Anaconda

Anaconda Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Daniela Melchior, Thandiwe Newton, and Steve Zahn

Director: Tom Gormican

What’s Good: All the leading actors have fantastic chemistry, which makes most of the lame jokes tolerable, but we were expecting so much more from such a cast.

What’s Bad: The humor goes fast into easy jokes and rancid humor, which won’t land for everyone, or for most people, for that matter.

Loo Break: The film is short, so there aren’t many opportunities to use the restroom. However, like in most films, it is best to do it during the second act.

Watch or Not?: Watch only if you are a fan of the main actors or the original film; if you are neither, then pass. There are better comedies and films out there.

Language: English (with subtitles).

Available On: Theaters

Runtime: 100 Minutes.

User Rating:

Opening:

Remakes have a become a regular sight in Hollywood, even from before the 21st Century came around, with producers choosing to tell an old story once again and bet on an already proven formula, instead of going for something original and unknown, which makes this new Anaconda such a weird film, as it doesn’t tell the story of the original Anaconda, and doesn’t even try to tell it, but focuses on why someone would like to remake it in the first place, and the results are mixed.

Anaconda Movie Review: Script Analysis

Anaconda actually has more in common with another Jack Black film, Be Kind, Rewind, a film where a group of friends tries to remake some of their favorite films to keep their video store alive. This new Anaconda has the same spirit, as we see a group of friends getting ready to remake the original Anaconda, their favorite film. Then, issues ensue as a huge Anaconda crashes their filming.

From that point of view, Anaconda 2025 feels almost original, as it doesn’t try to substitute the original film but rather serves as a sort of homage to it, maintaining the original film’s mystique as a lovable cult classic, more campy than scary, yet fun. This homage maintains the vibe, but only thanks to its main cast, who really do all they can to elevate the material.

Jack Black and Paul Rudd propel the script to new highs, and you will find yourself laughing here and there, but nothing ends up being truly hilarious, not in the same way as something like Tropic Thunder, another film that serves as a huge inspiration for this one. Everything feels tame, and the film seems hesitant to go the extra mile and overdo it, which in this case is a good thing.

As it stands, the script as a very clever and compelling premise, even a wonderful message, but the moment to moment parts of the plot, the jokes, and the overall vibes of the film feel too contained, and it is hard to blame the actors because you know that they would be willing to go the extra mile, as they have done before.

Anaconda Movie Review: Star Performance

While there is a cool collection of actors here, the film is without a doubt the Jack Black and Paul Rudd show, who basically project their public personas in the movie, and that is it, so we cannot really talk about huge performances here as at times, it feels like the both of them are not even acting, which makes sense taking into account the nature of the story, but yeah, their charisma is powerful. You will reach the end of the film thanks to them.

Daniela Melchior and Thandiwe Newton are mostly there as pretty faces, and while they do things in the plot, it is very clear they are there to add the feminine presence and nothing more, which is sad because they are awe-inspiring performers in their own right.