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 Rated: R
The film stars Michael Vartan as Pete, an American travel journalist stuck in
outback Australia
who, along with tour boat captain Rahda Mitchell (and a half a dozen or so
tourists), must contend with an aggressive, man-eating seven meter crocodile whilst
stuck on a small dirt island surrounded by a rising river.Â
Building a movie based on suspense and break-neck tension, while also cutting down on the high gore seen in his previous film, Mclean successfully distances himself from the likes of Eli Roth and Rob Zombie, while also creating a fine monster movie.
Mclean has assembled a fine cast. Mitchell and Vartan provide solid performances in their leading roles, and John Jarrett (who played McLean’s sadistic killer in Wolf Creek) surprises with his gentle turn as a grieving widower. However, this is not a character piece. It is the crocodile that everyone wants to see, and it sure is a sight to behold.
Taking a page from Jaws (as does every monster movie made since then), McLean does not show his monster until a good 40 minutes or so into the picture. But when it does appear, it makes quite an impact. A creation by John Cox and The Creature Workshop (who won an Oscar for their work in Babe), McLean’s monster is an ultra-realistic and unnerving design which does its job of scaring the audience half to death, and does it well.
The other technical aspects of the film also work well. Cinematographer Will Gibson captures some stunning images whilst filming in the Northern Territory. The sound effects are exceptional, and Francois Tetaz has composed a score which successfully heightens the film's atmosphere.
By side-stepping the usual pretentious tone found in many Australian films, and focusing on entertaining its audience, Rogue becomes one of the better popcorn Aussie flicks that I have seen in a while. Unfortunately, it failed to set the local box office alight. Hopefully, American audiences will enjoy the film which will be released at a limited capacity on the 25th of April.
Starring: Radha Mitchell, Michael Vartan, John Jarratt, Stephen Curry, Sam Worthington
This Reviewer's Rating:   3 / 5
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