Crocodile Island

I think the other x2 1 star reviews are a bit unfair, i was quite pleasently suprised with this film, sure its not the best film ever, but if your watching a film called crocodile island about a giant crocodile, your not going to be getting oscar winning acting or writing etc, its a film about a giant crocodile and some other critters, and people stuck on the island, the effects range from pretty good to not so great, but if your like me and you like monster films of all kinds, you will find some enjoyment here

A giant crocodile .. I mean of course right? Although to be fair if you strand on to an island that has never been inhabited by other humans ... who knows what you'll find on it? Ok I'm partly kidding of course. Although be prepared for the movie to give you more than your average crocodile - or is it alligator? I have to admit, I am still uncertain what the distinction is exactly.

I've read about it because I played Red Dead Redemption 2, but ... well I forgot I guess is the easiest thing to say about that. Whoever wrote the script here may have also forgotten a few things ... like how people would act or react when faced with danger ... surely not trying to make out in a river for example. Reminded me of classic US horror movie cliches.

The CGI barely works, but if you watch this as the "trash" (read low budget) effort that this is, you can have some fun with it ...

If a child is not scared by a monster crocodile and giant spiders, they may find this a fun watch. The version I watched was the dubbed American version. I have seen a number of Chinese films before, usually with very good CGI, decently filmed, decent dubbing, and often one person who turns out to be almost superhuman in abilities. This is not that type of film. The dubbing was terrible, with a long conversation in Chinese given a couple words subtitle, and some sporadic English. The CGI was not terrible, but flawed. We first see the croc tail in the water, and it seems like that of a normal croc. Then, it comes onto the beach, again not that large. Then it is on the beach, and is it huge. Interesting use of gunpowder to treat a wound. They set up warning pots around their campfire, so they would know if an intruder approaches. But it would take less then a second for the croc to pass the warning pots and eat them all. The storyline states Lu Wenbing shows the honorable aptitudes of family, etc., which may or may not have gotten across. The movie does answer two common questions, however. If getting away from a monster, can any of them not trip, get snagged, not stand dumbfounded, or otherwise fall? And how many bullets does a gun hold? For the first, not really. And the second, more than you could ever believe. And now it is perfectly clear that Chinese film makers have the ability to provide a real stinker just like some American film distributors.

The prologue to Chinese monster movie Crocodile Island is hilarious: a CGI WWII bomber, flying over the Sea of Dragon Triangle in the North Pacific, runs into a flock of CGI prehistoric birds, forcing the crew of the plane to bail out. The men tumble through the sky, the effect achieved through dreadful green screen work. Both activate their parachutes, one man landing on an island, the other snapped out of the air by a giant CGI prehistoric crocodile. The direction is atrocious, the acting laughable, and the special effects cheap and unconvincing.

The rest of the film follows suit.

Cut to the present day, and another plane - a passenger jet - crashes after encountering the prehistoric flock. A handful of survivors crawl from the wreckage and explore the island, where they run into monstrous crocodiles and giant spiders. The monster effects are on a par with Syfy originals such as Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, Lavalantula, Piranhaconda and Dinocroc vs. Supergator: shoddy digital creations that are more funny than they are frightening. The action is incredibly dumb (especially the discovery of a WWII radio, hand grenades and machine gun, all of which are functional), but still manages to be reasonably fun, as the survivors try to avoid being eaten while making their way to a rescue point.

4/10. It's far from great film-making, but sometimes cheap, trashy and technically incompetent can still be entertaining.

It gets a little silly in places but overall it's fun to watch. The acting is decent. CGI effects vary a little but are mostly well done and are very effective at times.

The plot is basic but perfectly acceptable for this genre of film. Plane crashes, random strangers trapped on desert island with giant crocodiles and spiders wandering around. What could possibly go wrong?

The film claims to be "a condemnation of self-centeredness and selfishness and an ode to the greater love in our world and selfless dedication." This is evident in some scenes, particularly at the start, but I'm not sure it managed to live up to that thoughout.

It's a decent film, certainly no worse than a lot of other films in this genre. Give it a try. You just might enjoy it.