Overall Dark Age is a good look at life in the top end, particularly at the beginning, and for most of the movie shots are framed really well and its an invigorating ride. The soundscape was really good, fresh and modern. The leads are also very good, cast well, with a great relationship development, and the aboriginal players are particularly well acted and genuine. For the most part the script is pretty good and as one would imagine Northern Australians talk. It's a well intentioned movie, offsetting a Ranger's environmental outlook and aboriginal spirituality against yobbos' and council's distinctly opposite view. The movie would have done well to make more of that spirituality, which started brilliantly but never quite maintained the momentum. Overall there was a lack of tension, and although one got to see a lot of the crocodile, for the most part it just floated without any real ambushing or stalking developed, and its attacks seen to have been generated just by opening its very obviously a prop jaws. And I found it hard to forgive the character development of the yobbos as well. Again, this started brilliantly, but over time became over-inflated and difficult to believe. Two assaults, one very public and another which would have been obvious from the wounds inflicted, pass by without even a hint at arrest. And one of the initial shocking attacks, reminiscent of Jaws, is given an outrageously deadpan dismissal. In one crazy scene a fellow has his arm bitten off, only to be seen the next day up and about and highly involved in the action! And even if this is a 1987 movie, there is no excuse, or believability, for the license given to would-be crocodile hunters shortly after the first attacks. It's a great idea for a movie though, and I'd love to see it revised some day.
Review of Dark Age
