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Alligator

Alligator

1980
Comedy, Sci-fi
1h 31m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 39.16% from 356 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(355)
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Rated 04 Jul 2022
78
40th
Yet another Jaws ripoff, but Robert Forster elevates the movie to adequacy all by himself. Features the OG Red Wedding.
Rated 15 Oct 2019
70
53rd
Jaws had everyone afraid of going to the beach, Alligator has me afraid of catty remarks to a receding hairline. The attacks on Forster’s hair is as relentless as the gator rampages.
Rated 11 Sep 2013
73
65th
the campiest camp that ever was camp
Rated 27 Jan 2018
66
58th
Compared to just how poor some "giant animal" movies can be, this is passable enough for some cheap and cheesy monster movie fun. Most of the entertainment comes from the alligator itself. When its not having a little fun wrecking mayhem at a wedding or on a big-game-hunter and some Chicago "natives", it's busy being an adorable little tramp stomping around on miniature sets. Fans of killer alligator movies can do far worse elsewhere.
Rated 09 Dec 2009
71
50th
Pity the poor orphaned gator unceremoniously flushed down the toilet when it was no longer baby-cute. But every alligator will have his day. Sayles's witty, scary script is a model for fright-night specials; and the film is rare among horror films in that it develops a central romance with depth, intelligence, and humor.
Rated 01 May 2012
18
9th
The standard Big Creature Eats People fare, livened up by the terrible wardrobe choices of the main character and a whole bunch of people being eaten during a wedding. Take that, marriage!
Rated 26 Sep 2012
60
40th
Campy and stupid flick about a giant killer alligator in the Chicago sewer system. Everything about this is pretty bad except the creature effects, but it still manages to be pretty entertaining with its unintentional humor. It's kinda funny how Robert Forster's receding hairline ends up becoming a running joke in the movie. Henry Silva's cameo as a big game hunter is also worth a few yuks.
Rated 30 Mar 2007
80
68th
Fun movie scripted by John Sayles. The usual strong performance from Robert Forster helps a lot
Rated 09 May 2012
5
39th
Enjoyable B-movie with the usual "big animal kills folk and takes far too long getting caught even after everyone knows it exists" plot. Highlights include a bizarre sort of subplot involving the scientist originally owning the beast and a lead character that seems to sweat dirt.
Rated 22 Aug 2015
6
35th
Seriously underrated and a far superior writing effort from John Sayles after the similarly formatted Piranha. It's far from being a great film - or a commendable one at that - but the combination of tongue-in-cheek humour and careful build-up makes for an oddly suspenseful and frothy ride. This film also brought back fond memories of playing with my alligator bath toy; aaaaaaand I might've said too much.
Rated 10 Jan 2022
60
38th
Forster gives one of the great lead performances of junk cinema and a killer sewer gator's never looked grater. I mean, gator. I mean, greater? Henry Silva appears as himself.
Rated 30 Nov 2022
85
75th
This is the kind of rare movie that proves that predictable formula doesn't necessarily make something bad. I could see everything coming but goddamn this is an extremely well made B-movie. It delivers everything you want: an attack in the first scene & then quickly gets to the origin. Writer Sayles actually puts some thought into explaining how this alligator exists. Jerks get their comeuppance no matter how contrived & most impressive: the alligator efx look surprisingly good.
Rated 19 Feb 2007
35
13th
Fairly amusing farce.
Rated 04 Jun 2007
49
28th
Better than most "oversized animal" films, but really not all that good. This is despite a script by the great screenwriter John Sayles.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
30
19th
Sure why not.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
30
2nd
One of those movies that they used to show on "Monster Week" on UHF back in the 80's. Thoroughly forgettable.
Rated 17 Sep 2007
65
49th
pretty good for what it is
Rated 14 Dec 2008
80
61st
it's got a giant alligator, who doesn't love giant alligators?
Rated 02 Mar 2009
71
73rd
Witty monster movie send-up. Lots of goofy dialogue and situations (like a vendor selling alligator memorabilia after one of the gator attacks) are well played off some real scares, and there's a terrific cast with Silva an especial hoot as a Great White Hunter hired to dispose of the pesky critter.
Rated 23 Mar 2009
75
54th
Forster supplies the low-key heroics, and Silva (as a Great White Hunter stalking urban sewers!) the sardonic comic relief in a generally fun -- if occasionally self-conscious -- fright film.
Rated 09 Jun 2009
58
30th
So-so gator-in-a-sewer movie. Nothing too terribly original about it, but the gator looks surprisingly good, and there are more than a few creepy shots in a sewer.
Rated 04 Sep 2009
71
60th
Mediocre special effects are only a distraction in this witty eco-monster take.
Rated 17 Oct 2010
20
41st
"Lewis Teague is only too willing to hand over the entire project to Sayles's hunger for allegorical subplots." - Eric Henderson
Rated 13 Dec 2011
72
33rd
This movie definitely falls under the guilty pleasure category. The story is silly and the special effects come across as very low budget. However the movie is enjoyable and Robert Forster is good in the lead role. If you are in the mood for a fun B movie then you should watch Alligator.
Rated 30 Apr 2012
15
18th
Bad acting, especially that police man with the awful voice, stupid story, funny wedding scene. At least they used a real alligator at times and the baby alligator are ridiculously cute
Rated 12 Aug 2012
60
13th
Over the top monster film made bearable by excellent Robert Forster and a memorable cameo from Henry Silva.
Rated 26 Sep 2012
35
25th
The pool scene is incredibly tense.
Rated 08 Mar 2015
40
35th
John Sayles is an oft-overrated film-doing-person, especially by leftists apparently impressed that someone to the Left of Jimmy Carter was let near a film-set. But I like this better than 'Matewan'. And not in an ironic way; I actually think it is better. Probably the highlight of Lewis Teague's career too, but no-one is going to kick about that description.
Rated 01 Nov 2015
75
29th
I might be overrating it because the police chief reminds me of a politician I know, which upped my enjoyment a lot.
Rated 22 Oct 2016
70
53rd
This was much more entertaining than 95% of all Marvel films. Ps. more Henry Silva, please!
Rated 29 Oct 2016
65
17th
It's a decent enough monster movie, but not very engaging or original for the most part.
Rated 30 Sep 2017
82
95th
This movie was a shit ton of fun. All the characters are likable, the effects were pretty cool and the wedding rampage was awesome.
Rated 24 Nov 2018
70
30th
Neither funny nor horrific enough to really hold me. Not as amusing a Jaws parody as Piranha, and I'd take Tobe Hooper's Eaten Alive for killer 'gator movies over this.
Rated 20 Apr 2020
80
36th
Plenty of fun, gory and campy. I'm a sucker for a good monster flick.
Rated 15 Nov 2020
70
45th
Alligator: O Jacaré Gigante estreava há 40 anos nos EUA. Não é tão satírico quanto nos querem fazer crer, mas tem seus momentos, plus Robert Forster. BlurayRip RARBG.
Rated 31 Oct 2021
34
12th
Why is there a human love story here?
Rated 08 Jun 2022
75
65th
The score is most of what betrays this as a B-movie, because it really is just budget Yamaha Jaws; but the script is pretty good, with decent characterisation and a genuine attempt to give a legitimate excuse for there to, not only be an alligator hiding in the sewer, but a giant one. The editing is super tight, wasting no time in moving from beat to beat, and the practical effects are well done - I wasn't sure sometimes whether I was looking at an animatronic or a real gator.
Rated 19 Oct 2022
65
45th
The alligator itself looks really cool, but everything else just feels like a basic 80's movie sandwich with all the ingredients. A middle-aged cop who gets it on with a twenty-something scientist, a bunch of really dumb side characters, government corruption, scientific experiments, and so on. It's honestly a bit boring, because every beat is something that even in 1980 had been done before. But again, the alligator looks cool.
Rated 06 Feb 2023
86
23rd
Finally saw this one. Considered a cult classic. It's a pretty good creature feature, with some better than expected special effects.
Rated 18 Sep 2023
55
25th
Ey where's all the deep dish ova hear.
Rated 05 Feb 2024
35
30th
Amazingly boring for a movie with a giant alligator. Meh.

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