Alligator

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Alligator

R

Released Jul 2, 1980

1h 34m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

30 Reviews

49%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

A herpetologist (Robin Riker) helps a detective (Robert Forster) track her flushed-away pet, now a king-size mutant called Ramone.

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

Earthy, bizarre and full-blooded, Lewis Teague’s B-movie brings its A-game and is no crock.

Jan 10, 2024

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

Enjoyable, but this croc-fest is no Lake Placid.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 9, 2019

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Variety Staff

Variety

Dumb as it is, director Lewis Teague brings some plusses to the pic. Robert Forster, as a detective, and Riker are amiable leads, never taking the film too seriously. Tech credits are cheap but serviceable.

Mar 26, 2009

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Alan Jones

Radio Times

Cujo director Lewis Teague brings subtle irony to the carnage and infuses the whole radical re-packaging of mutant monster clichés with an immensely likeable sense of insolent fun.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 31, 2024

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…let’s raise a glass to Alligator, one of the most sublime B-pictures ever made; wit and wisdom make for great films, and this adorable monster movie has all the bite you could hope for…

Rated: 5/5

Feb 12, 2024

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Chris Jackson

Starburst

Alligator is absolute rollercoaster of a movie, full of humour, action, explosions, snappy (no pun intended) dialogue, well-observed characters, many cast members with extremely pleasing faces, and one of the most enjoyably chaotic weddings...

Jan 26, 2024

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Dean W

Great independent movie. A creature feature that has all the tropes that Jaws and Grizzly have. A fun movie with some interesting and imaginative kills. Underrated and slammed by top critics but a must for people who like this sort of thing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/19/24

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Zachary H

Not bad. I liked the design of the alligator. The plot was decent. The kills could have been a bit more realistic.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/04/24

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John F

Gritty low-budget movie about a giant killer gator in the sewers of Chicago, kind of a part slasher, part creature-feature kind of flick. Good chemistry between Forster and Riker helps to cancel out the less-than-outstanding script. Always nice to see corrupt politicians and their wealthy donors get their due.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/25/24

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Johnathon W

Fun creature feature that doesn't take it self too seriously, from the cast to direction. The actors are solid, especially Robert Forester as the lead, nicely underplaying his character and showing plenty of vulnerability, such as dealing with baldness. Behind the camera, director Lewis Teague directs a fun movie that slightly pokes fun at the genre while playing as a straight creature feature. The plot is predictable but fun while the effects make for a fun watch. Not a true classic but a great B-movie to watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/22/24

Full Review

NiB Y

If you liked Jaws (who doenst like Jaws?), i'd recommend this movie, the pacing is quite inconsistent and it drags itself for too long, could have easily been 20 minutes shorter, but all of the scenes with the Alligator make it up for it; Plus i was quite surprised that they actually managed to make the sewer sections scary or at the very least agonizing to watch (I mean that in a good way), if they took out the soundtrack during this scenes, it would be perfect

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/24

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Andrew K

Started this movie as an actual joke, ended up enjoying it significantly more than I thought.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/23/23

Full Review

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Lewis Teague

Director

Robert Forster

David

Robin Riker

Marisa

Michael V. Gazzo

Chief Clark

Perry Lang

Kelly

Jack Carter

Mayor

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Synopsis

A herpetologist (Robin Riker) helps a detective (Robert Forster) track her flushed-away pet, now a king-size mutant called Ramone.

Director: Lewis Teague
Producer: Brandon Chase, Mark L. Rosen
Screenwriter: John Sayles
Production Co: Alligator
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 2, 1980, Original
Release Date (DVD): Sep 18, 2007
Runtime: 1h 34m

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