The Australian
November 10, 2007
When it comes to the crunch
By Barry Oliver
YOU may not believe this, but there are some strange people who believe a travel writer's life is all palm-fringed beaches and frothy cocktails.
Of course the reality is very different. Quite how different I didn't realise until watching a preview of Rogue, the latest scare-fest from Greg McLean (of Wolf Creek fame).
Our man of the world is Pete (Michael Vartan), a travel writer from a Chicago magazine who's busy complaining about the heat and the flies in the wilds of the Northern Territory. He soon has more than buzzing insects to fuss over.
One minute poor, sweaty Pete is minding his own business, mildly flirting with Kate (Radha Mitchell), the perky blonde in charge of his croc-spotting cruise; the next a man-eating crocodile is biting a whopping great hole in the boat. Even worse, Pete and the rest of the unhappy campers, mostly whingeing tourists, end up marooned on an tiny island and -- wouldn't you know it? -- the tide's coming in. So, like it or not, they'll soon be swimming with the croc. That'll be something to tell the grandchildren, assuming they survive, of course.
It's not a scenario that was part of Pete's plans when he accepted the trip: "I write stupid stories about stupid hotels and resorts, I don't get eaten by f..king crocodiles." My thoughts precisely, though travel writers usually mind their language on assignment.
Pete declares he'll have a word with his travel editor when his ordeal is over. Fair enough, too. We may get the occasional free snowdome, but we're not paid enough for goings-on such as this.
Pete, being a travel writer and an American, takes a lead role while the tourists make dubious decisions: anyone for a swim with the croc? Of course it's not any old croc. It's huge and mad, and one human's not enough for its main course.
Thanks to animatronics, this croc can do amazing things, at times even taking on an uncanny resemblance to a dinosaur. David Attenborough would probably approve, though I don't spot his name on the credits.
Rogue (M) opened nationwide this week.
© 2007 News Limited
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