LAKE PLACID merely uses the familiar name of the actual New York lake for a title ploy; its fast-moving horror-comedy-adventure lark (with a few beheadings and torso manglings) goes chomphappy in fictional Black Lake, Maine. Patter aficionado David E. Kelly wrote and Steve Miner directed this underrated fun from 1999, which, in the manner of numerous fright-flicks with a gimmick, went on to spawn sequels, five made-for-TV knockoffs fit only for the desperate. Skip those (or use ’em to keep the kids transfixed), but if you’re in the mood for cross-genre goofiness, this kickstart provides 82 minutes of amusement thanks to a likable cast, pleasing locations and 32 feet of ravenous reptile.

After a man is bitten in half by ‘something’ large beneath the normally relaxing waters of a popular lake, a fish & game officer (Bill Pullman) and the local sheriff (Brendan Gleeson) are joined in searching for whatever it is by a waspish paleontologist (Bridget Fonda) from the American Museum of Natural History and an obnoxious mythology professor (Oliver Platt) who is fascinated by crocodiles. The mismatched allies bicker continually and an added belfry-bat is  a local widow (Betty White) who has unusual feeding habits involving her dairy cows.

Critics were in a collective sourpuss mood regarding this item, which moves along at a steady clip, peppered with sarcastic exchanges between the humans and some fun, over-the-top ‘scares’ from the king-sized critter they face. The full-scale animatronic apparition (impress your friends: say crocodylidae) was created by monster master Stan Winston. The creature is neat, the actors are game. It’s silly, it’s obvious and it’s entertaining.

Three lakes (Shawnigan, Buntzen and Hayward) in British Columbia substituted for the crocked-up one in Maine.

Budget: one source says $27,000,000, two others add eight million more. Gross: $31,770,000 d0mestic (placing 64th) and $25,100,000 internationally.

With Meredith Salenger (tres cute), Adam Arkin and Mariska Hargity.