In 2004, Greg McLean scared the shit out of us with Wolf Creek. It was by far one of the most terrifying films that I have ever seen. Not because of the normal scary movie, leap-out-of-the-dark, monster tactics – but because it was like 104 minutes of blunt force trauma. One of those films that says “Hi, I’m here to seriously f*** with your mind!”. It was brilliant. Good Old Aussie, Mick Dundee turns into Ted Bundy… and you and your friends are in the middle of nowhere. Mind you, the way he filmed ‘nowhere’ was what made it the most potent character in the film. Breathtaking. Beautiful. Frightening.
Two years later, McLean, more of a house-hold name, takes us back to the turf he knows like the back of his hand – The Outback. Michael Vartan is a travel writer who heads deep into the Northern Territory to do a story on a small town and it’s famed ‘boat river cruise’. Again, the director casts ‘nowhere’ as a key character in the film. Radha Mitchell is the tough Sheila who’s father owns the company she charters. The two of them and a group of tourists take the spectacular cruise; gently floating down estuaries, marveling at old aboriginal rock art and photographing wildlife. A threat appears in the form of two drunken fellows on their little fishing boat (the arrival of Sam Worthington) vying for the affections of the beautiful tour guide – but it’s quickly snuffed out by Vartan and another American on the cruise. As the tour is due to come to an end, a flare is seen further on down the river – in an area they are not allowed to visit due to it’s aboriginal tribal heritage – but, it’s agreed that if someone on the boat was in danger, that they would hope someone would come to their rescue. So they head on down… and that’s where we meet ROGUE.
It’s a creature feature. Think JAWS. Think JURASSIC PARK. Thick PRIMEVAL. You would normally only pick this film up and watch it, if you liked this type of entertainment. But, I urge you to cast doubt aside and if it’s not your usual fair… give it a try. For pure cinematography, the film already gets 5/10. It’s visually awe inspiring. This guy knows how to film his native country. Incredible.
McLean uses a clever tactic in the film, which Spielberg used in JAWS (and probably could have held out with a bit longer in Jurassic Park too!)… he hides the monster. Wisely only showing glimpses of it over the 99 minutes. It builds suspense and keeps you guessing. Fast shadows… point of view footage… scales. Nothing more until the final showdown. It’s a very clever tool and is well used in the film. Vartan, Mitchell and Sam Worthington (prior to Terminator : Salvation – in which he over-shadowed Christian Bale immensely – and Avatar) are the key actors and all due an above average job. You don’t come into a flick like this expecting Oscar worthy performances – and you don’t get them.
As for the Giant Salt Water Crocodile, it’s an exceptional beast. The CGI lets it down a little bit in the final minutes… but otherwise it’s epic. My favourite part however is the opening 2 minutes (visuals are awesome) followed by Vartan’s welcome to the outback in a small road side bar. Try and have a close look at some of the articles and newspaper clippings he’s reading on the wall whilst on his cell-phone. It gave a stark warning to what was lurking even before the cruise began. I’m going to give this 7/10 because I’m a big fan of this type of film and believe it was the best of what the ‘creature feature genre’ has had on offer for a very long time. Try and see it if you can get your hands on it – it’s a bit scarce – for love of the movies.
