Wolff rating: FAIR
Plot summary: Big croc. Big croc eat people. Stars vye for silliest line in face of danger. Rinse, lather, repeat.
Biased, pithy comments: David E. Kelley, known for his work in crafting odd stories about lawyers on the small screen (Ally McBeal, L.A. Law), uses his script to set in motion one of the oldest tricks in the book---the fast-moving, cast-chewing reptillian monster. Helped along by the Stan Winston creature shop and Digital Domain, the SFX shots are indeed great, proving that you really don't need to torture large animals to get shots of, say, crocs eating oversized quadrupeds. You could even do a ``Scream''-like self-aware thing where amusingly-written characters make fun of themselves for being caught in a remake of ``Revenge of the Creature.'' Alas, Kelley squanders this and instead saddles his otherwise talented actors with semi-witty dialog delivered too slowly (gee, kinda like Ally McBeal) and rivalries that go nowhere and resolve so gently you barely notice. However, Maine has never looked so beautiful; except for the crocodile eating people, this movie is really a giant attempt to sell you on going to the North Woods for your next vacation.
Other Notes: I suppose the only thing that made this movie remarkable is that they didn't have the requisite scene where they fail to, say, retreat in their mechanical devices and use heavy weaponry from a distance. However, that steals most of the fire from the ending scene, since, geez, they got them some biiiig guns.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Oliver Platt, Brendan Gleeson.
Directed by: Steve Miner