Three Stars (out of five)
Lake Placid starts off like most monster movies, when a rural lake in Maine
becomes the site of a violent and mysterious death in the water. A
wildlife official had been literally ripped apart while scuba diving by an
unknown creature. The only evidence left behind was a large tooth. It
sounds like the usual, run-of-the-mill horror movie, at least until
Bridget Fonda shows up. Fonda plays Kelly Scott, a paleontologist in New
York City who is called to Maine to investigate the tooth. Kelly
reluctantly accepts the assignment, if nothing else so she can get away
from her former lover and her former best friend--both of whom,
she has discovered, had been sleeping together behind her back.
In terms of bonus features, the Lake Placid DVD is pretty sparse. There are
no audio commentaries of any kind, and the "making of" documentary is pretty
feeble. However, this is such a fun, enjoyable film that it makes the DVD is
still worth owning. --SF
Lake Placid's goofy humor rises to the surface in the funny moments where
we see Fonda, as a big city girl, struggling to deal with life in the
quieter backwoods of Maine. Armed with a can of bug spray against
mosquitoes, as well as non-stop rude remarks concerning country life, the
neurotic Kelly quickly gets on the nerves of local Sheriff Hank Keough.
Irish actor Brendan Gleeson also shines as Keough, a bumbling bear of a
man who hides his kind hearted nature under a gruff exterior. Bill
Pullman, who stars as wildlife official Jack Wells, skillfully manages to
be just as funny but in a more subdued way. The fourth member of this
unusual investigative team is goofball Hector Cyr.
Well-played by Oliver Platt, Hector is a wealthy loon who spends his time and
fortune chasing all over the world after crocodiles. The antics of this unlikely crew are truly what makes Lake
Placid worth watching. The humor is funny without being over the top silly,
and without overshadowing the very real danger that lurks around them. 
Kelly points out to the others that Hector's presence must mean he thinks they are dealing with a
crocodile. And Hector's hunch soon turns out to be true, as the crocodile finally reveals itself
in all of its glory in a spectacular scene with a giant grizzly bear. The
enormous, 30 feet long crocodile was created by Terminator effects artist Stan
Winston, who supplied the physical effects, while Computer Generated
Imagery (CGI) provided moving images of the creature stalking its victims.
Ably directed by Steve Miner (who should know something about stalking
people in the woods, since he got his start directing Friday The
Thirteenth Part Two), from a script by TV writer/producer David E. Kelly
(Ally McBeal; The Practice), Lake Placid is a fun ride with well-drawn out
characters that you care about. David Kelly's strong script even allows
the supporting players their moments to excel, such as Mariska Hargitay,
as Kelly's two-faced friend; Meredith Salenger, as one of Keough's deputies
who takes a shine to Hector, and finally showbiz legend Betty White, who
particularly stands out in her comical role as a dotty old woman with a
strange view of what makes a good pet and who curses like a sailor.