Anaconda (1997)

Plot Outline: A group of filmmakers are on a trip down the Amazon to make a documentary about the discovery of a lost tribe. On their way they encounter a sly and cunning trapper called Sarone whose boat has been damaged. Taking him aboard they continue on their way. But Sarone is on the hunt for a giant anaconda snake and soon he drags the crew into a life-and-death struggle to capture it.

The Review: It sounds a little tongue-in-cheek and that is how it was made. No one really takes what they are doing too seriously - from the actors to the special effects guys to the director. Everyone seems to be having just a good time making a fun popcorn film that they forget to add some vital ingredients to the mix. The acting isn't great but Jon Voight is delightfully over-the-top as the sly and dangerous Sarone. He knew what was expected from the character and he knew how tongue-in-cheek this would get so he went crazy in the role. Lopez doesn't do much. Ice Cube tries the macho role and it bites him back in the ass badly. Then we get other stereotyped characters who aren't really there to act - just get eaten including the posh Brit, the slutty girl and the joker of the crew. The supporting cast includes the likes of Owen Wilson and Kari Wuhrer so there is the talent there, it's just a shame their role were so one-dimensional that they couldn't really shine through. The real star of the film should have been the snake but unfortunately it was not. The CGI snake doesn't too good at times and really looks out of place but the animatronic snake looks pretty good - it's just a shame by the time we see it, our minds have been poisoned by some dodgy CGI. The problem with the film though is that it takes quite a long time to get going so by the time the snake has decided to appear, it's a big anti-climatic. There's also the scare count of zero which doesn't help. Films like this should be cranking up the tension with some scares (see Jaws) and tugging on your heart strings like Aliens. Instead the film just flows along way too casually and seems to forget it's supposed to be a monster movie.

Final Verdict: Anaconda isn't meant to be a classic and that is so true. It's just a popcorn film which entertains for the most but wouldn't stand up too well in a court of filmmaking.

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