Anaconda

Anaconda
Starring Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton
Directed by Tom Gormican

In 1997, "Anaconda" hit theaters and had a respectable box office of over $136 million worldwide, and spawned numerous film and made-for-TV sequels, but no one really thought there'd be another on the big screen - until now. However, unlike many other movies that remake or redo the original, "Anaconda" does something different: it centers on four friends who want to remake the classic movie themselves, on a tight shoe-string budget, and also find the passion they once had for movies. It's a rousing tale filled with laugh-out-loud hilarity, and it helps that the source material isn't an obsessed-about IP that'd have fans of the original complaining. It's fun, light, has a great cast, and while it doesn't reinvent the wheel, it provides a decent ride.

For his birthday, Doug McCallister (Jack Black) is surprised by his childhood friend Griff Griffen (Paul Rudd) who travels to their hometown of Buffalo, New York from Los Angeles to celebrate. He brings with him a copy of a film they made as children, and Doug - who's reduced to making engagement videos for couples - has a spark of recognition and reigniting his desire to make real movies, especially horror. Griff then comes at him with an idea: remake the original 1997 film "Anaconda." At first Doug is against it, but at the behest of his wife, he writes a script and gathers their other friends Kenny Trent (Steve Zahn) and Claire Simons (Thandiwe Newton) to head to the Amazon Rainforest and achieve their dream. Only when they arrive do they find the hardships of filming, along with getting involved with real life gold smugglers and a real life anaconda that both threatens to kill them all.

"Anaconda" really doesn't do anything new, but it does make for a unique concept: not remaking something already in-universe, but rather remake a movie they loved as children. It's all the more hilarious they pick "Anaconda" since it wasn't a major blockbuster, but it's the charm of the movie. It's funny and light, poking fun at the very tropes that make horror movies what they are, as well as providing thought-provoking themes like following your dreams, friendship, and overcoming adversity. 

The cast for the most part do an exceptional job, especially Paul Rudd and Jack Black, who play lifelong friends and their natural chemistry makes you feel like it's true, while wasting the talents of Steve Zahn and Thandiwe Newton (Newton, especially, has very little to do here). Yet through Rudd and Black's characters do you really feel a sense of excitement and breathing new life to your vision, as they take command to make the movie happen - even as real life threats lurk in the background before coming full force.

The first half of the film is the best, as we get to let loose with the friends as they go about making their film, and the fun they have making it. The second half is also decent, but in a different way, touching on more serious issues and also when the action and horror amp up. The background story of gold smugglers really doesn't have a lot to do with the film as a whole, but seeing the friends run continually from a giant CGI anaconda really makes things enjoyable. While the script is a bit off-kilter, there's just enough fun to be had to enjoy the experience, even if you don't want to watch it again.

The Score: B+