Alligator II: The Mutation Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Alligator II: The Mutation Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 2, 2022

1980’s “Alligator” was a minor hit in theaters, but it managed to attract significant viewership when it made its television debut, bringing the strange ways of a “Jaws” riff to a home audience. “Alligator” was no major dramatic or technical achievement, but it was decent, which is no small feat, offering competent actors, smart writing, and careful editing to conjure a horror story that managed to do something interesting with the ridiculousness of a monster alligator on the loose in the big city. Producer Brandon Chase, perhaps not aware of the whole “strike while the iron is hot” theory, waits an astonishing 11 years to resurrect the brand name, hoping to tap into a similar sense of low-budget thrills with 1991’s “Alligator II: The Mutation.” Unfortunately, the creative team from the original film are long gone, replaced with less interesting moviemakers who try to craft what’s essentially a remake, moving the action to Los Angeles without any noticeable upgrades in thespian talent or alligator puppetry.

Villainous real estate tycoon Brown (Steve Railsback) is attempting to take control of the Regent Park area, hoping to buy up homes for a massive, and quite profitable, redevelopment, keeping Mayor Mike (Bill Daily) on a short leash. Brown is also dumping chemicals into the sewer system, which has helped a Los Angeles alligator grow to immense size, feasting on locals who dare to enter a nearby lake. On the case is Detective David (Joseph Bologna), who begins to understand the threat, though nobody initially believes him. Teaming with rookie cop Rich (Woody Brown) and alligator hunter Hawk (Richard Lynch), David leads a mission to capture the beast on the night of a local carnival, which exposes hundreds of guests to a hungry creature.

“Alligator II” isn’t nearly as ambitious as the original picture. The writing attempts a cut-and-paste job, moving the oversized menace to an L.A. lake, putting another seasoned cop on the case of a mysterious creature and its desire to consume humans. For the sequel, evildoing is more cartoonish, with Brown a monster looking to gentrify the neighborhood, also dumping deadly chemicals anywhere he pleases. He also has a fondness for professional wrestling, as “Alligator II” devotes a chunk of screen time to the sport, with Jon Hess trying to add some filler to what’s otherwise a simple exercise in B-movie horror. A needless subplot involving Woody and a love interest (complete with hot sax musical accompaniment) is another example of the production stretching to transform another killer alligator scenario into a feature-length film.

“Alligator” was also guilty of padding, but it also had some level of craftmanship and dramatic texture. “Alligator II” is cheap and tedious, going broad with David’s quest to uncover the creature’s whereabouts, dealing with doubters, including his wife (Dee Wallace), a university scientist picking up on the chemical clues. “Alligator II” has some fine actors in the mix, but Joseph Bologna as a supercop? That’s too much of a leap. He can deal with dialogue, but not action, keeping the sequel limited when it comes to exciting moments. The same can be written about the alligator, which should be the picture’s primary source of fear, but often resembles the rigid phoniness of the “Jaws” stop on the Universal Studios Hollywood tram tour.

Alligator II: The Mutation Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivering strong detail for "Alligator II," with a crisp look at skin particulars and costuming, along with creature textures emerging from real and decidedly unreal alligator shots. Park distances are dimensional, and office interiors are open for inspection. Colors are secure, with distinct greenery throughout the viewing experience, along with clear primaries on period outfits and carnival lighting. Skintones are natural. Delineation is strong, preserving sewer exploration and evening encounters. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in good condition.

Alligator II: The Mutation Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers clear dialogue exchanges, managing accents and performance intensity with stability. Scoring cues support onscreen suspense, with defined synth presence. Some generic rock and pop songs also register as intended. Sound effects are satisfactory, offering creature roars and explosions.

Alligator II: The Mutation Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "From the Echo Lake Lagoon" (16:21, HD) is an interview with director Jon Hess, who initially connected with producer Brandon Chase, tasked with creating a script for what was previously titled, "Alligator: The Return." Inspired by "Moby Dick," Hess went big with his original concept, only to have the project quickly returned to its low-budget intent. Casting is dissected, with Hess admiring the assembled actors, only running into trouble with a favored nations clause involving the enormity of Dee Wallace's trailer. The interviewee analyzes the various alligators used in the feature, including real ones shipped to the set frozen, keeping them docile for shooting. Working in Echo Park, Hess recalls dealing with unsafe carnival rides and interacting with gang members. Memories of sewer work are included as well. The conversation closes with a discussion of Chase and the surprising cult fandom of "Alligator II: The Mutation."

• "Dead in the Water" (7:18, HD) is a video conference interview with special effects coordinator John Eggett. Called into action during the "Alligator II" shoot, Eggett was hired to fix many problems with the star of the show, which never worked as it was meant to. It was stiff, walked like a dog, and didn't look right, forcing the interviewee to figure out other options, which didn't go over well with the original design team. Eggett shares anecdotes concerning contamination issues at Echo Lake, and his own brush with death, trapped underwater after his arm was caught in the mechanics of the alligator.

• "Cutting with Teeth" (5:11, HD) is an interview with editor Marshall Harvey, who previously worked with producer Brandon Chase, cutting the trailer and T.V. spots for "Alligator." Harvey suggests "Alligator II" was intended to be a television movie, and one made for a Latin audience, who supported the original feature. The interviewee doesn't get into the specifics of the footage he was hired to manage, but he does point out the size of actor Richard Lynch's crotch bulge, which was apparently covered for television distribution.

• "Becoming the Hunted" (9:35, HD) is a video conference interview with actor Kane Hodder, who discusses his uncredited work on the original "Alligator," working inside the creature. Hodder goes in-depth about his time with co-star Richard Lynch, with the pair both burn victims, finding a personal connection. The interviewee gets a bit philosophical about his injury, and goes into details concerning the "Jason Takes Manhattan" shoot, finally returning to "Alligator II" to discuss his time in a sewers, also dealing with constant creature breakdowns.

• "Blood Brothers" (5:35, HD) is an interview with second unit director Eugene Hess, who's director Jon Hess's brother. Born into a filmmaking family, Hess joined his sibling early on, helping with efforts such as "Watchers." "Alligator II" was a difficult shoot, dealing with a faulty creature and toxic sewer tours, and the interviewee details an unexpected last-minute helicopter stunt with star Joe Bologna. Also of interest is a story about the use of a real alligator in Echo Lake that broke free from its trainer's control, never to be seen again.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (4:19, HD) is included.

Alligator II: The Mutation Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you've seen "Alligator," you've seen "Alligator II." There's no noticeable push to do something different with the premise, and the change in location doesn't inspire fresh thinking when it comes to attack sequences. It's a lazy endeavor that doesn't give strong actors interesting things to do, while little special effects advancement has occurred between releases (Chase reuses some footage from the 1980 film), with the alligator somehow even more absurd in appearance 11 years later. Instead of working on something insane for a follow-up, the picture merely reheats the original feature, with a clear decline in moviemaking passion.