Lake Placid: Legacy   Starring: Katherine Barrell, Tim Rozon, Sai Bennett, Luke Newton, Craig Stein, Greg Kriek and Joe Pantoliano Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment RRP: £TBC Certificate: 15 Release Date: 24 September 2018

A group of specialist eco-warriors who expose corrupt companies to the public accept one last job. There is supposedly a covert facility on an island in Lake Placid. It is sealed-off after an accident which made it highly radioactive. But a clean-up was never arranged, and when they arrive by boat no trace of radiation is detected. So what is the big secret? They find a wrecked camp, blood and then a body. A large footprint points to a reptile. This is a huge crocodile 50 feet in length. It destroys their boat, and abruptly they are marooned on the island, fighting for survival as the croc hunts them down...

This is the fifth film in the Lake Placid franchise (the previous instalment in 2012 was subtitled The Final Chapter!), which this time seeks to explain the origins of a hybrid species with the mixed DNA of a prehistoric and contemporary crocodile. The building and tunnels where all this took place is abandoned by all but one person. So there’s a little material for a subsequent sequel (heaven forbid!). It’s easy to call the characters ciphers; after all, there’s an Alpha male, a no nonsense girl, her younger sister afraid of her own shadow, an electronics geek, and a guy who is pretty hyper – moaning and complaining about every little thing. He can’t utter a sentence without using the BS expletive. However, some of these individuals are skilled in their respective fields for a reason. This is what they do, only not on this scale. It is sad though that they simply become cannon fodder, so to speak.

The crocodile itself is essentially kept to quick cuts and moody appearances in tunnels. You might think this is clever and heightens the atmosphere. Here though it’s not so much to protect the reveal as to hide the shortcomings. The rendering of the monster croc is cheap to the point of looking cartoony. The CGI you see on TV shows and advertisements as standard is that much better. Also, I’m not certain the bucket on a mini digger would be heavy enough – if dropped on its back – to immobilise a 50 foot giant armour-plated relic from prehistoric times.

I hate to say it, but I can only see Lake Placid: Legacy finding a home on daytime TV. Perhaps the Horror channel for Saturday afternoon viewing. There are no extras; I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

4

Ty Power