Lake Placid (1999) Synopsis:
A nature-phobic scientist, a Fish and Game Warden, a sheriff and an eccentric mythology professor converge near a remote lake in Maine to investigate a gruesome fatality. Their adventure, laced with humor and terror, leads to a shocking secret that waits underneath the anything-but-placid waters. The only evidence in the watery death is a large, seemingly prehistoric tooth found at the scene. Intrigued by the discovery, yet smarting from a recently botched office romance, an emotionally fragile paleontologist, Kelly Scott is reluctantly dispatched for her first real field assignment. Scott's big-city manner and obvious distaste for the great outdoors is a constant irritant to the man in charge of the inquest, Fish and Game Warden Jack Wells, who would prefer not to be burdened with her help. Also on the scene is the irascible, overly sensitive sheriff Hank Keough, who would like nothing more than to find the predator and blow its head off. Landing unannounced in the middle of the action is the rich, eccentric mythology professor Hector Cyr (Oliver Platt), who steamrolls the team into trying to capture and preserve the elusive creature that appears to be lurking nearby. An exhaustive search leads them to the only full-time resident on the lake, a scatter-brained old woman, Mrs. Bickerman, who withholds information surrounding the mysterious disappearance of her husband and some of her missing livestock. But it isn't long before the lake's incredible secret is revealed to all.
Lake Placid (1999) Movie Review:
Lake Placid is a horror and comic film with a man-eating crocodile that has bad writing and too many corny sequences for it to be a good summer movie. However, Lake Placid does have its moments of excitement, fun, and chuckles. The film opens with the mysterious death of a research scuba diver in a lake in Maine. This event brings all the characters into the story to solve the mystery. There is the local sheriff (Gleeson), Fish and Game Warden (Pullman), a paleontologist (Fonda), and a scientist (Platt) who is obsessed with crocodiles. After more attacks, deaths, numerous arguments, and the introduction of Mrs. Bickerman (White), the crocodile is discovered. The characters then draw in the questions surrounding the crocodile, like why is it in Maine, and how did it get there, but these questions are never answered or fulfilled in the movie. All we are left with is a showdown between people vs. crocodile.
The crocodile used is computer generated or a puppet. Creative effects master Stan Winston (Men in Black, An American Werewolf in London) does the effects. I believe by using computer-generated effects crocodile works better in action sequences. Another film that work well with computer generated crocodiles was the 1996 action hit Eraser. The writing was the film's biggest weakness. When I learned that David E. Kelley (The Practice, Ally McBeal) wrote Lake Placid I was surprised. The dialogue in his other works is strong and consistent, but in Lake Placid it was very vague and cheesy.
The overall acting in the film was also ineffective. Oliver Platt and Brendan Gleeson are okay, but I don’t know why these two actors would be involved in a movie like this. Bill Pullman isn't believable at all as the tough Fish and Game warden. Betty White delivers a different type of role as a foul-mouthed old lady who fed the crocodile. The scenes with Betty White are the best parts of the film. The worst is Bridget Fonda; she is awful. I really thought that she got her career back on track after doing so well last year in A Simple Plan. However, she just ran into another pothole with poor performance in Lake Placid. She is so annoying that in the first 30 minutes into the film you want the crocodile to eat her.
Overall, Lake Placid is not that good of a film, but it does have its enjoyable moments in addition to the scene stealing by Betty White.
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Lake Placid (1999) review written by: Bailey Henderson
7th October, 2008 
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