The Big Alligator River (1979)

- Il fiume del grande caimano
I had fun with it regardless of how bad it really is, 5 October 2005

A photographer and model are flown to a new resort hotel in the middle of the jungle to shoot some publicity photos. The hotel is owned by a ruthless developer who appears to have little regard for the environment or the people surrounding his paradise. He has hired many members of a local tribe to work for him in his hotel. But what the developer hasn't counted on is that the land Paradise House sits on is sacred to the tribe. It's the home of their giant alligator god, Kroona. After the model goes missing, the photographer finds it difficult to convince anyone that something is wrong. Has the model become another sacrifice to Kroona?

The Big Alligator River is a mish-mash of ideas from a lot of other movies. The most obvious influence comes from Jaws. Martino admits on the DVD that Jaws was the inspiration behind this movie. The scenes of kicking legs in the water being stalked by a POV shot or of a large unseen creature attacking a boat or of the alligator's inevitable demise are almost direct rip-offs of Jaws. Among the other influences I noticed was King Kong. A woman being tied sacrificially to a wooden raft is very reminiscent of Fay Wray's plight.

As for the alligator, it hardly comes across as realistic. Instead, it looks almost like a stiff rubber child's toy. Victims must remain virtually immobile if the alligator is to get his mouth around their bodies. In recent reviews I've read of Jaws, I've noticed more and more complaints about how "fake" the shark looks. I would advise anyone who feels this way to steer clear of Kroona from The Big Alligator River.

Beyond the bad special effects, The Big Alligator River features a less than stellar storyline (it drags in many places), generally poor acting (there are exceptions of course), and just plain silly dialogue. But given these weaknesses I can't bring myself to rate this movie any lower. I had too much fun with it and will eventually watch it again. Despite the flaws, I found it to be good cheesy fun. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's mine.

On the positive side, The Big Alligator River has one of the best, most enjoyable set-pieces I've seen in a while. The scene where many of the hotel guests are trapped in the water between the alligator on one side and a group of natives throwing flaming spears at anyone attempting to escape on the other side is remarkably effective. Pick your poison – being chomped by an alligator or being shish-kabobed by the natives. It's the definite highlight of the movie for me.

5/10