Rock Around The Croc

Based on a true story, vacation-minded folks boating around Australia’s croc-infested mangrove swamps barely get their hooks in the water when the boat is hit and overturned. The guide is the first to “be taken.” The others manage to get up a tree, which if you know Australian crocodiles, isn’t up high enough. (Think eight-foot hoop and a six-foot basketball player.)

Playing out like Open Water (2003), a man and the two ladies are trapped miles from nowhere, and their boat — about 20 feet away — is upside down and their only hope of getting out of the tangle of trees. Sucks to be them.

Inevitable loss of blood drips into the swamp water. To a crocodile that’s like throwing the bakery doors open. Speaking of, the reptile is not digital (thank you), and behaves like any other animal in the wild would when presented with taste-test opportunities.

All the scenes are really intense whenever someone gets in the water because you know the croc is in the vicinity, but you only see a few bubbles coming to the surface (maybe he ate a human bean burrito earlier).

Black Water (2007) is a nicely realistic flick, although I really wish they would’ve named the ravaging reptile something along the lines of Sir Bites Alot or Carl “Deathroll” Chewingham. But if it wants to remain nameless, that’s okay by me.