In the 1990s 2 separate film series began, Lake Placid about a 30ft killer crocodile terrorizing a lake, and Anaconda, a film where J-Lo and Ice Cube face down an oversized Anaconda in the jungle. Both spawned numerous sequels and began a fascination with oversized regular creature features that has only intensified as the years have gone on.

It's a tale as old as time itself. Humans inadvertently stumble into the habitat of a massive vaguely prehistoric creature, said creature makes a meal of the humans, humans ultimately prevail. Until the sequel. However, in the battle between giant crocodile versus monstrous anaconda, which film is a better watch today?

RELATED: This Aquatic Creature Feature Is Totally Underrated

Starring Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Eric Stoltz, Owen Wilson, and Jon Voight, Anaconda's story follows documentary filmmakers in the Amazon as they travel the rivers and waterways looking for the People of The Mist, a reclusive tribe that lives somewhere in the rainforest. Unfortunately for the crew very shortly after setting off, they come across Jon Voight's unhinged hunter seemingly stranded out on the river.

Anaconda-snake

It's clear that something isn't right with the creepy hunter from the moment they pick him up, there are a lot of meaningful and menacing looks between him and the hired boat captain, and he is very insistent that he knows where the elusive People of The Mist are located. Shortly tragedy befalls the group as a deadly wasp somehow makes its way into the breathing apparatus of Stoltz, stinging him in the mouth and almost killing him. Luckily Voight is able to perform a tracheotomy with a pen and knows how to get to a hospital quicker. Of course, this is all a ruse as he is actually hunting the legendary, giant anaconda said to be native to the area.

The crew doesn't come up against the monstrous reptile until around 40 minutes in when it picks off the driver of the boat without the others noticing. Voight then waxes poetic about the beauty of giant anacondas and how much one would be worth if caught. Practically, the anaconda still looks great, CGI wise it does not hold up, but it was 1997, so that can't be held against it. What can be held against it is the tedious build-up of the first hour. There are many close-ups of Voight sneering and grimacing, usually at Jennifer Lopez as she becomes increasingly suspicious of his motives.

Almost nothing happens in Anaconda. It's a movie about a cruise in the jungle with approximately 10 total minutes of giant snake-based action. The movie does gain points when it has the snake swallow Voight whole and then spits him out at Jennifer Lopez as she runs away. The ending is abrupt and vaguely unsatisfying as the survivors of the 'ordeal' come across the People of The Mist with 20 seconds of the film to spare.

Lake Placid immediately gains points for having Betty White on the cast list. It also starts off strong with Brendan Gleeson's Sheriff out on the said lake with a diver. As the diver explores, something grabs hold of him, Gleeson struggles to pull him back aboard the boat and when he finally brings him in he comes without his lower half. This sets off a chain of events where Paleontologist Kelly Scott (Bridget Fonda) and Department of Fish and Game Officer Jack Wells (Bill Pullman) are dispatched to solve the mystery of whatever is in the lake.

Lake-Placid

Lake Placid is an immediately more energetic movie than Anaconda. The pacing is faster, the characters are louder, and even the dialogue is more lively. There's a lot more evidence of the creatures' destruction as well. More body parts of people and animals turn up. It may be over halfway into the movie before a good look is given at the crocodile itself, but it doesn't feel like a long time. Lake Placid isn't exactly a deep story, neither is Anaconda. The key difference between the two is that Lake Placid doesn't take itself too seriously. Anaconda is determined to be a serious action thriller film but lacks the action and the atmosphere.

When it comes to runtime, Anaconda comes in at 89 minutes whereas Lake Placid is 82. Despite the similar length, Anaconda feels like a lot more effort. Throughout Lake Placid audiences are actually able to engage with characters and get to know them. They are eccentric and funny. There are stories to them. It's not high art, but there is more depth to them than the flat characters in Anaconda. There is something beautifully silly about Betty White angrily swearing at everyone and wishing that her pet crocodile will eat all the law enforcement in the area.

Ultimately, whichever movie is better is personal preference but in direct comparison, Lake Placid is just a more enjoyable experience. The kaiju croc is more present throughout, the crocodile effects hold up better than the snake, the dialogue is snappier and instead of a sneering Jon Voight, there is a delightfully potty-mouthed Betty White. Ultimately there can be only one winner and in this case, Lake Placid takes the creature feature crown.

MORE: This Slow-Burn Creature Feature Contrasts Natural Beauty With Industrial Ugliness