When I first got the press release for ROGUE, the first thought that came to my mind was “Great! Another killer crocodile movie”. There are so many of them out there, and lets face it folks, the majority of them are terrible. But then I saw that it was from director Greg McLean who also directed WOLF CREEK. I figured it can’t be that bad if it was written and directed by him, so what the hell, I’ll give it a go. Well I’m glad I did because ROGUE is probably the best killer crocodile movie ever made.
ROGUE follows a group of tourists who take a river boat trip into the Australian outback to admire the beauty of a canon and the wildlife in the area. During the end of their river boat trip the tourists notice a flare in the sky, and then a second one. As part of the riverboat procedure the boat’s skipper must investigate. However the waters they are about to enter are off limits to the river boat company as they are sacred lands that belong to the local tribe. However being that it seems someone is in danger, they brave the waters anyway. Big Mistake! Upon arrival they find a sunken boat, and soon their boat is attacked by a huge crocodile which rips a huge hole in it’s hull. The cast of the ship is forced to take refuge on a small island in the middle of the river. However they are not out of the woods yet, as this killer croc. begins to pick them off one by one, while the river tide rises.
I have to admit that Greg McLean not only did a great job directing this film, but he also wrote a script that was not only very good, but believable. With most killer croc. films there is always something unnatural that the croc. does that never makes any sense. However being a native of Australia, McLean obviously is familiar with the the native animal and knows the nature in which a croc, hunts lives and attacks. I’ve watched plenty of nature shows and Crocodile Hunter to know that McLean wrote this script with the mindset of making the croc. appear as real as possible. The script for this film is very well written with a great story line and character development.
ROGUE stars some very familiar faces such as Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black, Silent Hill) Michael Vartan (One Hour Photo) and Sam Worthington (Upcoming Terminator: Salvation). the acting in this film is actually very good, and I’m was very surprised that even the supporting cast worked very well in their respected roles. The film also has some great production value. All the effects look really good, even the visual effects. The crocodile actually look real in this film in some of the scenes, even though in some shots its obvious that it’s a CGI croc. The shots and photography in this movie were outstanding, there are some fabulous shots of the landscape and the wildlife in this film, that at times I felt like I was watching an episode of PLANET EARTH and not a killer croc. film.
Overall, ROGUE has to be one of, if not the best killer crocodile movie ever made. It has a great plot and is full of a lot of action and suspense. The films conclusion also takes place in a very dark place that was very unexpected, but worked so well that it bought that element of fear up a notch. Everytime you think the cast of this film is going to make it, their going to get away; the killer croc. always seems to be one step ahead of them. It’s a movie that I’m very surprised did not get a theatrical release here in the United States. It’s well worth the buy or rent on DVD, especially if you’ve been disappointed by the latest line of killer crocodile films. This is one that I’m sure you’ll like a lot.
The DVD features on this disc include commentary by writer/director Greg McLean, The making of ROGUE featurette, Welcome to the Territory: A Gallery of Mini Documentaries, The Real Rogue, and the trailers for the movie and more…
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
