ROGUE
Director: Greg McLean Stars: Rhada Mitchell, Michael Vartan, John Jarratt, Sam Worthington, Stephen Curry, Cecilia Ireland
Reviewed by PETER MALONE
The end credits singing of Never Smile At A Crocodile took something of the edge off the scary experience of imagining oneself with this group of tourists menaced by a giant rogue crocodile. Obviously, the film-makers wanted us not to take the film too, too seriously.
Well, maybe the film-makers did but the Northern Territory government certainly would not. After all, the tourism trade must have suffered something of a blow after Greg McLean terrorised his characters and the audience with the dire torture and deaths at Wolf Creek. Come to think of it, it is amazing the government let him back into the territory to make Rogue after Wolf Creek. At least this time there is no compulsion for tourists to go on a river ride to see crocodiles. Having been on the Daly River some years ago and looking at the (rather small) crocodiles basking on the banks, I was ready to empathise with the characters and the dangers and did.
We open with an American travel writer (Michael Vartan) who has strayed into Crocodile Dundee territory and finds himself with the Crocodile rather than the Dundee and in a Jaws situation. A motley group of tourists begin their ride under the guidance of the vigorous and engaging Rhada Mitchell. (Oh, and for a momentary scare, who should be one of the passengers but John Jarratt, late of Wolf Creek, with a sinister moustache and hat but he is one of the good guys so we can relax, momentarily).
The film is brief. The territory landscapes and river are stunning and inviting for the tourists. The crocodile does his expected thing, crunching a couple of the characters before an eventual battle of wits between the American and the rogue.
I suppose we expected a bit more this time from Greg McLean but the film has its moments (and for those who dont like crocs, there are quite a number of moments).