MovieChat Forums > Rogue (2007) Discussion > Good creature feature that could have be...

Good creature feature that could have been great

posted 16 years ago by El_DustinD
3 replies | jump to latest

I wasn't all that impressed with Wolf Creek, but the director showed promise. When I heard he was doing a killer croc movie, it struck my interest. When I heard the movie was stuck on the shelf, I was pissed. When I saw it had came out on DVD, I was happy. Now that I've seen it, I'm moderately satisfied.

Rogue is an extremely well shot and suspenseful creature feature. The camera work is great and the death scenes are solid....mainly because they are often off screen and don't come at all the obvious moments. Sure, with a movie like this, some characters have to do something dumb, but the movie restrains from that for the most part.

The first 90 percent of this flick is nearly perfect as far as the genre goes. I was so impressed with McLean. Well, it seems he handed the movie off to a total stranger for the finale, which was one big misstep. The movie avoids cliches all through the film just so they can be piled on during the climax. The film should have just ended in a dark and subtle manner, but no...they had to have a "big ending". The ending doesn't ruin the film, because what came before it was so darn good, but it stopped it from being something better. I didn't get a single moment of enjoyment during the final minutes. It went from Jaws light to Sci-Fi channel. Such a let down. Don't worry too much though. If you like this type of film...ever, you'll find plenty to enjoy here.

*** out of **** (should have been ***1/2)

Procrastination fools you into thinking you succeed merely by not failing.

[–] jhanse29 16 years ago

I hope this post gets deleted. LOL.

I am actually ok with the ending. Would I have followed the dog around and into a cave? No way. But it was exciting. My only real qualm is with the Radha Mitchell character survivng such a brutal attack. I think it would have been more effective to have left her dead. Great film over all and one of the best creature features' I've seen.

Shall We Begin?

[–] El_DustinD 16 years ago

While it's humanly possible to survive that, assuming the croc just messed her up a bit and assumed she was dead, it was cinematically stupid. It stank of studio interference. Someone wanted a big ending with happiness and excitement, and I have trouble thinking it was all the director's idea. It would have been fine, and much more effective, had he just stumbled onto the bodies and had to escape the croc one more time. I just shrugged all through that finale.

Procrastination fools you into thinking you succeed merely by not failing.

[–] jhanse29 16 years ago

I said almost exactly the same thing in a nother post that it felt like the studio made him change it so she survived.

Shall We Begin?