Lake Placid is a mix of movie genres – it's one part comedy, an almost equal part adventure, a dash horror, and a hint of romance. The comedy is good. The action is okay in that Saturday-afternoon-matinée kind of way. The horror consists mainly of cheap, but very effective, jump scares. And what little romance the movie has, unfortunately, is nauseating. But Lake Placid works because it never takes itself too seriously, which is a good thing. Instead of playing it straight, it's played for laughs and most of them work. Some of the dialogue makes me laugh out loud regardless of how many times I've seen it. Betty White steals every scene in which she appears. She has that mild-mannered persona and could easily pass for anyone's grandmother. But when push comes to shove, she lets the foul language rip without a second thought. It's hysterical. I've never been much of a fan of David E. Kelley, but he hit a home run with this witty, intelligent script.
Two of the relationships in the movie bear mentioning. The first is Bill Pullman and Bridget Fonda. This is one of those typical fish-out-of-water-falls-for-the-local-guy relationships that are very common in a lot of the romantic/comedies that I've seen. It's really nothing special and incredibly predictable. The second is Oliver Platt and Brendan Gleeson. This is where Lake Placid rises above your standard comedy. These two guys are a riot when on screen together. Their constant bickering is a real treat. It's great.
7/10
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