ALLIGATOR (1980)

 

ALLIGATOR (1980)

Tagline: Beneath those manholes, a man-eater is waiting ...

(Horror, Sci-Fi, Police Chiefs That Need Blood Pressure Meds) [R]

It’s an animal, not a submarine!

In this one, an angry father flushes Marisa’s pet alligator down the toilet, because in the ’80s that was just a pretty normal thing to do I guess? Decades later, the now chemically mutated gigantic alligator is all grown up and has started devouring everyone that goes down into the sewer. It’s up to a grumpy cop with enough baggage to make Princess Vespa seem like she is traveling light, and Marisa to find out where the alligator will strike next and how to take it down. 

First off when you read the title of this thing it’s like…wow, yet another giant alligator movie, whoopity doo!! Then you start watching this thing and you suddenly come to realize, this isn’t just any alligator movie, this is THE alligator movie. I have seen a lot of these and this one is just freaking outstanding. 

We get a fantastic cast with Robin Riker playing Marisa the movie's female lead. Then we also get a pretty solid performance out of Robert Forster who has been in everything from CHARLIE’S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE to OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN. Michael V. Gazzo who plays the Police Chief is also good but slightly over the top. Gazzo was also in LAST ACTION HERO. I do feel like his blood pressure making this movie must have been out of control because his face is red in almost every scene and I am pretty sure it’s not a tan. Everyone else puts in a fantastic effort and that really helps this film along, but it isn’t the only plus.

ALLIGATOR has a score that is pretty much perfect. No super cheesy lame music, just raw layers of dread or suspense right where it needs to be. This movie also has some amazing special effects. For its time, and for quite some time afterward, this was the quintessential animatronic masterpiece of giant alligator productions. I mean, this alligator especially in the “og red-wedding” scene is just freakin epic looking. This is not to say that some of the shots aren’t a bit corny, but man oh man this thing is just really fun, especially in the second act. 

Originally inspired by JAWS I guess this movie is supposed to be satire, but I do remember warnings when I was a kid about what lurked beneath the streets in pretty much any sewer. Between this and C.H.U.D. I was scared to death of sewers. I mean, I guess I never really thought about going down there anyway, but this definitely solidified that. Speaking of JAWS this movie does have some similar characters, but the storylines are ultimately pretty far apart and oddly I feel like this one is a superior film even though JAWS gets a ton of love (even from me). I mean no movie where a little kid gets eaten is playing games. 

Clearly, I love this flick and for me, it’s an easy 7 out of 7. For a “giant animals will eat you” or “Halloween Fright Fest” I highly recommend this. It’s a microcosm of what the ’80s were all about with ahead of its time effects where it counted most. 

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF ALLIGATOR (Not Kidding, That Is What The Producers Called Themselves) AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY. 

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