***Survival in the swamp creature feature***

A nasty group of American bank robbers board a plane to Acapulco, but the craft crashes in a huge swamp. While the thugs and several captives try to make it back to civilization they are stalked by a large legendary crocagator that dwells in the bog. Meanwhile, the beau of one of the flight attendants hires a bush pilot to search for any survivors.

“Crocodile 2: Death Swamp” (2002) may be a Grade B creature feature, but it’s surprisingly ambitious. The survival-in-the-swamp angle is refreshing and there’s an adventurous air. The criminals are really wicked and the desperate situation just makes ‘em worse. Although the budget is lower, it’s comparable to “Anaconda” (1997) and “Anacondas: Hunt for the Blood Orchid” (2004). It’s technically not as good as either of those, but it’s not far off. The main weakness is the sometimes weak CGI for the creature.

Unfortunately, the better of the two women is gone by the halfway point (Anna Cranage as Julie). But Heidi Lenhart (as Mia) is a’right, I guess.

The film runs 1 hour, 20 minutes and was shot in India, with studio work done in Hyderabad.

GRADE: B-