Crocodile (1979)

Jaws must have struck some sort of nerve since low-budget studios kept trying to remake it throughout the 1970s even after ripping off Star Wars became more lucrative.  This trend even made its way to other countries, in this case Thailand.  Well, kind of South Korea as well.  Some scenes were reshot for the American market and, though made before Alligator, Crocodile was released in the U.S. a year later to cash in on that popular Jaws homage. 

Dr. Tony Akom (Nard Poowanai) has a good life with his wife Angela (Ni Tien) and daughter Anne. .  His friend John (Min Oo) is looking forward to getting married himself.  However, the world has different plans.  Atomic testing has led to violent storms and a giant crocodile terrorizing the rivers and lakes of Thailand.  After the crocodile kills his family Tony is distraught, but eventually plots revenge with the help of Tanaka (Kirk Warren), a mercenary type with a boat.

Tony, John and Tanaka begin tracking the creature as it leaves villages destroyed and a number of dead in its wake as it makes its way to the ocean.  The men hatch a plan to lure it and capture it once it is away from land, but what they don't count on is a craftier adversary than they expected. 

Crocodile is best known in its U.S. version, released in 1981 and re-edited by Dick Randall.  Many of the scenes are switched around, some nudity is added and some motivations changed, while the director is credited as Sampote Sands.  This was a real person who often handled special effects, but the actual director of the movie was Lee Won-se.  Although the action takes place in Thailand the director and much of the cast were Korean, and the original film was known as Crocodile Fangs.  I was wondering if it was any better, as movies dubbed and re-edited for American release often destroy the intent of the original,  but it seems to have the same reputation as the international version.

Knowing that, they tried to make a decent film and Lee is not bad at getting a shot, but this is just a terrible movie all around.  The creature is unimpressive, at one point they harm a real crocodile and the latter half is pretty much the last part of Jaws beat by beat.  There is some decent scenery but much of the climax is shot around the same famous rocks as The Man with the Golden Gun.  That's not a great movie either but at least it's a lot more interesting than this.  

Crocodile (1979)

Time: 92 minutes

Starring: Nard Poowanai, Min Oo, Kirk Warren

Director: Lee Won-se, Sampote Sands