Lake Placid - Il terrore corre sul lago

The only thing placid about LAKE PLACID is Bill Pullman in one of his blander characterizations--but he's still a charmer. Bridget Fonda exchanges some good barbs with him--as does Brendan Gleeson (as the local sheriff) and Oliver Platt (as a wacko crocodile hunter). All of them are after the crock that's been lurking in the Maine lake and hungry for the next meal.

It's an uneven blend of nervous thrills (especially during any underwater scenes) and laughter--played to perfection. Brendan Gleeson's character manages to draw the most attention and the most laughs as the sheriff who tangles with an eccentric hunter (Oliver Platt). Platt is good but his character tends to be annoying at times.

Betty White plays a variation of her usual stock comedy character and provides an amusing twist for the final scene. Bridget Fonda looks attractive and handles her sharp exchanges with Pullman in a throughly professional manner.

An odd sort of movie that combines comedy and horror with mostly satisfying results. Not exactly a trailblazer but fun.

Finally got to see this flick on HBO last night. It was entertaining. These days it's tough to find a really good film because of all of the hype so your expectations of any movie can be too high. With Lake Placid what you see is what you get. It was fun although the closing credits with the actor's interviews would lead you to believe this was an Oscar contender. The special effects were much better than the Deep Blue Sea. The other comments for this movie are on the mark highlighting the Oliver Platt and Brendan Gleeson characters. Betty White was a hoot. If you see this movie don't take it or yourself too seriously, just have fun.

Campy monster-movie fast-food that pokes fun at itself. Absolutely devoid of any message, but chock full of absurd parody.

Any movie that opens with a gruff county sheriff listening to "I Think I Love You" while he fishes can't be taken seriously. And it gets far goofier than that. The dialog is a relentless parade of one-liners between the five principals: a paleontologist (Bridget Fonda), a Fish & Game guy (Bill Pullman), a croc-worshiping professor (Oliver Platt), the sheriff (Brendan Gleeson), and an eccentric hermit (Betty White). Oh, and of course, a big creature with a big attitude and a big appetite.

Great character development; and all of the characters are over the top except maybe Pullman's, whose routine nice guy persona balances with the nuts. It's a toss-up who has the most joke lines or who delivers them with the most punch; as they reel off sarcasm at the speed of a machine gun. You can almost see the actors winking at the audience, and they obviously had fun making this. Even the monster (which usually looks real) performs like a seasoned comic. The only complaint to note is that once in a while the endless arguing may wear you out.

The story, which utilizes subtle references to big creature movies like Jurassic Park and Jaws, actually manages to go somewhere. There are a few clever surprises, and the closing scene is rather unique.

No cerebral activity will be necessary in the course of watching this movie. Just settle down with some popcorn, and get ready for some good comic idiocy.

I can't tell you how much fun this movie is to watch. The cast of characters and their interactive dialog is just terrific. It has been called a bad B Movie. I hardly think that this is accurate. This film is made with skill and charm. If you laugh you do so because it was intended that you laugh. That's unbelievably hard to achieve. It's an intelligent effort with excellent Directing. I love these characters and the casting is perfect. Bridget Fonda shows us what young actresses can really offer a film. Betty White is at her best. Oliver Platt is facinating. Pullman is a great straightman. The Sheriff made the picture credible. This film will last and be seen again and again. I wish that I had made it.

I love watching this movie. I love this dialog in a "horror" film. I got myself a copy on DVD and watch it at least a few times a year. There are some classic lines between the city folk vs. the bumpkins. Fonda's line about the sarcasm being too subtle is great (while spraying RAID in the middle of Maine). Betty White is building her career these days being the tart-mouthed old broad (see "Boston Legal" - another David Kelley production). Also, the interplay between Oliver Platt and the actor playing the sheriff are priceless.

Contrary to what others have written - I think the special effects go just fine with the overall campy and comedy feel of the movie and the amount of gore is also appropriate. More would change the tone of the film from the comedy which I enjoy, to one more of a gross-out nature.

Just a favorite of mine. Try it if you, for example, liked "Love at First Bite" - you will probably like this too.