Just like any other Jaws rip off the Great Alligator does a good job making you wonder who the true villain really is. When a rich millionaire decides to build a resort over Native American land so tourists can indulge in hedonism you start to root for the alligator. On the other side what is interesting about this film is that the Natives are depicted in some ways as just as villainous though it has more to do with their religious than the hedonism of the rich white people. This is actually a great combo of a Jaws ripoff with the Italian Mondo cannibal genre because it features similar sociopolitical and sociocultural themes that those movies have as well. The biggest problem with this movie is the two main human characters aren't interesting. The alligator carnage in the first half is very sparse. The second half of the movie is where the carnage and those themes really start and the movie is much better.
Synopsis: An African God takes the form of a giant man-eating crocodile and attacks tourists at a newly built resort after it becomes angered by encroachment on its land.
The movie starts with photographer Daniel (Claudio Cassinelli) going to an island resort built by rich entrepreneur Joshua (Mel Ferrer). Joshua wants the resort to be a vacation spot and also wants to have tour boats to explore the tropical island's animals. Daniel meets anthropologist Alice (Barbara Bach). Joshua, much like John Hammond is talking about how great his resort is how many species of animals there are. Not only that but all the signs for certain areas and the jungle cruise type tour boat make this feel a lot like a precursor to Jurassic Park. It's more anti-colonial than anti-corporate. In the first half of the movie there are few alligator attacks. There is one at night where we first see the alligator. While the alligator in this movie doesn't look great I love how green the eyes and the underwater footage is great. Things like underwater nets expand on that colonial theme as it seems like this is just as much a movie about the culture Joshua is bringing to island and how he wants to keep Native influence out.
Before long the Natives start getting superstitious. They believe that the giant alligator is a form of their God trying to get revenge on those who built something over their land. After two people are killed and one goes missing Daniel and Alice want the tourists to stay put and not venture in the water. Joshua won't do anything without proof. Daniel and Alice investigate. They want to find out if anyone has seen this "God." Their investigation leads them to a crazy Christian missionary played by Richard Johnson who spends a few minutes chewing the scenery. To get there they have to traverse some steep rocks and waterfall. Just like in Slave of the Cannibal God this sequence is well shot and the waterfall is deafening. Alice is eventually taken for sacrifice by the Natives.
The film's final act is glorious. The hedonistic resort tourists go out drinking and having fun on a boat, there is some great animal photography here. The boat is attacked, and much like the ending of Alligator we get to see the rich get eaten and high society get what they deserve. There is some great blood shots of people being eaten and the alligator doesn't just stop at one or two. The actual makeup and gore effects are low but I still like how it’s done. At the same time the Natives show up to kill anyone else trying to escape as they seem to believe that not only do they need to sacrifice but they believed they could be in trouble for not going against those who dishonored their God. This actually shows that both sides are in the wrong and I like that this movie showed that because it could be a great example of how across history the colonists did bad things but so did the Natives. Daniel eventually manages to get an explosive tank into the mouth of the alligator (Jaws anyone) and blows it up.
Good shot of the Alligator in this movie
I really want to watch the Code Red restoration of this movie as I bet it was a little better than whatever HD version I watched. As with any of these Italian movies that take place on an island it looks great. I do like the way the alligator looked and I liked carnage at the end of the movie. The first half was just really dull. I think movies like Alligator and both Killer Crocodile movies are more entertaining as a whole but the last 30 minutes of this is great. I enjoyed seeing some other Italian genre cinema players like Romano Puppo, Bobby Rhodes, Silvia Collatina, and Anny Papa in small roles. I thought the whole Native superstition and the alligator as a God thing were cool ideas. The post-colonial themes and the Mondo cannibal influences made this more interesting and different than your typical Jaws ripoff. I just wish the first half was more interesting. The characters Barbara Bach and Claudio Cassinelli play are just not memorable.
Rating: 6/10
English Dubbing cast:
- Susan Spafford dubs Barbara Bach as Alice
Trivia: Richard Johnson's scenes were all shot in a cave interior in Italy
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