Anaconda Review
A lot funnier than it has any right to be.
Doug (Jack Black) is a wedding videographer who has given up on his film dreams; until his childhood friend and struggling actor Griff (Paul Rudd) comes back to town, with the rights to remake the cult classic Anaconda under his belt. With their other two childhood pals Claire (Thandiwe Newton) and Kenny (Steve Zahn) in tow, they journey to the Amazon to shoot it guerilla style - only to find out that all is not as it seems. An accident with their hired snake means they have to journey into the jungle themselves to find a real Anaconda; and that’s just the start of their troubles.
Anaconda looked from the out like there might be something amiss. Sure, this seemed like a classic reboot of a Hollywood schlocky horror-adjacent franchise, but the presence of Jack Black and Paul Rudd in early released information made it seem like something of a non-sequitar.
Then, you sit in the cinema and see this. And it all makes sense.
Gone are the real scares. Replaced by endless laughs.
Because the easiest thing to say about this new film is that it is, undoubtedly, very funny. The plot twists and turns like a snake, and perhaps there’s a tiny whiff of not enough meat on the bones, and a somewhat convenient wrap up. But for a movie that is more Tropic Thunder than Get Out, this never fails to keep you smiling and laughing throughout.
A lot of that is down to the chemistry and performances of the leads. Jack Black is back, in classic Black form - more School of Rock vibes than Minecraft. Paul Rudd smiles and sleazes his way through an intriguing role, and proves he still has the old school comedy chops no matter his superhero spin-offs. The most surprising performance is Selton Mello as the snakehandler, who gives a truly unhinged showing that steals the film out from under his Hollywood compatriots.
Ultimately, what this movie may lack in true scares, it makes up for in fun. There is still plenty of action to be had, but it’s the dialogue and the completely balls to the wall concepts that have you belly laughing until the end.
