My favorite movie of all time is Jaws. I’ve seen it well over 100 times. I can basically quote the entire film without faltering. I’ve read the book, seen the documentaries, have books on the making of…you get it, I’m a superfan. These are just some of the reasons I want to pull my hair out when I ask someone if they’ve seen Orca: The Killer Whale, and they respond with, “Nah. Seemed like another Jaws rip-off.” Um…what?
Typically, creature features aren’t really that impressive, which is totally fine. We’re not worried about the acting, the camera work, the score, and all those other fancy technical categories. We just want to see beasts do some good ole fashioned people eatin’. Honestly, we were spoiled with films like Jaws and Jurassic Park because of the attention to detail that Steven Spielberg put into all those other things. In 1977, Michael Anderson (1984, Logan’s Run) did the same with Orca, and it deserves more than to be deducted to “another Jaws rip-off.”
Firstly, this is a revenge movie, not a monster movie. Captain Nolan, played brilliantly by Richard Harris, is searching for a great white shark to sell to a local aquarium. He and his crew are attacked by one and saved by an Orca. Shifting his focus over to the Orca as his new prize, he harpoons a female whale, which was carrying an unborn whale fetus, killing them both. The male Orca watches in horror as its mate and unborn baby are killed and dragged aboard the boat and screams in rage (yes, screams, and it is awesome!). The male attacks the boat, and Captain Nolan cuts the female free, heading back to shore disgusted with what he’s done.
This sets up the motive for one of the smartest apex predators in the animal kingdom to exact its revenge. Captain Nolan is written as haunted by what he’s done, feeling apathy for the whale, being that his own wife and unborn child were killed in a car crash. A related connection is created between man and beast, with credit due to excellent Italian screenwriter Luciano Vincenzoni (Raw Deal, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) and original uncredited novelist Arthur Herzog III (Orca – 1976).
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Let’s talk special effects. Anderson used two animatronic Orcas for the film, and they look amazing. In fact, they look so great that several animal rights organizations were calling for investigations into the film for animal cruelty when seeing the animatronics being hauled from set to set. There’s something nostalgic about seeing the shark’s full body in Jaws, but realistic is not a word I’d use to describe it. The effects used when killing the whale and seeing the fetus fall out onto the boat are revolting. It looks real.
We also get explosions, boats sinking, people getting chomped, and ocean-side houses being splintered and sent to their watery graves when the whale starts terrorizing the seaside town. The whale is hellbent on creating enough tension in this town that it drives Captain Nolan away, further isolating him and playing right into the possessed whale’s plan.
If a great writer, director, actors, and effects aren’t good enough sells for you, the score is an amazing addition, composed by Academy Award winner Ennio Morricone (The Thing, Hateful 8). It has a perfect aquatic adventure feel, threaded with creepy Argento/Goblin-esque vocals. The environmental and set shots were fantastic, giving the viewer a better sense of isolation and danger among frozen waters where falling in was just as dangerous as being eaten by an animal.
The film ends up leaving us feeling emotionally distraught and satisfied at the same time, which attests to well-written characters, even if they do bad things. This much thought doesn’t get put into your typical creature features and certainly doesn’t get put into rip-offs. Orca is intelligent, gorgeous, and well worth the watch if you haven’t seen it. Unless your idea of a rip-off stems from man vs. aquatic beast, there’s no way you won’t have a new appreciation of this film, and if that’s the case, I’ve got some bad news for you… Jaws didn’t do it first.
If you’re looking to grab an awesome copy of the film, check out the Blu-ray release earlier this year from Shout Factory. The artwork alone is worth it. If you’re a fan of this film, high five! Hopefully, this has convinced those of you that haven’t seen it to give it a go. It’s so much more than another Jaws rip-off. Enjoy!
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