. “Alligator” had enough going for it that it really didn’t need to “steal” such ideas from “Jaws” and could have stood on its own two feet well-enough. Unfortunately, these aspects of the film are what a lot of people remember best and have eternally relegated the flick to “shameless Jaws knock-off” status.
I won’t say that “Alligator” is a perfect horror flick. There are loads of textbook incidental characters such as a “no-nonsense police chief”, a “dirty mayor” and an “evil corporate executive” who pretty much grate on your nerves from start to finish. And yet, if you can get past these low-points, you’ll find one of the better “giant killer animal” movies on the market. And considering how packed that sub-genre is with made-for-TV refuse, this is definitely a rare treat.
Grade: B- (as in “Better than watching the Sci-Fi Channel on any given Saturday night”)
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