Lake Placid

1999

Lake Placid

Critics Consensus

Betty White's delightful supporting turn may be worth the price of admission alone, but Lake Placid is swamped by a smarmy script and inability to deliver on the creature feature mayhem.

46%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 93

36%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 125,802

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Lake Placid Photos

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Movie Info

So what's under the water in that lake deep in the Maine woods? No one is sure what it could be, but a dead and severely mutilated body was found near the shore, and the only clue is a large tooth which appears to be from a prehistoric animal resembling a huge crocodile. Jack Wells (Bill Pullman), the local fish and game warden, is investigating the case when he's assigned a helper, paleontologist Kelly Scott (Bridget Fonda). Kelly generally does office work since she hates the outdoors (a drawback in her line of work) and is recovering from a breakup with one of her co-workers. Jack would just as soon handle this matter without Kelly's help, but with time, the two get used to each other and something beyond a working relationship begins to develop. Meanwhile, Jack and Kelly also have to deal with Sheriff Hank Keogh (Brendan Gleeson), who would like to find the mystery creature and kill it; Hector Cyr (Oliver Platt), a quirky mythology expert who wants to capture and study the beast; and Mrs. Bickerman (Betty White), an eccentric older woman with dubious stories about her missing cattle -- and missing husband. Blending suspense, humor, and romance, Lake Placid was written by David E. Kelley, creator of the popular TV shows Ally McBeal and The Practice, and directed by Steve Miner, whose credits range from TV's The Wonder Years to the films Forever Young and Halloween: H20. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Cast

Bill Pullman
as Jack
Bridget Fonda
as Kelly
Oliver Platt
as Hector
Brendan Gleeson
as Sheriff Keough
Betty White
as Delores
David Lewis
as Walt
Tim Dixon
as Stephen
Natassia Malthe
as Janine
Mariska Hargitay
as Myra
Meredith Salenger
as Deputy Gare
Ty Olsson
as State Trooper
Adam Arkin
as Kevin
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Critic Reviews for Lake Placid

All Critics (93) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (50)

View All Critic Reviews (93)

Audience Reviews for Lake Placid

  • Jan 24, 2018
    Not bad for a giant-gator Creature Feature, but Goddamn listening the dialogue in the first act is aggravating as sin.
    Gimly M Super Reviewer
  • Nov 15, 2013
    I love genre-bending movies, and especially those that mix horror with comedy. That puts me dead center of the target demographic of this film. The plot is pretty silly and there certainly isn't enough action for anyone looking for scares. What saves it is the script. It's witty and never takes itself too seriously. The characters are all foils for one another, setting up some of the most entertaining dialog of any movie I know. The plot revolves around a 30 foot Asian crocodile somehow winding up in a lake in Maine - go figure. What makes the movie are the characters assembled to do something about it. Bridget Fonda is an annoying paleontologist who's never before ventured out of her museum. Here, she plays both the archetypal fish out of water as well as potential romantic interest for the local game warden, played by Bill Pullman. The essential characters are rounded out by Brendan Gleeson's dour sheriff, Oliver Platt's rich and eccentric mythology buff, and Betty White as the colorful local little old lady with a secret or two. As I said, reduced to a plot outline, it's pretty unimpressive, but the verbal barbs that fly back and forth between the characters are what make the show. It's an "action/horror" movie I could watch with my eyes shut and still enjoy. 5 Stars 11-05-13
    Bruce B Super Reviewer
  • Oct 21, 2011
    To begin with its not even Lake Placid, but some other lake, this one up in Maine ("the graveyard of horror!" ... I just said that. I don't know if its true. Like the sound of it though. London's maybe the real graveyard ... anyway ) and there's something in the water, something big, and its eating people. Funny and cool creature feature.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
  • Jul 03, 2011
    Lake Placid is far from the worst film and most of the criticism comes from people expecting too much. The film is more of a comedy/horror hybrid with the focus on the latter. The creature effects are impressive and as far as monster features go, this isn't all that bad. It clearly has a cult market as they pump out the straight to video sequels. The is having fun and I fault the casting as the primary issue for the reviews. Fonda is fine and that introduction was awesome, that introduction to her character sums up the entire tone of the film. Pullman is wasted in the lead, he is provided nothing and offers nothing. Lake Placid might go down as a missed opportunity, but I enjoyed the film and recommend the casual horror enthuse to watch it again. 07/10/2019
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
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