Review of Lake Placid (1999) by Johnny T — 02 May 2011

A fussy, mosquito-phobic New York paleontologist (Fonda) is sent to investigate what looks like a dinosaur tooth found after a fatal attack on a diver at Black Lake. Joining forces with a smooth game warden (Pullman) and a grouchy sheriff (Gleeson), they go in search of the 'dinosaur'. A straightforward camping-holiday nightmare, or a sly, ironic take on the same. It works deliciously as both. As irritating as Lake Placid sometimes is, it also has an easygoing sense of fun, along with one of the more memorable movie monsters of recent years. The mismatched ingredients blend into a blissfully, stupidly surreal summer cocktail. While we do get a bit of gore, the movie is really about this wacky bunch of people jumping on each other's nerves, kind of a zany hero's journey. Has an easygoing sense of fun, along with one of the more memorable movie monsters of recent years.

VERDICT: "Matinée" - (Mixed reaction). These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says to pay matinée prices to see at a theatre, buy an ex rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own.