Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (2012 TV Movie) User Reviews

Lame Effects, Funny Story

[claudio_carvalho · 4/10 · 14 February 2016]

The Black Lake is isolated from the local inhabitants by an electric barrier built by the Army engineers. The engineer Ryan Loflin (Paul Nicholls) and his son Max (Benedict Smith) are working in the protection barrier and Sheriff Theresa Giove (Elisabeth Röhm) is trying to exterminate the crocodiles from the lake working with the former poacher Reba (Yancy Butler). When the sheriff's daughter Chloe (Poppy Lee Friar) accepts the invitation of her schoolmates to go to a camping party by the lake, the reckless driver does not pay attention on the road, crosses the gate and mistakenly stops by the Black Lake. Meanwhile a group of poachers led by the hunter Jim Bickerman (Robert Englund) also trespass the gate to hunt crocodiles and seek worthy crocodile eggs. Soon they are attacked by giant crocodiles.

"Lake Placid: The Final Chapter" is a TV Movie with lame effects and a very funny story. Yancy Butler is awful in the role of the non- charismatic Reba. The cast has names such as Robert Englund) and Elisabeth Röhm. Despite the reference to the final chapter, the conclusion seems to indicate a possible sequel of the franchise.My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Pânico no Lago: O Capítulo Final" ("Panic in the Lake: The Final Chapter")

Crocodile Tears for the "Final" Chapter

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 1 July 2014]

Miraculously surviving from the previous "Lack Placid 3" (2010) movie, salty and snarling Yancy Butler (as Reba) kills the offending crocodile. After the credits, Ms. Butler's marksmanship has landed her a job assisting beautiful blue-eyed Elisabeth Rohm (as Theresa Giove), the new Lake Placid sheriff. The killer crocodiles are still around, but have grown bigger and more blood-thirsty than ever. Authorities have enclosed them in a fenced area, hoping to starve them to extinction. They've survived by eating each other, but still prefer humans. Butler thinks handsome fencer Paul Nicholls (as Ryan Loflin) has a "nice ass." We never receive positive confirmation of this from director Don Michael Paul, but female buttocks are very nicely represented...

Butler takes a back seat, as we focus on two co-starring couples. First up, an attraction develops between Ms. Rohm and Mr. Nicholls. Then, their grown-up children also become attracted to each other. Her daughter is pretty Poppy Lee Friar (as Chloe) and his son is cute Benedict Smith (as Max). The four are individually well-cast, but there is a problem with Nicholls and son Smith. Whenever they share the screen, they send off a strong gay vibe. This is mostly due to the two actors appearing too close in age to be playing father and son. They also look nothing like a father and son – in fact, in all their scenes together, they look like a couple. Nothing wrong with this, of course, but it seems slightly off-kilter...

Possible subtext aide, writer David Reed and the Syfy TV movie team make this sequel a little better than the last two. The story has better development and the characters are generally appealing. Continuity is provided in a nice scene with Ms. Friar's swim team (aka crocodile bait). As a bonus, "Nightmare on Elm Street" star Robert Englund shows up as another nutty member of the "Bickerman" family. None of these improvements are earth-shattering, however, and they don't make "Lake Placid: The Final Chapter" much more than mindless trash. The special effects are worse, if that's possible. The cheap-looking monster crocodiles are unimpressive. You get blood and gore, but no suspense. Finally, this doesn't seem like "The Final Chapter"...

**** Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (9/29/12) Don Michael Paul ~ Elisabeth Rohm, Paul Nicholls, Yancy Butler, Benedict Smith

Disappointing conclusion to the series

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 14 December 2017]

LAKE PLACID: THE FINAL CHAPTER is another silly and sloppy monster flick made by the SyFy Channel. It's the fourth in the series and the last to date, I think; at least I hope so, because the quality has significantly dropped over the instalments (although I never did like the original's jokey tone to begin with). An aged Yancy Butler returns from part three as a tough-talking warden hunting for killer alligators, and various B-characters get involved in the plot which mainly consists of them running around and getting chomped one by one. The story is a mix of bits and pieces from here and there, with references to JURASSIC PARK 3 at one point. The CGI, in terms of both monsters and gore, is very poor indeed, on the level of a '90s computer game. The only enjoyment I got out of this were the presence of actors Robert Englund (reliably grouchy) and Paul Nicholls, a British actor formerly of EASTENDERS, fairly convincing as an all-American hero.

Yancy Butler Brings it Alive once more!

[jnor · 29 September 2012]

At the end of the third film we are left to assume the feisty "cougar" Reba is dead- This is not the case. The fourth film opens with her having survived the attack and now working with the local authorities to contain the vicious reptiles. Enter the new sheriff of the city, her daughter and a ruthless, out for himself poacher played by Robert Englund of Freddy Krueger fame.

This film is better than the standard SyFy fare, and as for the franchise better than parts 2 and 3. Yancy Butler is once again an entertaining and ass kicking force. If you suffered through the last 2 sequels then give this one a chance because as far as entertainment value goes it's way beyond the previous offerings (except of course the first.)

Horrible

[michaelgoff116 · 1/10 · 15 January 2015]

Terrible acting, terrible graphics, terrible storyline. They should have stopped after the first movie, but this one is by far the worst. What a waste. You can predict everything that is going to happen and when it will happen. This has to be the worst movie I have ever watched. I wanted to turn it off after the first ten minutes but I was holding out hope that it would get better. Spoiler alert: A lot of people die and there is a lot of fake blood. The "protagonists" live and the "antagonists" die. If you really have nothing better to do for 90 minutes and want to think that this movie will be good, then go ahead, watch it. But that's 90 minutes of your life that you will never get back.

Worst CGI in a loooong time

[greg-29535 · 1/10 · 18 September 2021]

Gues the whole budget went to Robert Englund and Lisa Rinna, leaving $0 for CGI. Oh, or a real writer or director...

Really bad movie

[blknotkpr · 1/10 · 28 February 2015]

This movie is so badly done it should be listed in the top 10 B movie Hall of Fame. Everything from people not handling firearms or shooting them like they really work, to things like we are in a boat on the lake and now back on shore right where we took off from time arrangement screw ups left and right. Its really REALLY bad. I also like how they are in dire threat of getting eaten by the gators, yet from time to time just stop and decide to stand around and have a discussion. The harpoon boat scene is really funny also. You see a lot of boats readily available with a harpoon gun mounted to them. I guess when they shot the gator with it they pulled it like a water skier since they are going like 35 mph. It also looks like the director would have hired a firearms trainer to at least show Yancy Butler how to hold a gun and operate one like it was really firing. You also see Rohm shooting and there is amazingly no recoil, dang, I want one of those please!

So bad its good

[fsuelwood · 5/10 · 17 September 2021]

Stumbled upon this cinematic gem this morning by chance and was I pleasantly surprised. The effects were absolutely horrible when it came to the crocs but in a good way. I imagine this would have aired on SCIFI aside from the profanity and brief nudity. Overall I would recommend if you got some time to kill or find your insomnia acting up.

Yancy Bulter is more scary than the crocodiles!

[rbrb · 4/10 · 17 December 2013]

This movie is so bad it becomes comical, hence why I can give it a vote well above the lowest possible. Also there are some half decent special effects. The story is nonsense about zombie crocodiles attacking people especially a group of students who have gone to the wrong beach. The acting is atrociously bad. Whoever directed or edited this film seem to have the continuity all over the place as at one time a rescue team is in a park then suddenly on a motor boat. The scariest thing about the film is the actress Yancy Butler, and almost all the players in this film are laughable and the longer this movie goes on the more I was cheering for the crocodiles.

4/10.

Really Elisabeth?

[teebear817 · 1/10 · 24 April 2021]

Elisabeth Rohm should be ashamed. Didnt she save any money from Law and Order?

Same like old movies.

[aastikhimta · 2/10 · 29 August 2020]

There's nothing new in this movie. Same plot and same stupid fake croc!

It's been a while, crocodile.

[dabooterang11 · 9/10 · 1 September 2014]

This film in my opinion has been one of the better films that I've witnessed in a while.

The plot was excellent and compelling as we follow the protagonist who is... er, well that's not exactly clear but we follow people and it's cool.

I really enjoyed the CGI effects and thought that they were top notch, Star Wars Episode VII has a lot to contend with when it's finally released. The crocodiles looked so real that I genuinely was scared that they would appear out of the television screen into my living room!

The 2 romance plots were really great as well and I felt like they were truly believable, I ended up almost shedding a tear towards the end because the young woman Chloe gave the gentleman the best gift a man can ask for (I won't spoil this).

I'd say that it's one of the best films released not just during the 2010's but also of all time. It's plot is extremely intricate and deep and the CGI effects are astonishing.

In my view this is a much watch I'd give it a solid 9/10 I only avoid giving it 10/10 because the eyebrows of one of the actresses freaked me out.

The best of the Lake Placid movies since the first

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 21 October 2012]

I highly enjoyed the first film, it was a lot of fun and I loved Betty White in it. I on the other hand hated the second film and while the third film was a step up I didn't think much of that either. Lake Placid: The Final Chapter is not as good as the first, but considering as I was prepared to hate it it was the best of the three movies following. The film by all means is not perfect, the film does start off rather slow with no signs of the crocodiles until about 35 minutes in. And while we are waiting we do have some sluggish pacing and two romances that in all honesty I was left indifferent to. Some of the effects on the crocodiles at times do look less than brilliant as well, but I have seen much worse. Problems aside, Lake Placid: The Final Chapter is actually one of SyFy's more tolerable movies of late. The crocodiles are actually quite menacing, and their attacks are very gory and nail-biting with lots of chopped off heads, ripped out limbs and tearing people to pieces. Not for the squeamish, but those who are looking for this as part of the entertainment will not be disappointed. The film does look decent too, with atmospheric scenery and the editing is already an improvement over most SyFy movies in terms of quality. The score is intense, and the script is surprisingly fun, the one-liners are witty and the exchanges are humorous. I also liked that some scenes were hilarious, the scene where a crocodile is beaten to death with a gun is very silly but not to the point that you are left frustrated. The story is more than decent too, it doesn't feel like a rehash, after the 35 minute mark it never gets dull, and while predictable in places it makes up for it in spirit and suspenseful atmosphere. The characters are clichéd in a way, the Sheriff character is one that I have seen one too many times, but actually are much more likable than the usual SyFy character. This is helped by the better-than-average acting, especially from Robert Englund and Yancy Butler. So overall, not a great movie but when it comes to SyFy Lake Placid: The Final Chapter even with its foibles is one of their better overall movies. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Good - If you are 10 years of age

[gregsrants · 2/10 · 11 March 2013]

It has long been my assertion that Betty White owes a lot to Lake Placid. When the horror film about a large crocodile terrorizing a small town was released in 1999, Betty White was far removed from her Golden Girls run and was bouncing around in various forgettable mid-season television pick-ups that went nowhere (anyone remember Maybe This Time? ). But then she took a role as the croc loving Delores Bickerman in the 1999's Lake Placid alongside Oliver Platt and Bridget Fonda and we were reminded just how fun, energetic and in-on-the-joke the aging actress could be.

That was 14 years ago, and more unimportantly, three sequels ago as the fourth installment, Lake Placid: The Final Chapter was thrown out to DVD waters in 2013. Brought to us by the always high-standard revering Syfy Channel, Lake Placid: The Final Chapter was a TV Movie starring Yancy Butler (reprising her role from Lake Placid 3), Elisabeth Röhm, Poppy Lee Friar and Nightmare on Elm Street's Robert Englund in the continuing struggles of the Lake Placid area in keeping the crocodile deaths to a minimum.

The plot for this latest endeavor is about as smart as a dung beetle. Picking up exactly -where the classic-should-have-been-nominated Lake Placid 3 left off, The Final Chapter has poacher Jim Bickerman (Englund) in rustler heaven when he arrives at the local lake that is seemingly populated by man-eating crocodiles.

Complicating the dung beetles plot are a female sheriff (Röhm) and her wide-eyed daughter (Friar) who both find themselves in harm's way as the large aquatic tetrapods munch their CGI way through a body count that would have Jason Voorhees nod in appreciation.

The Syfy Channel and their made-for-television films have a tendency to be McDonald's type meals. Quick and easy. And Lake Placid: The Final Chapter is both. It is barely 80 minutes long and it doesn't push any envelopes on its way to PG-13 glory.

The kills are unimaginative and created with such bad CGI that your head might turn away from the screen not for the brutality, but for the saving grace of not having to watch ridiculously fake CGI blood splash so foolishly around edited body parts.

It's hard to say that The Final Chapter is the worst Lake Placid of the series. But it is also hard to imagine that the idea has spawned three sequels. Lake Placid 4 is just as bad as Lake Placid 3 which was just barely worse that Lake Placid 2.

If you have children on the cusp of appreciating more graphic and engrossing horror fare, Lake Placid: The Final Chapter might be a worthy babysitter that is not likely to do much damage to your child's sleep time. But for adults, this was a waste of 80 minutes where you wish the bullets fired on screen towards the crocodile's would be used against the producers who might suggest 'A New Chapter'.

www.killerreviews.com

The Only "Lake Placid" Sequel Worth Watching

[vip-danii · 18 October 2016]

It is, by no means, a movie I would refer to as "great", but, compared to the other "Lake Placid" sequels, this is, indeed, a significant improvement.

I liked the original with Jane Fonda; that's why I kept watching the sequels, but, up until now, the sequels have been simply horrendous. Perhaps, that's the reason why I actually liked this one; it was a significant upgrade from the previous sequels.

Yancy Butler was, of course, the highlight of the movie. I don't think it would've been worth watching without her.

I thought the main downside was the fact that the movie lacked the subtlety of the original. This one was clearly going for more action and more gore. And that was a mistake if you ask me.

Also, I'm not sure why they called it "The Final Chapter" as the ending suggests a potential sequel.

To summarize: A below-average movie if viewed by itself. If, however, you watch it having seen other "Lake Placid" sequels, you will be pleased to find that this is basically the only sequel that's watchable.

About what I expected. Bad effects & worse acting. The series really needs Betty White again. I say C-

[cosmo_tiger · 4/10 · 10 February 2013]

"You again, do you really want to do this?" Chloe (Friar) has finally decided to relax and go on a trip to a lake with her friends. When they get there they are all having fun until they see one of their friends eaten by a croc. When they find out they are at the wrong lake things go from bad to worse, then they meet Jim Bickerman (Englund). Another sequel, another croc, bad effects and worse acting. I will admit that my expectations were very low because after really when you start a series with Betty White there is no where to go but down. Also this is a SCY/FY channel movie and we all know how good those are. If you have seen the others then you might as well see this one, if you haven't stick with the first one. Overall, about what I expected, no better no worse. I give it a C-.

Nah

[BandSAboutMovies · 2/10 · 2 July 2022]

David E. Kelly, which wrote the original Lake Placid, gave this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars and said, "Is this the last one really? The ending doesn't make me think so. I am glad to see Robert Englund in this and some of the cast from the previous movie! The effects are still lame as second and third, but the story is good."

David Reed was back as the writer and sequel king Don Michael Paul (Kindergarten Cop 2, Jarhead 2: Field of Fire, Sniper: Legacy, Tremors 5: Bloodlines, Sniper: Ghost Shooter, Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell, Death Race: Beyond Anarchy, The Scorpion King: Book of Souls, Jarhead: Law of Return, Bulletproof 2 and Tremors: Shrieker Island) was new to the series, making what was claimed to be the last film in the series. Come on, people.

After the events of Lake Placid 3, Reba (Yancy Butler) is still alive and she starts this off by killing the last remaining crocodile in the supermarket. Now an EPA agent, she returns to Black Lake a year later to work with sheriff Theresa Giove (Elisabeth Röhm). And in every Lake Placid there must be a Bickerman and this time it's Jimmy, played by Robert Englund.

Butler is pretty great in this, the crocodile is somehow twenty feet long and a whole bus full of kids gets menaced.

There's an opportunity to make the Lake Placid movies high trash, yet no one ever seems to go for it. You know there will be more, so that's my challenge to croc creatives: go wild.

The fourth part in the Lake Placid series

[Wuchakk · 5/10 · 26 June 2017]

The crocagator-infested Black Lake, Maine, has been fenced-off with a huge electric fence. Things go awry when a bus containing the Marshfield High swim team accidentally goes to Black Lake instead of nearby Clear Lake. Elisabeth Röhm plays the sheriff; Poppy Lee Friar her daughter, the heroine-by-accident; and Yancy Butler the sassy & droll game warden. Paul Nicholls plays the sheriff's beau and Benedict Smith his son, the latter having a thing for the heroine. Robert Englund is also on hand as a greedy poacher.

"Lake Placid: The Final Chapter" (2012) is the fourth movie in the Lake Placid series and it's about on par with the original 1999 flick, as far as story goes, but it lacks that one's production values. The film features an interesting group of females in the cast, but they're sub-par compared to the previous two installments, although Röhm (the sheriff) and Scarlett Byrne (Brittany) are worthy.

As the third sequel hindered by a TV budget it's a throwaway horror flick, but it's generally entertaining for what it is, part serious, part amusing and part campy. It surprisingly even tries to throw in a couple of reverent, moving moments.

The film runs 86 minutes and was shot in the sticks outside Sofia, Bulgaria.

GRADE: C.

is that crocodile jurassic park?

[abortamir · 1/10 · 23 April 2021]

The story is so lame and so does the cgi. I can bare to watch it all just for a few laugh lol.

A Half-Step Above "So Bad, It's Good" Territory

[BritneyPWrites · 5/10 · 1 May 2020]

Honestly one of the better ones.

I only stopped by and stayed for Robert Englund and, thanks to his cheeky, Quint-esque character, found myself snickering throughout.

Lake Placid: "The Final Chapter" (lol, when is any film labeled "The Final Chapter" actually the final film in the franchise?) is pretty good for what it is and a decent SyFy movie to have on in the background while you complete menial tasks. The last few minutes are especially fun. If you're a sci-fi/horror fan, I say dive in.

5.5/10.

It's not good

[Milk_Tray_Guy · 4/10 · 4 September 2022]

TV movie, originally shown on Syfy, and the fourth (although not actually final) entry in the Lake Placid series. We get Yancy Butler reprising her role from the previous movie (a seriously retconned death! 😂), Elisabeth Rohm (late of Law & Order), a couple of British ex-soap 'stars' - plus a handful of British and Bulgarian (where it was filmed) models, whose main purpose seems to be losing their bikini tops. Oh, there's Robert Englund.

Very low budget, poor CGI, with a story that does little more than simply string together some croc attacks and bloody deaths. Yancy Butler (good to see her again) is actually pretty badass, and the best thing in it, and Robert England always makes a good 'despicable excuse for a human being'. Otherwise, the performances are pretty poor. Okay for background watching, but not worth making a point of seeing. 4/10.

These huge crocodiles can keep to themselves.

[michaelRokeefe · 4/10 · 9 May 2017]

Lake Placid just seems to have a reputation to live up to. By now the crocodiles are kept to themselves in a nature preserve. These crocs are not just big...they are huge. (Bad CGI or what). Just lounging and getting fat. Fun loving Reba (Yancey Butler) is still around and this time is a game warden. Poacher Jim Bickerman (Robert Englund) is somehow still around Black Lake. Nuttier than ever and a bit disabled, all because of the love of crocodiles.

An electric fence guarding the crocs is accidentally left open and an area high school field trip bus unknowingly enters the sanctuary. Those huge crocodiles are in the mood to taste something different. Now it will be Reba teaming with the new sheriff in town, Sheriff Glove (Elisabeth Rohm), to protect students and the Lake Placid area population from being devoured by the biggest crocodiles ever.

There is nothing scary about this flick. It is a fun watch, maybe because the crocodiles seem so cartoon-like. There is even moments you have goodwill toward Bickerman. There is some violence of course along with raw language and scenes of nudity/sexuality to earn an R rating.

Also in the cast: Paul Nichols, Poppy Lee Friar, Benedict Smith, Sewell Whitney, Scarlette Byrne, Caroline Ford and Kitodar Todorov.

Absolutely fantastic Sci-Fi Channel entry

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 9/10 · 1 October 2012]

Having discovered the existence of the crocodiles living in the local lake, a former hunter joins forces with the town's sheriff to keep the crocodiles at bay when both a relentless poacher and a group of teens descend on their nesting grounds.

This one was a really great entry that manages to get a lot right about it and doesn't have a whole lot of flaws. In fact, it's only got the true flaw of these Sci-Fi Channel entries in the atrocious and truly terrible CGI used for the crocodiles, which doesn't even come close to the real thing and used for scenes that really shouldn't have needed them. The shots of the crocs on land are certainly obviously done here and require it done, but the simple shots of it just floating on the lake surface really could've been done through other means than horribly pixelated CGI that looks horribly bad like the rest of the CGI here. Beyond this, though, there's a lot to like here including the fact that this one manages to feel as though it's a true continuation of the series, not only spouting off events that previously happened in the series but also continuing off on threads introduced there and presenting itself as a true follower of the previous entries, which is rarely seen. The big profession chance is a decent enough one, but to acknowledge previous entries in story-line terms and the need to have the fence built all make for a rather easy connection to the others. As well, this one has some outstanding action scenes throughout here featuring the hunters stalking the crocs both in the water or on land in the first half. As well, there's even more fun to be had throughout the film as the creatures chasing after the stranded teens in several really fun sequences starting with the early scenes taking them out stealthily before getting to the main ambush scene. Starting with the attack on the speed-boat to the croc storming through the campsite attacking everyone leading to some really bloody attacks as the chases provides some really exciting action attempting to get to safety which makes this highly fun and enjoyable as a centerpiece sequence. Other fun scenes include the confrontation in the abandoned camp where they get caught up in the traps set for the creatures as well as the creatures appearing in the pit trap set-up there that make for a fun time, while the encounter in the house is a lot of fun with the big surprise ambush from the kitchen leading into the battle to get away and eventual escape. With that leading directly into the finale where they battle the creatures out in the lake as they come out to save them in the last big rescue attempt while finally showcasing the other attack in the kids resulting in a rather fun showdown gunfight that finally puts them down. In addition, there's plenty of croc action which allows for some nice bits of gore and a couple nice stalking scenes throughout, which is always a lot of fun to have here and makes this one quite enjoyable. Plus, along with a frenetic pace and a ton of cheese, these here provide the last positive points for this one, perhaps making this the best entry in the series.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Language.

Crocodiles are fun!

[shridhar-spitfire · 6/10 · 1 October 2013]

I watched this movie just a half hour back on TV, which is what medium the movie was made for. And it is worth just that. First off, definitely better than Lake Placid 3, and a lot more fun. Many hotter chicks in this one and Reba is definitely bearable in this one compared to 3. The discontinuity in the movie is mind-boggling. The corny dialogues and predictable plot makes it boring towards the end, but I watched the movie just for the hot (and boring) Poppy Lee Friar, who plays Chloe in the film. I could envision this film being remade in Bollywood, which goes to show how crappy this movie is. The cast in IMDb should be increased to include the hot chick at the end because I was definitely interested in her. A lot of times throughout the movie, they've shrouded the sets with what appears to be fog (pretty sure it's dry ice) which gives the movie a depressing feel. The crocodiles throughout the movie are a bag of fun, with the horrible CGI making it an enjoyable experience for me. I enjoy such crappy movies if it has hot actresses, and I definitely enjoyed this one.

CGI

[simoncoram-06766 · 1/10 · 13 May 2022]

Hard to believe a film gets made these days with such appalling CGI. If it was me making it, one look at the rushes and I'd've quit! 🤔 They've got some actors here who've been in far better things, plus Robert Englund. I guess a paycheque is a paycheque...