We open with a ferocious storm that sets the stage for an environmental catastrophe in which lives will be lost. After a totally random opening credits sequence with naked women being eaten by a crocodile, we are introduced to Drs. Tony Akom and John Stromm, two men dedicated to their jobs to the point that it takes a toll on their family lives. After discussing with their significant others, they decide to all take a family vacation together to a fancy beach resort in Pattaya. Unfortunately, their pick for a nice, relaxing getaway turns horrific when Tony’s wife and daughter and John’s wife are savagely eaten by a giant crocodile. Tony and John vow vengeance, and with the help of a fisherman named Tanaka, they set out to take out this crocodile once and for all!

In the grand pantheon of Jaws rip offs (or perhaps a kinder soul might refer to them as homages), Sompote Sands’ (or is it really Won-se Lee’s?) Crocodile, is not one of the more polished efforts. Originating as the Thai film Agowa gongpo a.k.a. Crocodile Fangs before notorious schlock producer Dick Randall got his hands on it, adding in nude scenes and splicing in footage from another Thai film to jazz it up for the US market, Crocodile is ramshackle and amateurish for much of its duration but with a messy energy at times that still makes it quite watchable, particularly during the big croc attacks in the third act. I also found the use of obviously fake miniatures sort of endearing in a way. Plus, the actors go a long way toward selling the terror and tragedy involved just from facial expressions and body language alone despite the terrible dub job. Still, the second act is really slow with this odd diversion related to running tests to determine the origin of the enlarged reptile (nuclear radiation Godzilla-style maybe?), and for folks who are more sensitive to animal cruelty, there is a shot of a crocodile actually being attacked with a knife. If you aren’t bothered by that and can tolerate some of the slowness typical of these B-movies from this time period, you’ll probably have a pretty good time with this low budget eco-horror flick.

While Synapse isn’t the most prolific of boutique labels, they don’t do restoration jobs by half. What this means is that Crocodile looks surprisingly good on this blu-ray with a clear picture and healthy grain with a nice color balance, and this is despite the disparate footage being cobbled together from different films and shooting periods. The 2.0 Stereo audio track isn’t quite on the same level with it sounding a little hollow and muddy at times, but it never gets so distorted as to be unlistenable. Synapse has given us a nice slate of extras to whet the appetite of Thai eco-horror cinephiles out there. The audio commentary by writer and film historian Lee Gambin (who unfortunately passed away earlier this year) is a surprisingly literate and studied deep dive into the themes and concepts found within Crocodile and is essential if you want to garner a deeper appreciation for the film as something more than just cheap schlock. We also get an interview with Crocodile Fangs director Won-se Lee, and this one is absolutely necessary if you want to untangle the confusing origins of how we arrived at Dick Randall’s and Sompote Sands’ Crocodile. We also get some deleted and alternate scenes and an original theatrical trailer.

Crocodile is NOT a masterpiece (although Lee Gambin makes a hell of a good try at framing it as one), but it is a charming, low budget creature feature riding the coattails of Jaws that still manages to entertain despite the sketchy way in which it was pieced together. If you love a big ol’ fun reptile flick, give it a try!