Dark Age (1987)

Please don't spend money on this.

Don't listen to the negative reviews

best movie i've ever seen.

A different way of telling a story

A giant crocodile is killing and eating river poachers and small kids from the river banks.John Jarratt of "Wolf Creek" fame plays park ranger who is a big protector of crocodiles as well.The local aborigines see this bloodthirsty crocodile as a sacred reptile called "Numunwari" and they want to transfer the beast to its proper upriver.Arch Nicholson's "Dark Age" is a well-made and suspenseful animal attack flick which owes a lot to "Jaws".The killing of small aboriginal kid is quite shocking with its unexpected brutality.The croc itself looks realistic and menacing enough and the attack scenes are surprisingly vicious.The film is also rich in aboriginal myths and symbolism as it poses few important environmental questions.Can't wait to see Arch Nicholson's "Fortress".8 crocs out of 10.

I agree with some reviewers that this is like an Australian version of 'Jaws' with a crocodile instead of a shark, but only to a degree. The basic idea of a monstrous crocodile eating people is similar. There is a scene when a group of children run out of the water in panic, like a scene in 'Jaws' when people run out of the water in panic. There is also a scene when a little boy gets eaten by the crocodile, as in 'Jaws' a little boy gets eaten by the shark.The child getting eaten by the crocodile was the scene that got me the most. It was shocking to see that cute, innocent child crying for help and getting devoured by the big beast. He was almost saved, but the help for him arrived too late. As horrible as the scene is, it is one not to easily forget and certainly the most memorable scene of this movie.This is an awkward movie. Doesn't seem to have a clear focus and soon becomes a different kind of movie, like a number of different movies in the same movie. That is one of the reasons why I rate it so low.Awkwardly too, there is romance (something pointless and unnecessary in a movie like this) and instead of being a target to destroy, the crocodile is spared and saved - something unusual in these "serial killer beasts" films.A very poor film and a very poor attempt to mimic the legendary 'Jaws'.

There's a massive crocodile the Aboriginals call Namunwari which attacks a trio of poachers, killing two of them, with the third, John Besser (Max Phipps) demanding its demise. Croc conservationist, Steve Harris (John Jarratt, Wolf Creek), and two Aboriginals, Oondabund (Burnham, Burnham) and Oonabund's son, Adjaral (Aussie great, David Gulpilil) will attempt to tranquilize, capture, and transport the Namunwari to a place where it will not pose a threat to civilization. Meanwhile, Harris has his hands full with Besser and other hunters who want to kill the Namunwari, or any other crocodiles for that matter. As Aussie films often do, the racism towards Aboriginals is once again referenced, while the feeling of hate towards crocodiles in general is established strongly in the storyline. Harris and other "croc lovers" want to save them from extinction. With Nikki Coghill as Jarratt's spunky and spirited ex-lover, who returns to support him when the Namunwari becomes a target for the poachers. Phipps is a perfectly loathsome heavy, the real villain of the film and certainly a thorn in Harris' side. Good showcase for Aboriginal actor Burnham Burnham who speaks of the Namunwari as if it were a mythical creature and will not assist Harris if his goal is to murder the croc in cold blood, believing the animal was once man. Particularly memorable is seeing Jarratt speaking "Aboriginal" with Burnham Burnham who often communicates in "broken Aussie". Definite similarities to Jaws are unavoidable such as the hunt for the croc and the monster's approach to shallow waters where Aboriginal children are playing (the film's most shocking scene shows the Namunwari eat an Aboriginal kid with a shot from the camera afterward showing a toy boat without its owner!). I'm sure many will gripe and belly ache that the croc is fake looking, but I thought its size and girth was quite impressive.

As b-movies go, this is definately a must-see. Not only is the plot stolen and adapted Aussie style,but the whole thing is littered by lameness which is not even a tribute to Jaws. So often the Croc looks so rubbery and plastic, you would think it was a giant pool toy. The film is littered by cliche characters and bad dialogue, as well as random screen moments that are sheer oddity. Normally, I would go into detail, but the ineffable quality makes this a see for yourself. P