Plot: What’s it about?
Ah, the remake. Or is it the reboot? Or the sequel? How about…the re-imagining! Yep. That’s a winner right there. If you can sell something to someone once, you can do it again (and again). That’s what they say in Hollywood where, evidently, there’s not a huge demand for screenwriters and every movie you loved as a kid will most likely be remade. Vacation? Yep. Ghostbusters. You know it. How about The Karate Kid? Of course! I think my point has been made. But we’re now at the point where they’re making movies from the late 90’s. I’m assuming this trend will continue. But I remember seeing the original Anaconda in theaters back in the Spring of 1997. It was goofy and fun and it introduced us to Owen Wilson and Jennifer Lopez. They’d both been in a few movies before, but it’s widely recognized that this was their “big break.” Take that for what you will. Flash forward a quarter of a century and here we are. Forget the sequels, this is the one you’ve been waiting for!
Longtime best friends Griff (Paul Rudd) and Doug (Jack Black) grew up in Buffalo and were fascinated by movies. Their favorite film, Anaconda inspired them to make their own film The Quatch. But time passes and now both Griff and Doug are in their 50’s and life hasn’t turned out the way they thought it would (does it ever?). Griff went to 0ut to L.A. to become and actor and Doug is now a wedding videographer – a job he hates, though he’s been told that he’s in line to take over the company. He’s got a happy life with his wife Malie (Ione Skye) and son, Charlie (Sebastian Sero). After viewing The Quatch, this inspires the duo to set out to accomplish their dream – to re-imagine their favorite movie – Anaconda. The duo, along with best friends Claire (Thandiwe Newton) and Kenny (Steve Zahn) in tow, head off to South America to start the shoot. The only problem is that once they get there they meet up with Ana (Daniela Melchior), a beautiful woman being pursued by guys she claims are illegal gold miners. There’s also the issue of a real anaconda that follows them. Making movies is a difficult business…
I realize that this wasn’t supposed to be taken seriously. I watched this and took it with a grain of salt. I mean, hell, even the original movie was very tongue-in-cheek. I like the fact that they reference the original film as well as the actors (some may or may not make a cameo here) who were in it. It takes the whole “let’s pretend this isn’t a remake” angle out of the equation. There’s some chemistry from Jack Black and Paul Rudd, to be sure. Seemingly wasted in their roles are Steve Zahn and Thandiwe Newton who each have a memorable line or two, but not much more. But, again, the angle that they approach this from does make it more palatable. I’m still not a fan of anything being remade for…any reason, but if more were like this I’d be on board. If you’re a fan of the original film (or any of the ghastly sequels), then this is worth 99 minutes of your time.
Video: How’s it look?
Jack Black has proven, time and again, that you don’t need to have “moviestar good looks” to be an actual movie star. As he ages our 4K TV’s don’t do the guy any favors. Hey, I can make fun of him if I want to – he’s worth millions of dollars. Kidding aside, the 2.39:1 image leaves little to the imagination with bold, bright colors as well as razor sharp detail. CGI was in its early days when the 1997 film came out and a lot has happened since then – namely, the CGI is much better. The snake (yes, there are actual anacondas in the movie) looks pretty realistic, the sweeping shots of South America look great and it adds up to a nice viewing experience.
Audio: How’s it sound?
As we might imagine, there are a lot of physical gags that abound. And that’s fine as the DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack handles any and every effect with the greatest of ease. Vocals are pure and crisp, Jack Black is one person who knows how to scream his lines. Surrounds are used sparingly, but do offer some added ambiance, particularly in the final act. In short, it’s everything we’d expect it to be and something that’ll sound great in the comfort of your home.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Hiss-terical Outtakes & Bloopers – Pretty much that. Just some shenanigans on the set. They also used the word “hiss” instead of “hys” because the movie is about a snake. Get it?
- Deleted & Extended Scenes – Again, nothing much here. The film somewhat struggled at its 99 minutes, anything more would be overkill.
- A Ride Into Chaos with Jack & Paul – The two headliners talk about the film, what attracted them to the project and so forth.
- Friends in the Wild: The Cast – We get some sound bytes from the rest of the ensemble cast.
- The Snake Charmer: Tom Gormican – An interview with the film’s director.
- Reinventing the Legend: Anaconda – A more in-depth take on this film and their intended approach.
The Bottom Line
The original (1997) Anaconda was pure, campy fun. And so is this, just in a totally different way. They handled the approach to the film in a way that made it relevant, but yet could stand on its own as well. “A movie about making a movie” if you will. If that’s your thing, you’ll have a good time. If not, watch a Steven Spielberg movie.
