Crocodile Island

If a child is not scared by a monster crocodile and giant spiders, they may find this a fun watch. The version I watched was the dubbed American version. I have seen a number of Chinese films before, usually with very good CGI, decently filmed, decent dubbing, and often one person who turns out to be almost superhuman in abilities. This is not that type of film. The dubbing was terrible, with a long conversation in Chinese given a couple words subtitle, and some sporadic English. The CGI was not terrible, but flawed. We first see the croc tail in the water, and it seems like that of a normal croc. Then, it comes onto the beach, again not that large. Then it is on the beach, and is it huge. Interesting use of gunpowder to treat a wound. They set up warning pots around their campfire, so they would know if an intruder approaches. But it would take less then a second for the croc to pass the warning pots and eat them all. The storyline states Lu Wenbing shows the honorable aptitudes of family, etc., which may or may not have gotten across. The movie does answer two common questions, however. If getting away from a monster, can any of them not trip, get snagged, not stand dumbfounded, or otherwise fall? And how many bullets does a gun hold? For the first, not really. And the second, more than you could ever believe. And now it is perfectly clear that Chinese film makers have the ability to provide a real stinker just like some American film distributors.

After a plane crash, a group of survivors finding themselves stranded on a deserted island tries to regroup and find a way to get off the alive, but when they discover the place is located to a massive crocodile and a race of gigantic spiders they must band together to put their differences aside and escape the creatures.

Overall, the film serves well enough as a generally inoffensive cheesy creature feature. One of the film's bright spots is the fact that it manages to play such a ludicrous and inherently silly story into being as straightforward and serious as it is. The scenario about the plane landing in the area as a result of the magnetic forces at play in the location and being stranded has some merit to it with the background on the area being responsible for the multitude of ship and airplane disasters over the years. It also serves well to explain the presence of the giant creatures as the crocodiles and spiders are shown to have survived unscathed on the island due to their existence. This allows for some fine subplots as well once they get stranded on the island as the chance for the father to reconnect with his daughter while they're trying to find a way off the island with their build-up as the realization to let her grow up and be more independent is an expected but still enjoyable aspect. However, where this shines is the relentless and cheesy creature attacks. The CGI for the swarms of creatures there makes the action they're required to perform seem all that much more over-the-top and unnatural as the attacks here become quite fun. From the opening ambush on the escaping pilot, the beach attack on the survivors and the subsequent chase into the islands' interior, the series of attacks on the group stopping at ponds or lakes for water, and the big chase at the end to get his daughter back after being accidentally abducted in a prior ambush, the crocodile is involved in a nice variety of action scenes here. As well, the inclusion of the spiders in the storyline as a further obstacle to overcome makes for a nice diversion and includes some more action as well with the creatures hunting the survivors in the forests of the island. This all comes together nicely enough to provide plenty of solid creature action for some positive features here. While there are a lot of positives here, this one does have some missteps holding it down. The main aspect here is the aforementioned abject cheesiness on display which makes the whole thing feel like a made-for-TV genre effort. The ludicrous story we're being asked to take seriously and the quality of the effects are the biggest factors of this, where the whole storyline just takes on one goofy twist after another with the means of getting stranded on the island, the presence of both the spiders and crocodiles and the later discovery of the WW II-era firepower left behind all seeming like the type of cheesy setups they are. Likewise, the CGI effects here carry that tone throughout, ranging from the passable involving the giant spiders to the ridiculous such as the croc attacks, and the outright laughable which is reserved for the spectacle sequences involving objects crashing or exploding. These are in line with the atmosphere established with the storyline and help to make the film feel even more like that kind of genre outing.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.

A giant crocodile .. I mean of course right? Although to be fair if you strand on to an island that has never been inhabited by other humans ... who knows what you'll find on it? Ok I'm partly kidding of course. Although be prepared for the movie to give you more than your average crocodile - or is it alligator? I have to admit, I am still uncertain what the distinction is exactly.

I've read about it because I played Red Dead Redemption 2, but ... well I forgot I guess is the easiest thing to say about that. Whoever wrote the script here may have also forgotten a few things ... like how people would act or react when faced with danger ... surely not trying to make out in a river for example. Reminded me of classic US horror movie cliches.

The CGI barely works, but if you watch this as the "trash" (read low budget) effort that this is, you can have some fun with it ...

"Crocodile Island" is a real thrill ride of survival, relentless in its pace and steeped in action of high order. The exotic locale, impressively backed up with special effects, brings alive the dangers of the titular island, making its encounters with its reptilian occupants really terrifying. While the plot may rely on familiar tropes-and the characters are perhaps a little thin-such is the sheer intensity of the peril they face that these deficiencies are more than made up for. The cast, led by Gallen Lo and Eva Huang, do a sterling job capturing the desperation and resilience needed to survive in such a treacherous landscape. While "Crocodile Island" lacks on several levels regarding deep thoughts or originality, the creature feature fans do get an exciting ride.

The prologue to Chinese monster movie Crocodile Island is hilarious: a CGI WWII bomber, flying over the Sea of Dragon Triangle in the North Pacific, runs into a flock of CGI prehistoric birds, forcing the crew of the plane to bail out. The men tumble through the sky, the effect achieved through dreadful green screen work. Both activate their parachutes, one man landing on an island, the other snapped out of the air by a giant CGI prehistoric crocodile. The direction is atrocious, the acting laughable, and the special effects cheap and unconvincing.

The rest of the film follows suit.

Cut to the present day, and another plane - a passenger jet - crashes after encountering the prehistoric flock. A handful of survivors crawl from the wreckage and explore the island, where they run into monstrous crocodiles and giant spiders. The monster effects are on a par with Syfy originals such as Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, Lavalantula, Piranhaconda and Dinocroc vs. Supergator: shoddy digital creations that are more funny than they are frightening. The action is incredibly dumb (especially the discovery of a WWII radio, hand grenades and machine gun, all of which are functional), but still manages to be reasonably fun, as the survivors try to avoid being eaten while making their way to a rescue point.

4/10. It's far from great film-making, but sometimes cheap, trashy and technically incompetent can still be entertaining.