Runtime: 92 minutes
Directed by: Sompote Sands
Starring: Nat Puvanai, Tanny Tien-Ni, Manop Aussawathep, Angela Wells, Kirk Warren
From: Cobra Media
A Thai ripoff of Jaws? Sure. I haven’t used Shudder often as of late and this recently appeared on the platform. As it’s a film known to me and the exotic setting intrigued… I pressed play.
A shame then that the movie had long stretches of boredom. What Shudder has is an international dubbed version from Dick Randall which was “different” from the original Thai release by director Sompote Sands. I was hoping for some bizarre fun-years ago I viewed his Hanuman and the Five Kamen Riders, which-no kidding-used plenty of unauthorized footage of a Toei Kamen Riders picture and it was like a fever dream. Crocodile… whether the international version was to blame or not, Crocodile caused drowsiness at times. I also wish this cut had excised the random footage of a crocodile being butchered by a knife but alas…
A doctor experiences tragedy involving family at the hands of a giant crocodile that blatantly changes sizes. I mean, to borrow a quote, “is it the size of Jaws or Godzilla?” The creature was both sizes at times. There’s also a random opening that features nice miniatures being wrecked due to a tropical storm. The attacks from the titular animal weren’t all that exciting-until it attacks an entire village and maims a throng of people; now that was campy fun as more miniatures are destroyed. Then, we’re back to boredom.
Sure, it’s funny that a supporting character is introduced wearing a bizarre pair of overalls w/ no shirt underneath (it’s to show off an eagle tattoo on his chest that’s family lore!) and a leather cap and at least in this cut it’s hysterical that they show the exact same scene twice except with different dialogue… but, when the third act is a blatant copy of the final act of Jaws except that the trio present is a pathetic imitation of Brody/Hooper/Quint I couldn’t have possibly cared less about-and then the big conclusion is best described as “perplexing.”
For many, Crocodile will likely also feel disappointing to the campy fun it could have been. Not even the usage of such stolen music as CJ & Co.’s Devil’s Gun was enough for me to even say it was OK.
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