I wonder if Betty White has ever wanted to give that crocodile from Lake Placid a kiss right on its scaly lips. Looking back, it was her role in the ‘giant croc on a rampage’ film that was the moment in time where it became tres cool to be Betty. In fact, if you think about it, after the release of this monstrosity of an atrocity, the only cast member to have anything remotely resembling a successful career has been the aforementioned geriatric firecracker. Bill Pullman and Bridget Fonda are off the radar entirely, and Oliver Platt has made one or two films here and there; the most notable of late being X-men: First Class.

Then there’s Betty White. She has her own show, Hot in Cleveland; she’s hosted Saturday Night Live and has been on numerous talk shows. If they made a poster of her there would be a slew of elderly men holding that baby up with just one hand. Yes, Lake Placid was the dawning of the Age of Betty.

The plot of the film, for those of you who give a crap, is that a giant crocodile makes its summer home on Lake Placid. Like all large, obnoxious guests, it makes it very clear that it’s not leaving anytime soon and that it’s going to eat everything in sight, meaning us. Bill Pullman is the local game warden and Brendan Gleeson the local sheriff, or something to that effect. Whatever, they have badges and guns, so who cares? Bridget Fonda is a scientist who just had a nasty breakup with her boyfriend and is in full metal bitchy mode throughout most of the film. She’s there as a consultant after the new neighbor bites a scuba diver in half. Oliver Platt is your stereotypical goofball with his own special way of communicating with the great crocodile nasty. You could say he’s a chubby Steve Irwin, only not as annoying. All three of these performers take their roles entirely too seriously and that only serves to make the film even more ridiculous. The only cast member having any fun is Betty White. She takes her role as Mrs. Delores Bickerman and runs with it. Go Betty, Go Betty.

Lake Placid is directed by Steve Miner of Friday the 13^th Part 2 and Friday the 13^th Part 3-D fame. I wonder who was easier to work with; Jason Voorhees or the giant crocodile? My money is on Jason. The film is written by David E. Kelley; the same David E. Kelley who was the driving force behind critically acclaimed shows such as Chicago Hope, Picket Fences and Ally McBeal.

 If you ask someone if they want to watch this film, they will usually say “I don’t want to watch some stupid crocodile movie.” Tell them it has Betty White in it and watch how fast they change their minds.

TRIVIA

In the hospital, someone can be heard paging Mr. Miner in the background. Lake Placid was directed by Steve Miner.

 

This film gets  and