Anaconda, the 1997 film starring Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Owen Wilson, and Jon Voight, lives rent-free in the minds of a surprising number of people. The action-horror movie about a documentary film crew crossing paths with a poacher hunting a giant snake was savaged by critics upon release, yet still became a box-office hit. There’s no denying Anaconda is a bad film. But it’s the right kind of bad, one that’s since evolved into a mild cult classic, thanks mainly to Jon Voight’s baffling accent and the enduring star power of its cast.
Now, that story is getting not so much a sequel but a “spiritual reboot”. This time, Anaconda stars Jack Black and Paul Rudd, and leans fully into its action-comedy aspects. Directed by Tom Gormican, the film works surprisingly well, targeting an audience that knows and loves the original, while delivering something fresh, ridiculous, and genuinely entertaining.
Doug (Black) once dreamed of becoming a Hollywood director, but now shoots wedding videos for a living. His childhood friend Griff (Rudd), who once aspired to be a leading man, finds himself stuck in background roles. When Griff shows up to Doug’s birthday with a VHS tape of their childhood action-adventure movie, he convinces their friend group – including Claire (Thandiwe Newton) and Kenny (Steve Zahn) – to travel to the Amazon to remake Anaconda as an indie action-comedy. Hiring a riverboat and a quirky snake handler to help make their picture, things naturally go awry. Much like in the original Anaconda, a series of escalating threats put the crew – and their film – in jeopardy.
To explain the story further would be a disservice to Gormican and Kevin Etten’s script. Delightfully meta and packed with well-earned jokes—many at Jon Voight’s expense—the film pays loving homage to its predecessor while venturing into territory not explored so confidently since Tropic Thunder.
Gormican is no stranger to meta storytelling. After all, he directed the brilliant Nicolas Cage film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Here, he applies that same reverent, self-aware tone to Anaconda, and somehow, it works. It’s not a stretch to envision the 1997 film as a comedy because it was already so over-the-top. Now, Gormican and Etten double down on its over-the-topness with great success. Not quite a full comedy home run, the film occasionally feels like it’s holding back. One can’t help but wish Gormican and Etten pushed the absurdity even further. Still, the result is a wildly entertaining, laugh-out-loud experience that will delight audiences.
Black, Rudd, Newton, and Zahn form a solid ensemble, with the script wisely giving each character a moment to shine rather than letting Black dominate entirely. Even the snakes are an improvement, benefiting from modern effects far superior to the late-’90s CGI.
The December box office is sadly void of enjoyable comedies this season, but Anaconda will fill the void for those looking for some light-hearted entertainment. A gift to fans of the original and newcomers alike, Anaconda slithers into theatres over the holidays.
Anaconda hits theatres nationwide on December 25.
