Alligator (1980)

Get a grip on this good 'gator' flick. Some tongue-in-cheek dialog and gruesome special effects makes for an entertaining and fun movie to watch. A little girl's science project is flushed down the stool and a dozen years later grows to about 36 feet long living in the sewer system of Chicago. Sustained by a diet of pet carcasses used in an experimental growth clinic, this monster 'gator' is not going down without creating some terror and having a few snacks first. A very good mutant creature running amok movie.

Very able cast led by Robert Forster and Robin Riker. Doing notable work in support are Henry Silva, Michael V. Gazzo and veteran actor Dean Jagger. The sewer scenes pretty well set a creepy atmosphere. My favorite scene is during a brief encounter with the munching menace..."Do you think two sticks of dynamite will do?"

Fmovies: Before crappy films like Lake Placid took the idea of a giant crocodile, Alligator came out in 1980, in which Richard Corliss of Time Magazine placed it on his top ten list. Alligator takes place in Chicago, in which a giant alligator that was flushed down in the toilet by a little girl's father, years later it terrorizes the city going on a rampage for anything it sees. Robert Forester who plays the city cop is the only one to stop it. Nobody else seems to know how to kill the animal except him and the female doctor. There's not that many stars that come on this movie except for Henry Silva who has a brief cameo as a alligator expert. None the less this is a fun popcorn movie to watch from beginning to end.

Cool Movie!

This movie is the best damn giant alligator movie I've ever seen. They just don't make then like this anymore. Featuring very cool pre-CGI animatronic fx & a real live alligator. And any time a lil' kid gets eaten by the monster in a horror movie, you know that they're not messin' around.

Alligator fmovies. Ahhh, one of the classic 80's Guilty Pleasure flicks, right up there with "Humanoids From the Deep", and "C.H.U.D.". Ramon, the cute little baby gator who gets flushed into the sewers of Chi-town eats some dead dogs on super-steroids, and becomes a giant, ravenous walking handbag with teeth. Chicago is terrorized, and only a handful of veteran B-moovie actors can save the day! Robert Forster("The Black Hole", "Delta Force", "Satan's Princess") is our balding, square-jawed hero; Robin Riker("Buffy the Vampire Slayer" tv series, "Dead Badge")plays the snuggly herpatologist; Henry Silva("Chained Heat", "Megaforce", "Amazon Women on the Moon") plays a surly big-game hunter; Michael Gazzo("The Godfather II", "Sudden Impact") is the over-worked police chief; Dean Jagger("Twelve O'Clock High", "X: The Unknown", "Game of Death")is the evil corporate bigwig who gets smooshed in his own limo; Sydney Lassick("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "Shakes the Clown", "Fast Walking")is a twisted pooch purveyor who gets pulverized. In fact, LOTS of people get chomped, stomped, and crushed by the mad gator, but it's all done with wit and enough sense not to take its self too seriously. Udders cowplain that "Alligator" is merely anudder "Jaws" rip-off, but fail to appreciate the film's tongue-in-cheek humor & fun. Penultimate scene of the hungry gator running amok at a garden party is an all-time classic! Cud have been really stupid, but the film benefits from a smart script by John Sayles(w. "The Howling", "Matewan", "Eight Men Out"), and solid direction by Lewis Teague(d."The Lady in Red", "Cujo", "Navy SEALS"). Pretty good fx further cowplimant the moovie. Not a perfect film, by any means, but a great choice to pop in on a dull Saturday night with a greasy pizza & some moo juice! Stop flushing those baby gators down the john!! The MooCow says rent "Alligator" today! ;=8)

This film has a superbly paced story and much style. It is great entertainment matched with wry comment from writer John Sayles: witness the rich old man who locks his posh car, allows his friend to get eaten and is then pounded flat by the monster. This could so easily have been boring and run-of-the-mill. Although accomplished on a low budget, the film makers put in much effort and created something unique.

First there was Jaws then Piranha both great movies and then in 1980 there was a giant Alligator film written by John Sayles who wrote Piranha and The Howling, using the urban legend of Alligators flushed down into the sewers and becoming giant due to the stuff in there they made a great B-movie with an Alligator twice it's normal size. Sometimes it's just a real Alligator in a small set to make it look big and other times it's a big rubber Alligator but that's what makes it fun.

The atmosphere is creepy when in the sewers especially since the Alligator is prowling around ready to jump out and get them. The main characters are likable and the acting is good. Alligator is a classic B-Movie that's great and fun to watch. 10/10