Orca - The Killer Whale

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Starring: Richard Harris
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Type: DVD
Directed By: Michael Anderson
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 2004-09-14
ORCA: THE KILLER WHALE stars Richard Harris and Bo Derek in her screen debut in an epic struggle between a strong and determined fisherman and an equally determined whale. When the whale's pregnant mate is killed, it goes on a rampage, seeking revenge on the man by smashing boats, collapsing buildings and causing extreme destruction by fire.

A different kind of romance
It is indeed unfortunate that this movie was caught up in the wave of what was Jaws mania -

No doubt this is one of Richard Harris's finest performances. More than what is dialogue is unspoken dialogue. Human insolence toward animals of all manner is neatly wrapped up and directed toward yet another species.

Along the way even mankind's density is impaled by the obvious and great grief of the Whale's mate -

A TBS Favorite
Richard Harris tries his hand as whaling, but manages to attain an arch nemesis in the form of a killer whale, when the whale's mate and baby die at Harris' hand(or propeller as it were). Orca spends a good deal of the film trying to lure Harris into a duel to the death while Harris sulks and mopes about what he has done. The infamous(but not terribly impressive) scene where Orca chomps of Bo Derek's leg(can't say I blame him. I'd like to chomp off Bo Derek's leg too) is enough to put Harris into full Captain Ahab mode, and he sets out do battle with Orca and finds himself having a whale of a time.
On the books, Orca's not considered to be the best of movies. I can see why. Sure, I don't think it's terrible, but I won't find myself watching it much voluntarily. Like the whale in Free Willy(only more pissed off), the attempt here is to make the whale more of a real character in the film rather than a mindless killing machine. It's kinda corny, but I suppose it works to a certain degree. You do feel kinda bad when the mate and baby die. But at the same time, you don't really want Harris to turn up as whale food either. The high intelligence of the killer whale is a point shoved in our faces throughout most of the film, but I find it rather hard to believe the whale is smart enough to do some of the things he does. How does a whale know exactly where on the pier to ram his head in order to bust the gas lines and blow up the dock? Was he reading the blueprints or something?
Harris is good, though the rest of the cast is pretty much cardboard. Good ol' Will Sampson is wasted in a small role where he can sprinkle tidbits of Native American mysticism.
Orca's rather harmless, but for Jaws ripoffs I still go for Tentacles. Though it may be a worse film, it's more fun to me.

orca-the killer whale
My husband and I have liked this movie for many years. I am glad we
were able to purchase it through amazon

We love the movie.

thanks
bob and sue davis

Vengeance is mine sayeth the Orca
In 1846, J. Richardson & J.E. Gray coined the generic term "killer whale" for the species of whale we know as Orca. Sailors used to refer to them as "whale killers" because they often witnessed the Orca attacking other large cetaceans.

But in this movie, you won't find any of that going on. Oh no. Our friend has developed a distinct taste for human flesh, not to consume but to maim. This movie is all about pure vengeance, and after it's all said and done, it feels good, both for the whale and viewer. In fact, the resolution of the story completes the viewer.

I know this comment may irritate certain people but for a supposed copy cat of Jaws, I feel this film exceeds what Spielberg attempted to do with his shark film. There's a profound emotional current which drives the story forward, which was lacking in Jaws.

When I watched the film, I almost felt as if the sirens themselves were using the Orca as a medium to communicate their song of death and destruction to the fishermen.

It really is a first-rate story and one that should not be missed.

The DVD is lacking in extras and even a trailer, unfortunately. There's noticeable grain throughout the movie which shows restoration wasn't a high priority when they encoded this film. At least it's widescreen, though. Don't get me wrong; I don't want you to think it a terrible print because it's not. I just feel they could've done a better job. Perhaps the Blu-Ray version, if it ever comes out, will be super crisp.

Don't rent this one. Buy it and own it.

Orca Rules
I have looked for this older movie many times and finally I found it on AMAZON.com. The quality of the movie rates an 'A' easily not to mention A-list actor Sir Richard Harris. It was a good movie to watch with a very serene ending.