Alligator (1980)

	Director: Lewis Teague
	Starring: Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Michael V. Gazzo, Dean Jagger
	Run Time: 89 mins
	Certificate: 15
	Rating:

Plot
An unwanted pet baby alligator is flushed down the toilet into the sewers where the local chemical research facility has been dumping waste for years. So the alligator is mutated into a 50ft predator with a huge appetite. As people start to go missing and mutilated limbs turn up, its up to a cop to find out what is going on.

Review
One of the many Jaws clones from the late 70s and early 80s, Alligator is actually one of the better ones and deals with that age old urban legend that Americans have about flushing baby alligators down into the sewers and wandering if they ever survive down there, living off the rats and other critters that dwell there.

What makes this stand out from the rest? Well not much.

There is a lot of tension and gloom to be had when the cast is wandering around the sewers with little more than a flashlight to guide them. The sets are dark, damp and eerie and this atmosphere adds to the "there's something lurking here" feel. Director Lewis Teague uses the "less is more" approach by showing us fleeting glimpses of the alligator. But as soon as it leaves the sewers, the film loses it's more serious edge and becomes rather laughable at times. The alligator doesn't look too bad when it's locked away in the dark sewers so you can't see much of it. When it does finally appear in the daylight, it doesn't look all that bad either although you can spot the "real-life alligator invading miniature sets" shots a mile away. That's the beauty of the film though - the alligator is either mechanical or a real one waddling around on miniature sets. The mechanical gator at least allows for interaction with the cast so it does look it's eating them. Alligator isn't too gory but a few limbs here and there is enough to convince. Most of the attacks happen in similar circumstances but there is one good scene at a children's birthday party where the kids are taking it in turns to force the others into walking the plank into their swimming pool. Unknown to them, the pool is now temporarily housing the alligator who is only too keen to be almost spoon-fed it's next meal.

But for some reason, it all gets tiresome towards the end (for example there is the stupid fact that no one can find a 50ft alligator roaming around the streets) despite a strong penultimate scene. Robert Forster does more than a good job as the cop but his co-stars leave a lot to be desired and you wish the alligator would eat most of them sooner rather than later.

Verdict
Alligator may not be scary or a genre classic but it could have been a whole lot worse and at least it's better a lot of other "big monster on the loose" flicks.