Dark Age (1987)

The acting in this movie is really good.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

A giant salt water crocodile, known as Numunwari by the aboriginal people, is feasting on unwary locals in Northern Australia. Wildlife ranger Steve Harris (John Jarratt) sets out to capture the toothy terror and return it to the billabong it calls home.Dark Age is a routine creature feature that, like so many others, takes its lead from Spielberg's Jaws and delivers countless clichés along the way: a group of ignorant hunters who anger the croc, an innocent kid snatched from shallow water, an ignorant official concerned about how the rampaging reptile will affect tourism, and a final showdown between three brave men and the croc. The biggest cliché of all, however, is the rose-tinted representation of the indigenous people as peaceful, noble, wise, spiritual and in tune with their surroundings, just like the Native American in every revisionist western since 1970 (the movie thereby seeking to recompense for years of oppression by the white man).The film trundles along at a reasonable pace, and there are a couple of half-decent animal attacks (accompanied by suitably sickening bone-crunching sound effects), but for the most part this is unexceptional stuff, not helped by the fact that the croc is rarely seen and, when it does appear, it's a rather inanimate fibreglass model. While this 'less is more' approach worked for Jaws, director Arch Nicholson isn't in Spielberg's league, unable to generate the necessary tension and excitement; likewise, the film's cast cannot hold a candle to the likes of Scheider, Shaw and Dreyfuss, their characters instantly forgettable.Still, at least this one has a gratuitous sex scene (featuring the lovely Nikki Coghill) and features the wholesale slaughter of innocent reptiles. Spielberg never gave us that!N.B. Twenty years after starring in Dark Age, John Jarratt would appear in Rogue, another film about a killer croc.

The main reaction this film about a giant crocodile terrorising Australia elicited from me was "OMG, IT'S ALF FROM HOME AND AWAY!!". Aside from that, the strange thing about it is the highest level of suspense isn't the huge reptile stalking and killing it's human prey, but the final chase as some well-meaning conservationists try to drive it to a secluded breeding spot away from a gang of yahoo hunters who want to turn it into luggage. My sympathies lay with the 'monster' 100%.The film kind of washes over you in an unpretentious way... don't expect a frightfest along the lines of Jaws, and even the music is cheap 80's synch. But it's nice to see Aboriginal culture represented so positively and informatively on screen, with a couple of them even giving more than passable performances in starring roles. Could the next big superstar from Down Under come from there? Don't bet against it... 5/10

There's a massive crocodile the Aboriginals call Namunwari which attacks a trio of poachers, killing two of them, with the third, John Besser (Max Phipps) demanding its demise. Croc conservationist, Steve Harris (John Jarratt, Wolf Creek), and two Aboriginals, Oondabund (Burnham, Burnham) and Oonabund's son, Adjaral (Aussie great, David Gulpilil) will attempt to tranquilize, capture, and transport the Namunwari to a place where it will not pose a threat to civilization. Meanwhile, Harris has his hands full with Besser and other hunters who want to kill the Namunwari, or any other crocodiles for that matter. As Aussie films often do, the racism towards Aboriginals is once again referenced, while the feeling of hate towards crocodiles in general is established strongly in the storyline. Harris and other "croc lovers" want to save them from extinction. With Nikki Coghill as Jarratt's spunky and spirited ex-lover, who returns to support him when the Namunwari becomes a target for the poachers. Phipps is a perfectly loathsome heavy, the real villain of the film and certainly a thorn in Harris' side. Good showcase for Aboriginal actor Burnham Burnham who speaks of the Namunwari as if it were a mythical creature and will not assist Harris if his goal is to murder the croc in cold blood, believing the animal was once man. Particularly memorable is seeing Jarratt speaking "Aboriginal" with Burnham Burnham who often communicates in "broken Aussie". Definite similarities to Jaws are unavoidable such as the hunt for the croc and the monster's approach to shallow waters where Aboriginal children are playing (the film's most shocking scene shows the Namunwari eat an Aboriginal kid with a shot from the camera afterward showing a toy boat without its owner!). I'm sure many will gripe and belly ache that the croc is fake looking, but I thought its size and girth was quite impressive.

As b-movies go, this is definately a must-see. Not only is the plot stolen and adapted Aussie style,but the whole thing is littered by lameness which is not even a tribute to Jaws. So often the Croc looks so rubbery and plastic, you would think it was a giant pool toy. The film is littered by cliche characters and bad dialogue, as well as random screen moments that are sheer oddity. Normally, I would go into detail, but the ineffable quality makes this a see for yourself. P