Rogue

Rogue
Official poster for Rogue
Directed by	Greg McLean
Produced by	Greg McLean David Lightfoot Matt Hearn
Written by	Greg McLean
Starring	Radha Mitchell Michael Vartan Sam Worthington John Jarratt
Music by	Frank Tetaz
Cinematography	Will Gibson
Editing by	Jason Ballantine
Distributed by	Village Roadshow[1], Weinstein Company,
Release date(s)	8 November 2007 25 April 2008
Running time	93 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English
Budget	$AUD26 million

Rogue is a 2007 Australian horror film about a group of tourists in Australia who fall prey to a giant, man-eating crocodile. Rogue was released in Australia on 8 November 2007.^[2]

The film stars Michael Vartan and Radha Mitchell and was directed, written, and produced by Greg McLean, who also directed the 2005 indie-Australian horror hit, Wolf Creek. It was produced by David Lightfoot and Matt Hearn and made on a budget of $26,900,000 AUD.^[3] The film was inspired by the true story of Sweetheart, a giant Australian crocodile that attacked boats in the late 1970s.[edit]

Cast

• Michael Vartan - Pete McKell
• Radha Mitchell - Kate Ryan
• Stephen Curry - Simon
• John Jarratt - Russell
• Heather Mitchell - Elizabeth
• Caroline Brazier - Mary Ellen
• Mia Wasikowska - Sherry
• Sam Worthington - Neil
• Robert Taylor - Everett Kennedy

[edit]Plot synopsis

While carrying out research for his travel journalism, cynical American Pete McKell (Michael Vartan) joins a group of tourists on a river cruise in the Australian Outback, including photographer Simon, family Elizabeth, Sherry, and her father, locals Gwen and Russell, couple Mary Ellen and Everett, captain Kate Ryan (Radha Mitchell), and Kevin, her dog. After a run-in with two of the locals, Neil (Sam Worthington) and Colin, the cruise winds to a close, and Kate prepares to return the group to base.

Everett spots a flare in the distance, and Kate tells the group that they must investigate to determine whether someone is in distress. A few miles up river they come across a half-sunken boat. Suddenly something crashes into the tourists' boat, gashing a crack in the side, and Kate must run it ashore on the nearest land — a small island in the middle of the river. The group disembarks and begins discussion of what to do when Everett disappears, pulled into the water by an unseen predator. As darkness approaches, the tourists realize that the tide is rising: in a matter of hours their small island will be submerged.

Neil and Colin soon arrive in their boat, and it seems that the tourists' ordeal is over. But their hopes are quickly dashed when something unseen smashes Neil and Colin's boat almost out of the water and sinks it. Neil swims and scrambles ashore, but Colin has disappeared.

As night falls, Neil proposes that he swim to the mainland and string a rope between trees, creating a zip line to allow the group to cross above the river. Neil succeeds in setting up the rope, and the crossing operation begins. However, Mary Ellen freezes in fear halfway across with Sherry and her father, who attempts a panicked escape, following. While trying to secure the rope, Neil is attacked and devoured by the crocodile. The tree holding the rope snaps and they all fall into the water. They scurry back to the island, but as Sherry's father crawls up the beach, the gigantic crocodile suddenly lunges out of the water and throws him further into the river where he is devoured.

Later that night, Pete has an idea: delay the croc with hook and bait on one side of the island while everyone escapes off the other. Kate hooks two dead birds onto the boat's anchor, and Pete secures the anchor rope to a boulder and throws the bait out into the river. After a long wait, the anchor is suddenly grabbed and pulled, and the group make a break for the far shore. Pete tries to stop the boulder being pulled over as Kate swims across behind the group. The croc suddenly takes the hook and bait, and, as Pete screams at her to hurry, seizes Kate and drags her underwater. Pete hurriedly makes the swim across the river with Kevin in tow, and heads off into the bush to meet up with the others.

As day breaks, Pete is crossing the stream when Kevin runs away. Pete chases the dog into a cave and falls down a narrow chute into a larger cave, where he sees the body of Neil. He quickly finds that the cave is the crocodile's lair. To his surprise, Pete finds Kate badly injured, unconscious, but still alive. He attempts to carry her out, but has to hide when the crocodile returns, devours Kevin, and falls asleep. Trying to reach the entrance carrying Kate, Pete accidentally wakes the crocodile, and it makes several attempts to devour both him and Kate as he retreats into the narrow confines of the cave. Finally, after a long fight in which he gets tossed around the cave and is bitten in the hand, Pete makes one last stand in front of a large boulder. He braces a broken log with a sharp end against the boulder. The croc lunges at him, and Pete successfully impales it through the head. He escapes from the cave with an unconscious Kate to join the other tourists and waiting paramedics. The film ends and as the credits roll, the camera zooms in on a newspaper article detailing McKell's heroic battle and rescue.

[edit]Reception

Reviews from critics from Australia have been overall favorable. Melbourne's Herald Sun critic Leigh Paatsch gave the film three out of five stars stating that, "If you must see at least one killer croc movie before you die, it may as well be this polished little Australian schlocker".^[4] Sydney Morning Herald critic Sandra Hall gave the movie three and a half out of five stars writing that, "[I]t's almost elegant. Its only disadvantage is it conjures up inevitable comparisons with Jaws [...] a benchmark the film has no hope of achieving".^[5]

As of September 16, 2008, the film has a 100% approval rating from ten critics on Rotten Tomatoes.^[6]

[edit]Box office

Rogue debuted in the Australian box office on November 11, 2007 making $667,194 AUD. After 11 weeks in the nation's cinemas it left making $1.8 million AUD. It was released in the United States on April 25, 2008 and in its first weekend made $7,711. It remained in theatres for three more days before making an exit on a low $10,452. As of August 8, 2008, Rogue has made $3,475,708 AUD worldwide.

[edit]DVD release

Rogue was released on DVD in Australia on May 29, 2008,^[7] rated M for moderate horror violence and coarse language. The DVD's special features include a making of Roguedocumentary, five featurettes, and a theatrical trailer. A Region 1 DVD was released in August 2008, which featured an exclusive Audio Commentary, not featured on any other release.

[edit]See also

• Crocodile, a film directed by Tobe Hooper
• Lake Placid, a film directed by Steve Miner

[edit]References

1. ^ Rogue - Village Cinemas
2. ^ Rogue - Box Office Mojo
3. ^ Putting the bite back into horror The Age 12 November 2007. Retrieved on 12 December 2007.
4. ^ Film Review: Rogue - Herald Sun Herald Sun 9 November 2007. Retrieved on 12 December 2007.
5. ^ Film Review: Rogue - Sydney Morning Herald Sydney Morning Herald 10 November 2007. Retrieved on 12 December 2007.
6. ^ "Rogue". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2008-09-16.
7. ^ Rogue @ EzyDVD