Line #23 Film/LakePlacid


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/LakePlacids.jpg]]
2
3	->''"I'm rooting for the crocodile. I hope he swallows your friends whole."''
4	-->-- '''Delores Bickerman'''
5
6	''Lake Placid'' is a movie made in 1999 combining comedy and horror and starring Creator/BillPullman, Creator/BridgetFonda, Creator/BrendanGleeson, and Creator/OliverPlatt with a plot revolving around a giant crocodile owned by a seemingly ordinary old woman, Mrs. Delores Bickerman played by Creator/BettyWhite.
7
8	It spawned five [[MadeForTVMovie Made for TV sequels]], the fourth of which serves as a [[Film/LakePlacidVsAnaconda crossover]] with ''{{Film/Anaconda}}''. A fifth was released in 2018, but is InNameOnly, ignoring all previous films apart from a quick mention of the original.
9
10	----
11	!!Contains the following tropes:
12
13	* AccidentalHero: [[spoiler: Just when the main characters are just about to be attacked by a black bear, the crocodile happens to leap out of the water at that same moment to grab the smaller predator in its jaws and drag it to its watery doom, accidentally saving their lives in the process.]]
14	* AdorablyPrecociousChild: Connor, in the third movie.
15	* AcademicAthlete: In the fourth film swim team member Drew seems to have an idea what Chloe is talking about as she brings up a book she read for class.
16	* AgonyOfTheFeet: In the second movie, Rachel has plenty of opportunities to complain due to wearing flip-flops on a hiking trip, and when a crocodile attacks her, it bites her feet first.
17	* AlwaysABiggerFish: The team gets surprised by a grizzly bear ([[MisplacedWildlife in Maine]]), who charges through their camp, turns, stands, roars, prepares to attack... [[TheWorfEffect and is promptly grabbed by the crocodile]].
18	* AmbiguouslyBi: Elaine from the fourth movie is willing to talk about boys with Chloe and shows some signs of thinking that Drew is cute, but after insulting Brittany, adds "She does have a great ass though" and later rubs Brittany's shoulders while comforting her after an attack, and grabs her hand as they're running from a crocodile.
19	* AmusinglyAwfulAim: ''Lake Placid 2'' has [[EgomaniacHunter Jack Struthers]] who loves to remind his employee Ahmad about the time he saved him from a lion when he was a teenager. When Ahmad finally gets tired of Struthers's insensitive treatment and taking credit for Ahmad's work, he tells the part of the story that Struthers doesn't like to be reminded of: that it took Struthers four shots at point-blank range for him to hit the lion, two of which ended up hitting Ahmad instead.
20	* AssholeVictim: ''Lake Placid 2'' goes out of its way to identify every single victim, with the arguable exceptions of [[spoiler: Frank and Ahmad]] as a jerk in some way, in some cases literally moments before they die.
21	* AutoErotica: Brittany and Drew sneak back onto the school bus to have sex in the fourth movie, and later while they're jet-skiing, she gets between him and the controls so they can make out.
22	* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Occurs between Jack and Kelly.
23	** In the third movie, Ellie went on the trip to get away from Brett, and his following her out there might be a bit stalker-esque, but they do have a nice moment when they briefly reunite during the chaos.
24	* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Creator/BettyWhite plays [[spoiler:the psychotic]] Mrs. Delores in the first movie, she not only [[spoiler: murdered her husband and has been allowing the crocodile to kill people. But she is also seen casually feeding her blindfolded cows alive to the crocodile, making them suffer the terror and pain dying at the jaws of the giant predator rather than at least painlessly putting the animals down first.]]
25	* BearsAreBadNews: As noted above, the attempt plays to pull this off goes south for the bear in question.
26	* BigBad: The giant crocodiles terrorizing the lake.
27	* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler: The crocodile(s), of all things! A bear suddenly runs out and is about to snack on Hank and Hector, then a giant croc pops out of the water and grabs it, dragging it into the lake to be devoured.]] They're all stunned and then Hank eventually notes, "Okay, I admit it. [[CaptainObvious It's a crocodile.]]"
28	* BrainsAndBrawn: Jack and Kelly team up with their respective genders filling the appropriate roles.
29	* BrickJoke: The cow. [[spoiler: It actually lives]].
30	* BrilliantButLazy: 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.
31	* BrotherSisterIncest: Used as an insult. 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.
32	* ButtMonkey: Larry in the second film just can't catch a break (at one point falling asleep on an alligators back) and its mostly used for black humor.
33	* CaughtInASnare: Hank. Hector is reluctant to let him down, seeing Hank's DeathGlare.
34	-->'''Hector''': I would let him down, but he has this odd look of mayhem on his upside-down face.
35	** Brittany is also caught in one during a chase in the fourth movie.
36	* CluelessDeputy: Every now and then. Dale from the second film stands out, being tougher than usual, but not appearing to know about Freedom of Speech (or maybe he just doesn't care) and condescendingly boasting about having tied a secure knot around the crocodiles mouth [[InstantlyProvenWrong right before it breaks loose and eats him]].
37	* ConflictingLoyalty: Kelly struggles to try and mesh her feelings for Jack with merely trapping, not killing, the crocodile.
38	* {{Crossover}}: The fifth film has the series crossover with {{Film/Anaconda}}
39	* CurseOfTheAncients: Mrs. Delores Bickerman, played by Betty White, jumps on this and averts it.
40	* DamselInDistress: Kelly doesn't do anything in the entire film but get put in peril and have to be rescued.
41	* DeadpanSnarker:
42	** '''Everyone'''. Sheriff Hank lampshades this.
43	--->'''Hank''': Everybody's a comedian, sarcastic...
44	** Ironically, Hank himself gets a special mention.
45	--->'''Hank''': ''(after Kelly freaks out about staying in a tent)'' Oh my God -- we forgot to pack feminine napkins!
46	* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to it's predecessors. Lake Placid Legacy seems to have a more serious and slightly dark tone with barely any comedy or campiness in it. And it feels much more intense overall with its setting and atmosphere.
47	* DeathByMocking: That's what they get for thinking Mrs. Delores Bickerman was crazy.
48	* DeepSouth: Although set in Maine, Kelly immediately says that being in the woods anywhere is akin to being in the movie ''Film/{{Deliverance}}''.
49	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Hector's expression ''screams'' this after he dives close to the crocodile to see it closer and then finds it staring at him, while glimpsing how big it is.
50	* DontCallMeSir: Do NOT call Kelly "Ma'am."
51	-->'''Kelly''': If you call me "ma'am" one more time, I will sue you. And with today's laws, it's possible.
52	* DoomedPredecessor: The most recent film has some environmental activists going to investigate alleged pollution at an area couple of friends contacted them about. They find the dead body of one of those friends, and an ApocalypticLog of the other one before the start being attacked.
53	* DroppedABridgeOnHim: On occasion. In the second movie [[spoiler: after being a nice member of the main party, and having witnessed and survived an earlier alligator attack, Frank is just knocked into a tree by a random tail swipe of a crocodile and apparently breaks his neck]] and in the fourth movie [[spoiler: Brittany is decapitated after being CaughtInASnare when the alligator bites up at her, with little fanfare after being a prominent presence throughout the movie and getting some CharacterDevelopment]]. A more awesome, non-human example comes [[spoiler: in the first film, with Hank blowing away the second crocodile with the grenade launcher within seconds of it showing itself and attacking]].
54	* DueToTheDead: In ''3'', Brett places his jacket over [[spoiler:Charlie's]] remains. However, he also doesn't hesitate to SpeakIllOfTheDead, admitting that he hated [[spoiler:Charlie]] and considered him to be a pervert and an idiot (which is a fair description).
55	* DumbBlonde: In ''3,'' Tara is blonde and mixes up elk and deer, thinks that an elk's head is the best part of it to eat, and thinks a zookeeper is the same thing as a zoologist.
56	* EatingTheEyeCandy: Elaine comments on how Brittany's butt looks in a bikini in the fourth movie.
57	* EgomaniacHunter:
58	** One of these serves as a particularly flat [[TheWarOnStraw Strawman]] antagonist in the second movie.
59	** Third one has one too in the form of Reba, but she's a more complex character and can actually back up her ego.
60	* TheEndOrIsIt: [[spoiler:The heroes manage to sedate and capture the huge crocodile hanging out in an American lake, but the end shows that [[MonsterIsAMommy she had babies]]. This is foreshadowed earlier on when a smaller male suddenly jumps up out of nowhere before getting shot.]] Most of the sequels also have similar incidents indicating that there are still alligators out there.
61	* EvilOldFolks:
62	** Mrs. Delores from first movie, she is a cantankerous and argumentative old hag who always looking to insult anyone and has been feeding live cows to the crocodiles and hiding their existence despite knowing they have been eating people
63	** Sadie, who has been covering up some of the crocodiles actions in the second movie, and even tries to feed Scott and Kerri to them.
64	* EvilPoacher: Subverted with Reba from the third film. She's a poacher, but she isn't particularly villainous and [[EnemyMine ultimately teams up with the heroes against the crocs.]] She becomes an EPA agent in the fourth film. Jim Brickerman is a straighter example, and is willing to play with peoples lives as he pursues the crocs.
65	* FairCop: Hector congratulates the female deputy on her great breasts. She thanks him. Sheriff Giove from the fourth movie also counts, despite being old enough to have a teenage daughter.
66	* FinalGirl: Averted in that all of the major characters stay alive through the end. Although, the crocodile tries to get this trope to be true.
67	** In the third movie, [[spoiler: Ellie]] is this to the group of teenagers, and has many of the required character traits for the trope (she does get naked in one scene, but only while changing), although [[spoiler: Nathan and his wife and son]] also survive the movie.
68	* GilliganCut: "I'm not going to Maine. I'm NOT going to Maine!" cut to the plane flying over Maine
69	* GrossUpCloseUp: A flying head gets this treatment.
70	* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: Happens to the first onscreen victim in the first film.
71	* HappilyMarried: In ''3'', Nathan and Suan have an affectionate marriage with a decent amount of communication between them.
72	* TheHero: Jack Wells, the primary POV character and hunter of the crocodile for the first movie, as well as a friend of its victim, and the male half of the romantic couple.
73	* HighTurnoverRate: There's a new sheriff in every movie, and [[spoiler: only one of them even dies]].
74	* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Whenever Kelly is opposite Jack especially but also with Hector Cyr.
75	* HyperCompetentSidekick: In the second film, the EgomaniacHunter's assistant Ahmad is far more capable than him and once kills a crocodile with a machete.
76	* IconicSequelCharacter: ReformedCriminal Reba first appears in the third film, but is one of the most recognizable human characters in the franchise.
77	* JerkassToOne: Brittany is cold and snarky towards Chloe (although not too much) but doesn't seem to have issues with anyone else.
78	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Brittany in fourth film, displays some casual AntiIntellectualism and jealousy towards Chloe (who has a little flirtation with her boyfriend), but does help try to pull one of her teammates to safety when he's being eaten and in the aftermath of the first attack, is solemn and upset without being [[HystericalWoman hysterical]] or TheMillstone, and seems grateful for Elaine asking if she's ok.
79	* JumpScare: Used a couple of times with decent results, but the best one is [[spoiler: the SECOND crocodile.]]
80	* KavorkaMan: Hector, if his relationship with the busty female cop is any indication. She even laughs when he tells her "you have such huge and wonderful boobs" while they're dancing in their tents attempting to draw the crocodile's attention.
81	* LegoGenetics: In ''Lake Placid: Legacy'', it's revealed that the crocodile from this and the original movie were the result of mixing DNA of salt water crocodile and Purussaurus.
82	* TheLoad: Kelly's "involvement" in the story is supposed to be advisement, but she doesn't do anything plot relevant the entire time. It's established early they sent her out there to get rid of her after a messy breakup with a coworker, but all she actually does is end up the DamselInDistress.
83	* LovableAlphaBitch: Lovable might be putting it too strong, but Brittany from the fourth movie starts out as a more generic AlphaBitch before showing some more admirable aspects later on. From her first scene, she is jealous of Chloe (who has some mild chemistry with her boyfriend Drew) from the get go and doesn't hesitate to peck away at her through AccidentalMisnaming and AntiIntellectualism, as well as having sex with Drew to further make up his mind. Once the giant crocodiles attack though, she displays real concern for the others and does try to save someone who's being eaten. Afterwards, she is clearly traumatized by what happened and shows a much softer attitude towards Chloe and her friend Elaine throughout the attempts to escape the creatures, never questioning them or [[TheMillstone endangering the rest of the group]].
84	* MaleGaze: Hank and Jack shamelessly ogle a hot local as she walks off after asking about the first attack, earning a indignant "please" from Kelly.
85	* MisplacedWildlife:
86	** [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]]; the characters openly debate what a giant saltwater crocodile is doing in a lake in Maine. The crocodile expert posits that, miraculously, [[HandWave it swam across two separate oceans]]. Mrs. Bickerman states that it just showed up one day and hasn't left since.
87	** Unless it was the biggest black bear on record, the bear didn't belong in the region either.
88	* MonstrousCannibalism: By the fourth film, it's confirmed that the biggest crocs are eating the smaller ones. Which RealLife crocs do anyway, but in this case it's cited as proof they've run out of other wild prey.
89	* MonsterThreatExpiration: The more the viewer sees of the giant crocodile, the less of a threat it becomes.
90	* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: The lake is plagued by a giant man-eating crocodile so fierce that it eats bears for breakfast. [[spoiler:The twist is that there were ''two'' crocodiles in the lake, a female and a male--and they already mated.]]
91	* NotNowKiddo: In ''3,'' Connor repeatedly tries to confide in his parents that he's been feeding the crocodiles, and he's ignored every time.
92	* ObviousTrap: Averted in that it's set up for the crocodile instead.
93	* OhCrap: The Bear's expression when the croc gets it.
94	-->'''Jake''': You should've seen the look on your face when that croc jumped out the water.\
95	'''Kelly''': Did you see the look on the bear's face? That was the look.
96	* OnceIsNotEnough: The group tries to drug and trap the crocodile... needless to say, the crocodile is huge for a reason.
97	* PetMonstrosity: It turns out that the old lady living on the lake has been keeping the giant crocodile as a pet for years, occasionally feeding it her livestock. And by the end [[spoiler:she's still looking after the baby crocodiles left behind after mama croc has been captured.]]
98	* PlotTwist: [[spoiler: It turns out there are ''two'' giant crocodiles in Lake Placid. The film brilliantly doesn't tip its hand until the first croc accidentally wedges itself inside their helicopter, meaning it can now be safely sedated and taken elsewhere. Just when they're about to celebrate, the second croc appears and grabs Hector's ankle, dragging him, but luckily, they tug him loose and Hank blows its head off when it tries to attack them again. And it bears mentioning that Hank gets one of the most awesome lines in the film after killing the second croc: "There. Back to one!"]]
99	* ProperlyParanoid: In an example which has nothing to do with the crocodiles, Brett follows Ellie to the lake in the third movie due to being convinced that one of the boys she left with is perving after her, and he's shown to be right.
100	* TheReveal: Mr. Bickerman, the husband of Mrs. Bickerman of the original ''Lake Placid'' was the veterinarian of the hybrid crocs. When the organization he was working for ordered the eradication of the crocodiles, he secretly rebelled and save the crocs and took one to his home on Lake Placid, Maine kickstarting the first movie.
101	* SarcasticTitle: The lake isn't actually peaceful, it's being terrorized by [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile giant, invasive crocodiles]].
102	* SafeDrivingAesop: In the fourth film, the swim team only ends up at Lake Placid (instead of a crocodile-free neighboring lake) after their bus driver misses a road sign due to looking at porn on his cellphone. Later in the movie, Drew and Brittany making out while driving a jet ski keeps them from noticing Joey (another jet-skier who'd wiped out) being attacked by baby crocodiles (although to be fair they might have been too far away to notice anyway).
103	* ScreamingWoman: Both Kelly and the Sheriff's female deputy do this.
104	* SceneryPorn: The lakeside, forest, and nearby meadows are captured pretty gorgeously at the beginning of ''3.''
105	* SexualKarma: Sheriff Giove and Ryan Loflin are seen having a nice moment in ''Lake Placid: The Finale Chapter'', then going off together and waking up in bed the next morning, sated and happy. This is contrasted with Brittany leading Drew to have sex, partially to keep him from pursuing Chloe instead of her, although interestingly, that scene receives the same, [[IdealizedSex tender musical accompaniment as the two adults get]], and both of them seem to have a good time, arguably providing a subtle indication that Brittany and Drew [[SexIsGood aren't meant to be demonized for it]].
106	* TheSheriff: Hank Keough in the first film. James Riley, Tony Willinger, and Theresa Giove fill the role in the sequels.
107	* ShorterMeansSmarter: Kelly is shorter than everybody else while Hector is shorter than Jack and Sheriff Hank Keough.
108	* SlapSlapKiss: Jack and Kelly spend the entire film arguing tooth and nail about how to catch the crocodile, but it's revealed about halfway through that plenty of said argument comes from them being attracted to each other.
109	* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Our four main characters--Hank, Hector, Jack, and Kelly--to each other.
110	* StockNessMonster: The big crocodile, which might be an Asian one that swam across an ocean to inhabit the lake.
111	* SuperPersistentPredator: The big crocodile, although it's attempted to be somewhat justified since it's either hungry or protecting its territory.
112	* TagalongReporter: Cal Miner ''wants'' to be one in the second movie, but Sheriff Riley and his deputies just ignore him and he gets eaten while hanging around a dock trying to cover the approach of a crocodile on his own.
113	* TeamSpirit: The group joins together with the Florida Fish and Game to try and take the crocodile down.
114	* TooDumbToLive: Aaron in ''Lake Placid 3''. Had he choose to follow Ellie to the gunshot noises, he along with Brett would've survived the film but nope. He decided to be an ass and talk about Brett's infidelity and takes the wrong path before becoming croc chow.
115	* TranquilFury: Hank, after getting caught in Hector's trap. Hector even lampshades it:
116	-->'''Hector''': I would let him down, but he has this odd look of mayhem on his upside-down face.
117	* TroubledFetalPosition: In the fourth movie, after they get away from the scene of a gruesome crocodile attack, Elaine finds Brittany sitting down, knees to her chest, and with her arms wrapped around her legs as she looks out across the water.
118	* TwoTimingWithTheBestie: In the first film, Kevin breaks up with his employee Kelly. Heartbroken by this, she goes to friend and co-worker Myra for support, who was actually with Kevin behind her back. This starts off the plot of the film as Myra suggests that Kelly goes to investigate a monster attack in Maine, where Kelly finds herself happier without their presence.
119	* VitriolicBestBuds: After hating each other for most of the film, Hector and Hank seem to become buddies after finally capturing the crocodile.
120	* VolleyingInsults: Occurs between Jack and Kelly, as well as Hector and Hank.
121	* TheWorfEffect: See AlwaysABiggerFish above. [[spoiler: In short, the bear serves as this trope. It suddenly appears and is about to munch our main leads, then the crocodile pops out and snatches the bear off the shore into the lake to eat it.]]
122	* WrestlerOfBeasts: In ''Lake Placid 2'', Jack Struthers tells of how he was tracking a lion that was terrorizing a small village. He finally found it at night when he saw Ahmad trying to fight the lion with his bare hands after it had killed his mother. This story is actually the first clue that Ahmad is the better hunter between himself and Struthers as Ahmad would later reveal that it took Struthers four shots at point-black range -- two of which went into Ahmad -- before Struthers took it down.
123	* YouLookLikeYouveSeenAGhost: When Hector comes face to face with the crocodile in the water.

Context Film / LakePlacid