 | Orca |
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| Product Name | Orca |
| Manufacturer | |
| Retail Price | $14.95 |
| Specifications | |
| Release Date | 1977-07-22 |
| Format | VHS Tape |
| Actor(s) | Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling |
| Director(s) | Michael Anderson |
| Rating | PG |
| Deal first added on: | 4-March-2004 |
 | Schindler's List (Widescreen Edition) | 26.98 | $11.09 |  at 6 stores |
 | The Adventures of Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark/The Temple of Doom/The Last Crusade) - Widescreen | 69.98 | $53.55 | at 3 stores |
 | Jaws (25th Anniversary Widescreen Collector's Edition) | 14.98 | $6.69 | at 4 stores |
 | Sleeping with the Enemy | 14.98 | $5.33 | at 10 stores |
 | Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machines (Widescreen Edition) | 29.95 | $5.49 | at 2 stores |
 "One of the greats" | 2009-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By William E. Oldani Jr. from Charleston, WV | |
| Now here is one of the ultimate stories of revenge. This film was created in 1977 and especially with that in mind still holds some of the better cinematograpghy as well as editing. The writing for this film is also done on a very professional level. I remember seeing this as a little kid and the orca took on a scarier form than even that of the shark, talking about "Jaws" here. This is a must see for any film lover. | |
 "ok in a fun type of way" | 2009-08-10 |
| - Reviewed By eldaino, from Charlotte, NC | |
| Maybe its because i didnt go into expecting cinematic greatness a la jaws, but this movie isn't terrible. the acting is not really that cheesy at all....its more the premise of the film, and the effects behind it. the minatures look like minatures, and for some reason 'orca' likes to jump playfully amidst the trouble he causes in a sort of 'ha ha i got you!' type fashion, which obviously detracts from the drama the filmakers were trying to acheive.
ennio marricone's (spelled wrong probably) score is great, slightly repetative as much of his music is, but fantastic nonetheless. i rather enjoyed richard harris' performance. though the killer whale expert lady is annoying, as she lectures him the entire movie on the whale and what it can do and what its thinking...only to claim she cant help him and has no idea what the whale is capable of when the time comes to go out and get it. i would say dont compare it to jaws...but seeing has how there are constant stabs against great white sharks and one is killed in a rather silly (and unlikely) way in the begging, its funny to think the filmakers considered this a viable alternative. still enjoyable though. and good for a laugh or two. *the miscariage scene is particularly bizzare and frightening, as is the way the mom decides to commit suicide against the boats fins. def pushes the PG envelope in the same vein that the captain quint death scene did in jaws. | |
 "Orca movie review" | 2009-05-29 |
| - Reviewed By S. Spooner from Maine | |
| I received this movie promptly after I ordered it and it came in great shape as it was brand new. The movie uitself has to be a classic I really enjoyed it and I thought it wasn't that bad for a 70's movie. | |
| "Underrated, actually quite good - definitely not for the faint of heart" | 2009-04-21 |
| - Reviewed By langleybcguy from Langley, BC, Canada | |
| 'Orca: The Killer Whale' is the story of a headstrong sea captain named Nolan (Richard Harris) versus an equally headstrong adversary: a male killer whale. When Nolan fatally wounds the giant killer whale's pregnant mate & she dies the next day, the angry male orca seeks revenge against Nolan after grieving his lost mate & offspring. The male orca follows Nolan to a small Newfoundland fishing village, where he sinks the boats, knocks houses into the ocean, kills 1 of Nolan's crew, and destroys a gas cannister that causes a major fire. The message is clear: the killer whale is drawing Nolan & Rachel Bedford (Charlotte Rampling) to a final confrontation in an ice field - on HIS terms. The enraged male orca eventually gets his revenge; he kills Captain Nolan on the sea but leaves Rachel alone - as if he knows she never tried to harm his mate. After killing Nolan, the male orca quietly swims away into the Atlantic, his mission accomplished. The acting is decent throughout; Harris & Rampling put in solid performances as Nolan & Bedford. So does Will Sampson as Umulak, a native who had seen a similar instance involving native whale hunters. The hunters supposedly met a grim fate at the hands of a different killer whale, and Umulak warns Nolan about the whale's intelligence & memory - which may include a desire for vengeance. What holds the story together is Ennio Morricone's amazing score; a very sad melody that reflects the whale's grieving for its lost mate & offspring, as well as shrill string cues punctuating the whale's attacks against the boats - and Nolan. The only reason this DVD doesn't get 5 stars is its lack of features. I would have appreciated even seeing the theatrical trailer on here. | |
| "What You'd Call BIG-Time Revenge" | 2009-03-31 |
| - Reviewed By Craig Connell from Lockport, NY USA | |
| Well, here's an interesting twist: in this revenge film, it's not a human but a whale wreaking havoc after a seaman killed its mate and unborn baby. "Orca" goes after those responsible. Yes, it's a bit far-fetched making a whale almost human-like but most revenge films are satisfying so the filmmakers figured, what the heck, let's cash in on the popular theme. It's also the decade of "Jaws," so I guess man-eating sea creatures were "in." This movie is nowhere near the caliber of Jaws, but it is still attention-grabbing. Richard Harris and Charlotte Rampling star, but a young Bo Derek is here, too, in a supporting role. Now, that's attention-getting! | |
| "A TBS Favorite" | 2008-10-13 |
| - Reviewed By Runkdapunk from Camp North Pines | |
| 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. | |
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