Alligator is one of those films that people will either love or hate. I doubt it was supposed to be very `A-grade' when it was released back in 1980. Now, well over thirty years old, I was hesitant to see how well it's stood up to the test of time.
I was pleased to say the answer is: pretty well.
If you can excuse the seventies haircuts (in an eighties movie!) then you'll find quite a tight little monster-munching movie. Lake Placid may have better effects, but Alligator still has its own special charm - think `Jaws,' but with an alligator instead of a shark (oh, and in Chicago, rather than the sea, obviously).Basically, what little plot there is revolves around a little girl having her per alligator flushed down the toilet when it was still young. Once in the sewers, over a period of twelve years, it mutates, getting much, much bigger and basically comes back for revenge. Yes, revenge. It seems to have a natural instinct as to whose fault it was, but, hey, just suspend your disbelief and enjoy it.
Alligator is played out on that fine line between `tongue in cheek' and `straight.' It has a foot in both camps and somehow it manages to pull both off.
If you're a fan of general animatronics monsters eating man, woman and child (yes, child - you wait and see!) then give Alligator a go. It's just a shame that with a solid movie like this, the alligator himself didn't move on to better things. He was certainly the star and I was hoping to find him in a nice indie flick or even a romantic comedy. Well... maybe.
7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that
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