by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: Discs: 4, The Film: 3.5/5, The Extras: 4/5, Overall: 7.5
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Michael V. Gazzo, Henry Silva, Joseph Bologna, Dee Wallace, Richard Lynch, Steve Railsback, Kane Hodder
Intro:
Fans of the original, and killer fauna flicks in general, will almost certainly find something tasty to gnaw on.
The Film:
Although nature-gone-amok movies existed before Jaws (1975), ol’ mate Spielberg’s narky shark yarn formalised the rules of the subgenre.
Consequently, the late 1970s and entire 1980s were absolutely chockers with flicks about gigantic critters with a hankering for delicious, salty human brisket.
Ones that have stood the test of time include Aussie flick Long Weekend (1978), Joe Dante’s Piranha (1978), John Frankenheimer’s clunky but fun killer bear opus The Prophecy (1979), and of course, the stars of Alligator (1980) and to a (much) lesser extent, Alligator II: The Mutation (1991).
Set in grimy Chicago, Alligator tells the story of a baby alligator named Ramon who is flushed down the toilet by the dickish father of young Marisa Kendall (Leslie Brown). Twelve years later, Ramon has grown freakishly large due to munging on the corpses of dogs that have been used in nefarious, illegal scientific experiments. Ramon soon graduates from chomping on deceased pooches to feasting on living human beings, which is when Detective David Madison (Robert Forster) enters the picture. Dave-o is one of the few people to see the gargantuan reptile and live, but he has a hard time selling the concept to Chief Clark (played by the hardest working eyebrows in Hollywood, Michael V. Gazzo) and grown up herpetologist, Dr. Marisa Kendall (Robin Riker). However, when the scaly interloper heads above ground and starts crashing garden parties, David and Marisa must join forces (and other things) to stop the whole of Chicago getting gobbled up like a deep dish pizza.
Alligator has two major things going for it: 1) A smart, wryly amusing script from the great John Sayles (Matewan, Passion Fish) and, 2) a terrific cast headed up by the always charming Robert Forster, whose role in this actually caused Quentin Tarantino to cast him in Jackie Brown seventeen years later. Sayles clearly understands the conventions of these movies and he absolutely hits the expected beats, but does so in smart, slyly subversive ways. Beneath the surface of this straightforward yarn, we see a script that has plenty to say about scientific experimentation, class issues and even the nature of being a cop in a big city. There are also loads of lovely little touches like the fact that Marisa never realises that the giant alligator is her own pet or David’s embarrassment about his balding pate (which was at least partially inspired by Robert Forster’s hair plug operation that was ongoing during the shoot). There are also some genuinely nasty scenes like a blindfolded kid taking an ill-fated dip in a swimming pool (that scared an entire generation of nippers who saw this flick far too young) and a sequence at a flash wedding that needs to be seen to be believed. Funny, scary, silly but with a twinkle in its eye and stylish direction from Lewis Teague, Alligator is one of the better examples of the subgenre.
It’s a pity the same can’t be said for its sequel.
Alligator II: The Mutation was made eleven years after the original, which is always a red flag. It would be easy to dismiss the film as a lower budget knockoff of a far superior original, which is absolutely accurate, but director Jon Hess (Watchers, Not of This World) and writer Curt Allen (Walking the Edge) seemed to want to make something good here. Unfortunately, they failed. To be fair, there’s decent character work with Joseph Bologna solid in his not-quite-Robert-Forster role of Detective David Hodges and Steve Railsback is engaging as the villainous tycoon Vincent Brown. You’ve also got B-grade luminaries such as Dee Wallace (The Howling) and Richard Lynch (The Sword and the Sorcerer) along for the ride. Unfortunately, however, the titular alligator is a total whiff, an embarrassing puppet that would make the paper mache pointer from Jaws: The Revenge chortle scornfully. The pacing is also lethargic, causing the relatively short 94 minute runtime to feel like a dull eternity.
Both films look gorgeous, particularly the 4K print of Alligator which is crisp and colourful and the beautiful hardbox that utilises the original film’s iconic poster art will look a treat on any hardcore fan’s movie shelf.
The Extras:
A surprisingly robust array of extras here for both films. For Alligator, you’ve got a great little commentary with director Lewis Teague and actor Robert Forster. There are featurettes like Wild in the Streets: Director Lewis Teague on Alligator, Gator Guts, the Great River and Bob – an interview with special effects assistant Bryan Cranston (yes, that Bryan Cranston!), Luck of the Gator – an interview with special effects artist Robert Short and not one but two interviews with the great John Sayles, who is as erudite and charming as you’d hope.
There’s also the TV cut of the movie, which is longer but less violent and pretty much only of interest for mad keen completionists. Best of the lot is Everybody in the Pool, an interview with actress Robin Riker that contains revelations like Robert Forster and she were both stoners and were even baked during one scene (set in a diner, appropriately enough). Riker actually becomes quite emotional talking about Forster and wishes he’d been alive to see the second coming of Alligator. Us too, Robin, us too.
Alligator II comes with featurettes on special effects, editing and Kane Hodder. However, best of the lot is From the Echo Lake Lagoon: Director Jon Hess on Alligator II: The Mutation where Hess comes off as a really likable, pleasant human being. Sadly, however, a lot of great films are made by terrible people and bad ones by total sweethearts, and Alligator II is a prime example of the latter.
The Verdict:
Alligator remains a stone cold classic creature feature with a sharp script, superb performances and deft direction. Alligator II: The Mutation remains a cheap and nasty knockoff of the original that doesn’t come close to its predecessor. Bundled together, they actually describe the rise and fall of the subgenre quite eloquently, something that wasn’t really rectified until 1999’s Lake Placid.
It’s not a cheap box set considering that only one of the films is a banger, but it’s a very pretty package replete with plentiful extras. Fans of the original, and killer fauna flicks in general, will almost certainly find something tasty to gnaw on.
