∇
troperville

∇
tools

∇
toys

SubpagesAwesome
Film
Funny
Main
Trivia
YMMV

main index

Narrative

Genre

Media

Topical Tropes

Other Categories

random

Subpages:

Film: Lake Placid
aka: Lake Placid 3

Lake Placid is a movie made in 1999 combining comedy and horror and starring Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Brendan Gleesan, and Oliver Platt with a plot revolving around a giant crocodile owned by Betty White.

It spawned two Made for TV sequels with a third (titled, Lake Placid: The Final Chapter) on its way.

Contains the following tropes:

Always a Bigger Fish: the team gets surprised by a grizzly bear (in Maine), who charges through their camp, turns, stands, roars, prepares to attack... and is promptly grabbed by the crocodile.
Asshole Victim: Lake Placid 2 goes out of its way to identify every single victim as a jerk in some way, in some cases literally moments before they die.
Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Occurs between Jack and Kelly.
Bears Are Bad News: As noted above, the attempt to pull this off goes south for the bear in question.
Brains and Brawn: Jack and Kelly team up with their respective genders filling the appropriate roles.
Brick Joke: The cow. It actually lives.
Brilliant, but Lazy: Kelly initially insults and rants at most anybody and anything around her and refuses to really help out despite having notable intelligence. That changes midway through when a charging bear gets eaten and she actually sees the giant crocodile.
Brother-Sister Incest: Doesn't actually occur, but it's referenced by one of the characters. Hank nearly falls victim to one of Hector's croc traps. When Hank berates him, Hector insists that it will end up saving his life, telling him "The longer you live, the more sex you get to have with your sisters!". Because they dislike each other so much, Hector is presumably insinuating that Hank is an inbred, hick-town sheriff.
Caught in a Snare: Hank. Hector is reluctant to let him down, seeing Hank's Death Glare.
Hector: I would let him down, but he has this odd look of mayhem on his upside-down face.
Conflicting Loyalty: Kelly struggles to try and mesh her feelings for Jack with merely trapping, not killing, the crocodile.
Conspicuous CG: Possibly invoked in the original, played straight in the sequels.
Curse of The Ancients: Mrs. Delores Bickerman, played by Betty White, jumps on this and averts it.
Deadpan Snarker: Everyone. Sheriff Hank gets a special mention, though.
Hank: (after Kelly freaks out about staying in a tent) Oh my God, we forgot the feminine napkins!
Death by Mocking: That's what they get for thinking Mrs. Delores Bickerman was crazy.
Deep South: Although set in Maine, Kelly immediately says that being in the woods anywhere is akin to being in the movie Deliverance.
Don't Call Me Sir: Do NOT call Kelly "Ma'am."
Kelly: If you call me "ma'am" one more time, I will sue you! And with the laws the way they are today, I can do it!
Egomaniac Hunter: One of these serves as a particularly flat Strawman antagonist in the second movie.
Fair Cop: Hector congratulates the female deputy on her great breasts. She thanks him.
Final Girl: Averted in that all of the major characters stay alive through the end. Although, the crocodile tries to get this trope to be true.
Gilligan Cut: "I'm not going to Maine. I'm NOT going to Maine!" *cut to the plane flying over Maine*
Gross-Up Close-Up: A flying head gets this treatment.
Half the Man He Used to Be: Happens to the first onscreen victim in the first film.
The Hero: Jack Wells.
Hot Scientist: Kelly and on the male side, arguably Jack.
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Whenever Kelly is opposite Jack especially but also with Hector Cyr.
Jump Scare: Used a couple of times with decent results, but the best one is the SECOND crocodile.
Kavorka Man: Hector.
Lowered Monster Difficulty: The more the viewer sees of the giant crocodile, the less of a threat it becomes.
Never Smile at a Crocodile
Obvious Trap: Averted in that it's set up for the crocodile instead.
Once is Not Enough: The group tries to drug and trap the crocodile... needless to say, the crocodile is huge for a reason.
Screaming Woman: Both Kelly and the Sheriff's female deputy do this.
The Sheriff: Hank Keough.
Shorter Means Smarter: Kelly is shorter than everybody else while Hector is shorter than Jack and Sheriff Hank Keough.
Slap-Slap-Kiss: Jack and Kelly.
Sliding Scale of Comedy and Horror
Snark-to-Snark Combat: Our four main characters—Hank, Hector, Jack, and Kelly—to each other.
Stock Ness Monster: The big crocodile.
Super Persistent Predator: The big crocodile, although it's attempted to be somewhat justified.
Team Spirit: The group joins together with the Florida Fish and Game to try and take the crocodile down.
Tranquil Fury: Hank, after getting caught in Hector's trap. Hector even lampshades it:
Hector: I would let him down, but he has this odd look of mayhem on his upside-down face.
Truth in Television: As of September 4, 2011. A 21 ft crocodile was captured alive in the Philippines and there's reportedly more of them still loose. The Philippines just became a very scary place.
Vitriolic Best Buds: Hector and Hank seem to have become this by the end of the movie.
Volleying Insults: Occurs between Jack and Kelly, as well as Hector and Hank.
The Worf Effect: See Always a Bigger Fish above.
You Look Like You've Seen a Ghost: When Hector comes face to face with the crocodile in the water.