If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Seems every comment is obsessed with comparing this film to another film of the era, well I'm not going to say it's name as it's been said too much already.Certainly you'd have to say that if not for the success of that other film, studios wouldn't have been motivated to green light this film, but that's where the relationship ends.Orca is definitely not a rip-off of that film, the story line, tone, music...all completely different. I like that other film as well, but there is simply no comparing them, and the people who brush by this film cuz they think it's just a silly B-Movie are really missing out.Sure, this film, like any, has some flaws, I think at times the actions of the humans can range from contradictory, to confusing, to downright "OK, why on Earth are you doing what you're doing right now?" but these things don't ruin the overall feel of the film.This film is very emotional, it goes to some tough places and has some very thought provoking questions, Richard Harris does a great job playing a man tortured by guilt and struggling to know what is the right thing to do. The score in this is amazing and even after all these years most of the visuals are still beautiful to look at, I definitely recommend people give this a chance.

The wake of "Jaws" (1975), Producer Dino De Lautentiis bought in option off from an Italian writers duo and had it in rumors polished by Robert Towne to realize a movie on a mammal going rough against its aggressors. "Orca" the killer whale, who takes the hopelessly isolated character of Captain Nolan, performed by a distressed Richard Harris in his prime, who had been unable to receive love by a classy performing Charlotte Rampling as the character of Rachel Bedford.The film, released in Summer 1977, when "Star Wars" had already been part of movie history, was neglected due to its shear brutal force of nature against its leading character. Killing the offspring with carrying mother in a fish hunting venture plunged in debt by Cpt. Nolan, the name-given whale is out for vengeance, making no stops against its nemesis.The uncompromising dark subject matter of "Orca" lets the film become for a majority of spectators be uncomfortably. The spoiled audience of season 1976/1977 with a dream-state "Rocky" (1976) picture and society-exposing "Annie Hall" (1977) directed by Woody Allen at the peak of box office as well as critic's billboards, puts the picture directed by Michael Anderson still in a niche for cineasts."Orca" has not much splendor nor glow about it. Nevertheless the carefully created fate of its leading character Cpt. Nolan encountering the love of his life impersonated in the character of Rachel on a stony beach with cloudy skies on Newfoundland, Canada brings the 90-minute-movie to a heart-breaking state.Where Director Steven Spielberg lifted all his youth-striking skill, borrowed from Masters as Alfred Hitchcock to create a story-driven thrill-ride for "Jaws" (1975), "Orca" stays on calmer coves with an exceptional sound design by John Bramall and a haunting score by Ennio Morricone.The picture may not be the most polished one in its writings or directions, but "Orca" creates its horrors rather on-screen than the hours after the curtains comes down, when a specter realizes that the human existence can only be fulfilled through shared love to another human being or the full contact battle with nature itself.© Felix Alexander Dausend (for Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

According to this rather silly Jaws-inspired movie, killer whales (or 'orca') are intelligent, monogamous, great parents, and have an instinct for vengeance, making them not too dissimilar to humans. Except, of course, that they're much bigger. And wetter.Salty sea-dog Captain Nolan (Richard Harris) learns all about the orca's vengeful nature when he accidentally kills a pregnant female killer whale, incurring the wrath of its mate. This being a smart beast, it follows the captain wherever he goes, eats his crew whenever the opportunity arises, makes him a pariah in the small fishing town where he currently lives (by sinking boats and severing the fuel supply), and lures him out to sea for a showdown in the icy waters of the north.Nowhere near as expertly executed as Jaws, lacking that film's tension, scares and unforgettable performances, Orca is preposterous nonsense that is talky and uneventful for much of the running time, and suffers from a preachy eco-thriller plot that has the viewer empathise with the whale (thereby diluting the horror). On the plus side, the film benefits from wonderful photography of its ocean dwellers and a lush score from Ennnio Morricone. Oh, and Bo Derek has her leg bitten off, which is fun.4.5/10, rounded down to 4 for that terrible closing song.

A bit of nostalgia this one is. I remember going with my father to the cinema and some how we entered this one, guess Disney was a full house. So it became my first contact with a so-called horror. I never forgot this flick for some reason and was happy to pick it up at a convention.Seeing it now it is a bit outdated but the problem with this flick is the fact that it was made after Jaws (1975) and is always been compared with it. Jaws did have it's suspense and gory moments. Orca to be honest isn't really full of suspense but goes deeper into the characters then Jaws did. To say that this really is a horror I can't really agree because it's rather low on red stuff even as the orca do attacks the biting is done off-camera and that tears this one a bit down. It's made just before gore became the next big thing and face it, Jaws had it all. Not that it isn't worth seeing, it is because the acting is rather good by Charlotte Rampling (Rachel Bedford) and Richard Harris (Captain Nolan). Richard was already a big name after the cult classic A Man Called Horse (1970). Charlotte was on the way to become big but also to notice is the first appearance of Bo Derek (Annie). After this flick she moved on to become famous with her nudity in Ten (1979).Even as the effects used for the bitings are outdated I must say that the orca's did look stunning. Naturally some are the real stuff but some are of course made and you can't see the difference. But it became a classic for reasons above and of course the production of Dino De Laurentiis and music by Ennio Morricone. A B-flick with the creature doing the revenge, men against beast.Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5