Also known by the (much sexier) title Croaked: The Frog Monster From Hell. I'm guessing it was renamed after team Troma got a hold of the distribution rights. While Rana does share some traits with the typical Troma film (i.e. it looks cheap and features some iffy special effects), it's a pretty earnest lake monster film that lacks Troma's patented blend of goofy humor and/or over the top gore. Rana was directed by Bill Rebane (of Monster a Go-Go and The Capture of Bigfoot "fame"), and it's got a regional feel I couldn't help but find charming. Rebane shot his film in the cinema hotbed of rural Wisconsin with the only kind of cast you can get to act in a low budget horror film shot in rural Wisconsin: game, but not that seasoned. And while the film is a bit slow at times, it more or less won me over with it's straight forward style and just enough oddball characters, moments, and surprises to never be totally boring.
As you might guess from the alternate title, Rana is about a frog monster of sorts. In present day 1981, a man named Kelly is telling his significant other about a tale from his childhood - and the majority of the film is his flashback. When Kelly was a child, he lived with his father on a small island in the middle of a large Wisconsin lake. For a long time, the only inhabitants of the island were Kelly, his father, and crazy old man Charlie. Charlie (who probably saves the film by being a pretty damned funny nutjob of a character) has always told Kelly about the legend of Rana - a creature who guards the (Native American) treasure hidden at the bottom of the lake. Kelly's father has never believed Charlie's ramblings, and when Kelly finds a strange fossil of indeterminate origins, his father sends it to the mainland to be checked out. This brings paleontologist Elli to the island to check out the origins of said fossil. Apparently, the fossil is like nothing modern science has ever seen! Emily brings along her niece - and suddenly the island population has nearly doubled. But wait - there's more! There are also three shady lumberjack dudes hanging out, searching for the legenary treasure. Charlie (hilariously - and almost certainly illegally) likes to shoot his rifle at these guys... but he's not shooting to kill. But (nice segue) there is someone... or something... on the island that is out to kill: Rana! The titular Frog Monster from Hell. And kill he does.
There's not really a ton to recommend about Rana. And honestly, I'm sure a lot of people would outright hate it. (And if the 2.2 rating on imdb and the one star on Amazon are any indication, *most* people would.) But if you are a fan of 80's cheese, there's enough to like here. The characters are corny, but serviceable, as is the story. Plus, Charlie runs real funny. You get some surprising deaths here and there, and a little bit of gore (even if it is kind of crappy).
And in typical early 80's fashion, you hardly ever see the monster. But when you do, it counts. He's got a couple of surprise appearances that literally made me Laugh Out Loud. It's not a great design or anything, but it works. Plus, he's got this steamy slime thing going on, which is kind of cool.
There's also a few WTF moments (most involving crazy old Charlie) that keep things relatively light and entertaining. There's very little legitimate tension or drama to be had, but the pace of the film is just quick enough (and jumps around in time enough) that you are never totally bored.
The acting and direction are pretty plain across the board. But... nothing sucks, which sometimes is all you can really ask for in a film subtitled "Frog Monster from Hell."
Overall, I had a better time with this than I expected. Maybe I'm just a sucker for "shot in Wisconsin" horror films (I rather liked Rebane's Capture of Bigfoot), bur Rana pretty much delivered for me. It's cheesy and kind of awkward in that ultra-independent early 80's way, but if you're into that sort of thing, Rana may be worth a look.
I would cautiously recommend this film.
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