Lake Placid: Legacy (2018)

Directed by: Darrell Roodt | 89 minutes | action, horror | Actors: Katherine Barrell, Tim Rozon, Sai Bennett, Luke Newton, Craig Stein, Joe Pantoliano, Alisha Bailey, Maxim Baldry, Greg Kriek, Gavin Lee Gomes

The mind of a studio boss is a curious thing. What sane person thinks the world needs a fifth installment in the ‘Lake Placid’ franchise? The first part appeared in 1999 and still had fairly well-known names such as Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda and Oliver Platt on the payroll. The anonymous successor took eight(!) years to come. In 2018, ‘Lake Placid: Legacy’ will be released without fanfare on video on demand and on the shelves of online retailers. But who the hell is waiting for this? This question only gets stronger after seeing this production.

In ‘Lake Placid: Legacy’, a group of researchers sets out to map an inhospitable area. There’s a reason this place is so hard to find: a dangerous, hungry crocodile swims around. There is little to record thanks to this monster, because this reptile was put on a diet of scientists. Who can retell it and warn the world about this monster?

The first ‘Lake Placid’ was still quite enjoyable thanks to the actors who didn’t take the source material too seriously. The sequels were characterized by bad acting and a total form of superfluousness. Obviously there was little money available for each part and that resulted in cringe-inducing special effects, appalling gameplay and laughably poorly placed scares.

‘Lake Placid: Legacy’ is a tragic low in this already pointless series. The level of this production is comparable to the worst films from The Asylum stable. The fact that the attraction of this bloodless horror pulp – the crocodile – is barely visible doesn’t make it any better, even when it finally appears. The digital monster looks very dated and you can count the pixels. The bad CGI in combination with the pathetic script make this a very long sit.

This isn’t a movie, it’s job creation. A number of people have made some money from a really bad movie that no dog wants. Glad they can support their families: that’s the only positive conclusion you can draw after seeing that soulless scum. Time for a lobotomy!