Lake Placid The Final Chapter
2012
Year:
2012
Stars: Elisabeth
Röhm, Yancy Butler, Paul Nicholls
Directed:
Don Michael Paul
Running Time:
86 mins
Directed by Don Michael Paul (Half Past Dead and Who’s
Your Caddy, as well as lots of acting roles) on an unknown budget probably not
a lot being a SyFy film. Staring Yancy Butler (remember Witchblade?) once more
as Reba from the last movie. So on with the movie!
Betty White, yes that old golden girl owes a lot to the
original Lake Placid. When the horror film about a large crocodile terrorizing
a small town was released in 1999 Betty White was bouncing around in various
forgettable television series’ that went nowhere. Then she took a role as the
croc loving Delores Bickerman in 1999's Lake Placid alongside Oliver Platt and
Bridget Fonda, we were then reminded just how fun and energetic also how in-on-the-joke
the aging actress was.
Surprisingly that was 14 years ago doesn’t seem that long
ago, though it was three sequels ago as this the fourth instalment, Lake
Placid: The Final Chapter STDVD in 2013. Funded by the always high-standards of
the Syfy Channel Lake Placid: The Final Chapter was a made for TV Movie
starring Yancy Butler as I said reprising her role from Lake Placid 3. It also stared
Elisabeth Röhm as Sheriff Giove and Poppy Lee Friar as her daughter with
Nightmare on Elm Street's Robert Englund in the continuing struggles of the
Lake Placid.
This one’s plot is about as in depth as a 4th
instalment can make it, picking up exactly -where the
classic-should-have-been-nominated for an award Lake Placid 3 left off, The
Final Chapter has poacher Jim Bickerman (Englund) in rustler heaven when he
arrives at the local lake that is seemingly populated by man-eating crocodiles.
In with the simple plot are plot are a female sheriff
(Röhm) and her wide-eyed daughter (Friar) who both find themselves in harm's way
as the large aquatic lizards munch their awful CGI way through a body count
that would have Friday the 13th roll around in its grave.
The Syfy Channel’s made-for-television films have a
tendency to be like microwave meals. Quick and easy, Lake Placid: The Final
Chapter is both. It is short running time 80 minutes long (86 with credits etc.)
and it doesn't push any envelopes on its way to a 12 rated glory.
The kills are lacklustre created with such bad CGI that
you might turn away from the screen not for the brutality, but for not having
to watch ridiculously fake CGI blood splash so foolishly around edited body
parts.
It's hard to say that this one is the worst Lake Placid
of the series. But it is also hard to imagine that the idea has spawned three
sequels, where none were really needed. I guess if people still buy them and
they make a profit they’ll keep churning them out.
I’m not one to say let your kids watch horror though I was
introduced to it at an early age of about 8 if you do have children on the appreciating
age of more graphic and engrossing horror fare, than say supernatural
(brilliant series) Lake Placid: The Final Chapter might be a worthy time waster
for them for 80 minutes. For us adults though it’s a waste of 80 minutes 'A New
Chapter' is bound to be on the books for this series.
As usual on THN I never spoil ending but I’ll just say it’s
pretty typical of this genre so for at least trying really hard I’ll give this
film 2 stars out of 5
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