Movie Review: Anaconda

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

An uneven but mostly enjoyable horror-comedy. 

This movie has a great premise. A group of horror-junkie friends have dreamed as kids of making horror movies together. When none of them are happy about where their adult lives are going, they decide to make a low budget indie-style "spiritual sequel" to the 1997 horror film, Anaconda. However, while making it, they run into a real giant killer snake. Add in a cast that includes Jack Black and Paul Rudd and this movie seems like a sure thing. However, while it is still an enjoyable film it doesn't quite live up to its potential.

As ripe as the premise is for comedy, it is also one that makes us automatically like a relate to these characters. We can nearly all relate to the idea of being disinterested in what we do with our daily lives and wish we had followed the things we dreamed of as kids. Their passion for horror movies and making them is infectious and we get caught up in the excitement of them making this film. Meanwhile, the chemistry between the cast, truly makes their friendship completely believable.

The humor is unfortunately hit and miss. The times when it makes fun of the cheesiness of the movie, they are making or on various aspects of the filmmaking process, it is quite funny. The film that they made as kids is the comedic highlight of the movie and made me laugh out loud. However, much of the slapstick and character driven humor falls completely flat without even a smile. 

I also found the horror elements in this horror-comedy to be rather weak. I didn't expect it to be actually scary, but I expected some suspense and excitement out of a giant snake trying to eat our heroes. Yet that is simply not here. 

This is actually a fun movie, but with such a great premise it was capable of being so much better.