Movie Review: Rogue (2007)
An Australian monster croc movie that's got a bite!
*Spoilers ahead for Rogue (2007)
Technical Quality: 4/5
I thought this was a well made movie and the effects were solid! The croc was pretty believable and scary, and the style and soundtrack really brought it together. They made the great choice of not revealing the croc too soon, which can really ruin a creature flick.
Just the Vibes: 5/5
This was a fun movie! If you are looking for a summer monster flick featuring some current big-name actors before they really got famous, this is definitely it.
Cast & Crew
Director: Greg McLean
Writer: Greg McLean
Cast: Michael Vartan (Pete McKell); Radha Mitchell (Kate Ryan); Sam Worthington (Neil Kelly); Stephen Curry (Simon); Mia Wasikowska (Sherry); Damien Richardson (Collin)
Music: François Tétaz
What’s the Spoiler-Free run-down?
An American journalist on assignment in the Australian outback encounters a man-eating crocodile while trapped on a rapidly flooding mud island. - IMDb
Pete McKell, an American travel writer, is in Northern Australia writing about the growing tourist destinations in the outback. While on a saltwater crocodile tour his boat is rammed and he and the rest of the tourists, and their guide Kate, are stranded on an island in the middle of the tidal river. By sundown their safe harbor will be underwater, and they are being hunted.
So… what happened?
Our main character is Pete McKell, an American travel writer who is in northern Australia to talk a bit about the budding tourist destinations up there. We learn bits and pieces about him from the get-go, although little of it is ultimately relevant to the story — he lost all his bags at the airport, is wearing a suit, and he's terribly angry with his editor for the whole situation. He stops in a shop for a coffee and we see a wall of newspaper clippings about a "killer croc" that has reportedly been responsible for multiple deaths, including that of a 12 year old child (where the creature swallowed the child whole). That's a harbinger if I ever saw one, not that Pete takes heed of the not-so-subtle warning — he goes off to join up with a crocodile tour and it is there that we meet Kate Ryan, our local guide and wildlife expert, and her dog Kevin as well as a boat full of victims — I mean, passengers.
As we head out we are treated to some beautiful footage of Kakadu National Park, in Australia's Northern Territory, and all seems well. We learn a little bit about each of the passengers — Russell is there to spread his wife's ashes, while a family of three (Allen, Elizabeth, and their teenage daughter Sherry) seem to be taking one last trip as Elizabeth's health is failing. Later she has a whole speech about refusing to die, an awkward attempt at building up her character that goes nowhere. There are a few others to round out the group but none that have a clear impact on the story at hand. Pete and Everett, who is traveling with his wife Mary Ellen, prove themselves to be the most level-headed of the group as two rambunctious locals, Neil and Collin, have some fun tormenting the tour before ultimately being driven off by Kate.
As the tour reaches its end and they go to turn back, Everett spots a flare in the distance and Kate feels obliged to steer them upriver to investigate. Here I would like to mention the difference between a "bad choice" in a horror movie and a "bad choice" in real life. Obviously, with this being a horror movie, going off course without a clear radio signal is not a good move. However in real life this group would be responsible for potentially helping whoever is sending out this flare — delaying your return by 30 minutes to an hour is hardly a huge sacrifice when it could mean saving a life. For our tourists, though, this ends up being the equivalent of heading into the dark basement after the shadows creepily call out to you.
While they never find the source of the flare they do find a half-sunken boat and while they are discussing whether to turn back or not something massive rams their boat and splits the side, sending them running to a small island in the middle of the river. Proving himself to be at least semi-knowledgable, Russell points out that this is a tidal river and that soon they'll be underwater — Kate confirms that they have until sundown. Now we have one of my favorite movie set-ups — a small cast, in an isolated setting, trying to get out. We saw it in Await Further Instructions and Blood Vessel, and something Rogue does really well is make the sprawling wilderness seem dangerously contained.
Kate realizes that they must be in a crocodile's territory and that they may have been marked as a food source, adding more tension to an already panicked group. Russell votes to swim to the other side but is stopped by Everett, citing the massive beast in the water. The group is arguing and Everett is now standing alone on the water's edge, where he is silently and efficiently grabbed by the croc. It is without a doubt the best kill in the movie, simply because it is so sudden and I really was expecting him to last a little longer. Neil and Collin stumble across the group but don't immediately see what is going on — personally the half-sunk tour boat might have clued me in but who knows I guess — and their boat is rammed by the crocodile. Neil manages to safely swims to the island but Collin, the one who wasn't all flirty with Kate, is killed.
Neil proves himself to be surprisingly level-headed, given the situation, and he comes up with one fo the best plans for escape. Figuring that the croc is dragging its newest victims back to its lair he swims to the riverbank with a rope, and the group creates a zip-line across the surface that the others can theoretically shimmy across. You might, at this point, think that they succeed. The scene with Neil swimming is tense, gratifying, and you get the sense that while a few others might die this plan might actually work. Then you look at the run time and realize that no, there's still far too much of the movie left.
Mary Ellen insists on going first — she beings to crawl across by her hands and ankles (personally I think that wrapping your whole leg around the rope might be more secure but to be fair, I've never actually done it), and unfortuately freezes halfway. Not wanting to wait, and apparently disregarding the delicate situation they are all in, Allen urges his daughter Shelly across and follows close behind. Neil is distracted by the three people on the rope and is trying to keep the tree on the riverbank from falling over when he is attacked and killed by the crocodile, in the second most shocking death of the movie. I really was expecting Sam Worthington to last a little long — I guess he wasn't super famous yet. Neither Avatar nor Terminator Salvation had come out yet after all. The tree tips over from the weight and the three people on the line fall into the water — as Allen crawls up the shore, apologizing for ruining the plan, the crocodile grabs him and drags him under.
Night progresses and the water is rising. Pete is on the boat looking for a first aid kit, something they probably should have grabbed when they first ran aground, and sees a grappling hook. He has the good idea to essentially fish for the croc, trapping it and giving the others time to get across. He volunteers to go last, waiting on the island with Kate's dog Kevin. The croc eventually takes the bait and the gropu goes — most of the are swimming with life vests, which I would think would only slow them down. Kate also goes too slow, waiting a ridiculously long time, and is grabbed by the crocodile and dragged underwater. Pete and Kevin reach the other side and the group of survivors scatters into the bush. Once you're off the island its every man for himself, apparently.
As morning rises Pete and Kevin are alone, until Kevin abandons him and Pete has to run to catch him. It's for a good reason, though, as it turns out Kevin has found the croc's lair and a miraculously still living Kate. Her leg looks terrible but her life vest may have protected her chest from the worst of the croc's bite — I don't know that this would work in real life. From a quick google search the bite force of a saltwater crocodile has been measured at 3,700 pounds per square inch. For comparison, humans bite around 150-200 psi. This one is supposedly one of the largest, if the movie is to be believed, so I hardly think some bouyant foam would protect her.
Kevin runs off again, seeming to hear something, and we sadly listen to him being killed by the returning crocodile. Yes, folks, the dog dies in this movie. A heroic death, as he found his owner, but still the saddest death in the movie.
Pete hides with Kate before attempting to flee — the croc bites off part of his hand but he does manage to keep it away from Kate, ultimately killing it by impaling the croc as it lunges at him. He escapes, carrying a still unconscious Kate, and somehow finds the rest of the tourists and the paramedics.
Kate is by far the best character in this movie. She is in charge and acts like it, and her decision process is very realistic as she attempts to make the best choice for the group as a whole. She shows vulnerability when things don't go to plan and blames herself, but doesn't dwell on the mistakes made. We don't get much character development in his movie from anyone, but there are a few shining stars. Pete is creative with his final plan, and in how he ultimately defeats the croc. Neil might be a bit of a tool at first but he is able to get down to business to try to save the group, and he had a good plan even if it was ultimately ruined by poor decision making. The others don't stick out very much but we get some good moments — Simon, a photographer, finds Neil and Collin's beer and takes it upon himself to get a little drunk, which is quite relatable, and although she is a bit of a nothing character Celia Ireland's Gwen is fun and manages to keep things lighthearted even when things are looking dour.
Things I enjoyed this week:
I had a killer (pun only kind of intended) carnitas enchildada pot pie for my birthday, followed up by some homemade creme brulee, which is a dessert more people should make for themselves at home. It has like three ingredients and you can melt the sugar in your oven on broil — it doesn’t need to be something reserved for fancy occasions! I’m all about good desserts when you just need something to make a normal day a little more fun. We also started Once Upon a Time, which is a wonderfully bingeable show that balances out The Handmaid’s Tale, which we also just started. Apparently we like watching shows at least five-ten years after they’ve started.
Ciao ✌️
Lauren