In 1999 the killer crocodile thriller Lake Placid was released and performed modestly well at the box office. Thanks to the Sy/Fy channel, it became an unexpected franchise, with five follow-ups to date. Here’s how each of them rank, from worst to best.
The Steve Miner film, written and produced by David Kelley, was a sly riff on Jaws. At the time, Kelley was the producer of several critically-acclaimed television shows including Ally McBeal. He used his clout to get both Lake Placid and his sports drama Mystery Alaska on studio desks. Miner, who had just directed the successful Halloween: H20, was a good choice to helm the film. His previous genre credits included an eclectic list of titles including Friday the 13th Part 2 & 3, House, and Forever Young.
Lake Placid was turned down by every major studio. Even with Kelley and Miner behind it, the project was not deemed commercial enough at the time. It eventually got the green light after Stan Winston created a realistic animatronic creature. His fearsome creation impressed international investors, which in turn revived interest by execs at 20th Century Fox. Though the film was met with mixed reviews, it was a solid performer in theaters and became even more popular on home video. It slowly developed a fan base, which precipitated talk of a sequel several years later. It proved the ideal exploitable title for the Sci-Fi (Sy/Fy) Channel, which funded five follow-ups.
6. Lake Placid: Legacy (2018)
This completely unrelated entry in the Lake Placid series is incredibly derivative and inconsequential. Using more of the Anaconda template, it relies more on action than suspense – and gives the crocodile little screen time. Some young activists go to an island in the middle of a lake and are terrorized by a giant crocodile – the result of an experiment gone wrong. While the film gets points for not relying on a lot of bad CGI to render the croc, the majority of the film take place in a dark and generic “research facility” set.
5. Lake Placid 3 (2010)
The Bickermans continue their unhealthy relationship with crocs after Sadie (Cloris Leachman) dies. Her nephew Nathan (Colin Ferguson) takes up the mantle, raising several babies that soon begin to wreak havoc once again in Black Lake. Terrible CGI, indifferent performances and juvenile humor try hard to make the first sequel look exceptional. Director Griff Furst would go on to direct several made-for-TV monster films including Swamp Shark, Ghost Shark and Alligator Alley.
4. Lake Placid 2 (2007)
There’s more crocodile trouble in Black Lake when three giant specimens begin chomping down on the locals. John Schneider, Sarah Lafleur and, surprisingly, Cloris Leachman play out a very familiar scenario with little conviction. With none of the charm or suspense of the original, this direct sequel is a typical made-for-cable outing. After the outstanding practical effects of the original, the terrible CGI in this follow-up is especially jarring.
3. Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (2012)
Overlooking the broken promise of the title, this is a pretty solid made-for-cable film with a smart script and a game cast. The inspired premise revolves around the transformation of Black Lake into a crocodile sanctuary – complete with an electric fence and a high school bus making that pivotal “wrong turn.” Yancy Butler returns as Reba, former poacher now working for the E.P.A. and Robert Englund shows up as Jim Bickerman. Director Don Michael Paul gives the bad CGI effects some teeth with fast paced direction and a light touch.
2. Lake Placid Vs. Anaconda (2015)
While “Lake Placid” was not the name of the crocodile in any of the previous films, the basic premise is communicated well enough by the silly title. Butler and Englund return in what is basically a Roger Corman creature movie from the 70s; silly, slight, and self-aware. A giant crocodile and a giant anaconda square off while sorority sisters go for an ill-timed lake break. While this can’t be considered a good film by any stretch, it’s the most honest of all the sequels and one of the more fun entries.
1. Lake Placid (1999)
Steve Miner’s film was nice surprise when released in 1999. Lake Placid was a quirky character comedy with some great practical effects, and the film has aged well. Bill Pullman plays a fish and game officer who teams with Bridget Fonda’s plucky paleontologist to look into the death of a scuba diver bitten in half at Black Lake. A great cast, including a funny performance by Betty White and a surprisingly witty script give a unique twist to what could have been a by-the-numbers monster movie.