Anaconda

Director: Tom Gormican

When a jobbing actor, Griff (Paul Rudd) meets up with a group of old friends to celebrate Doug’s (Jack Black) birthday, they realise that their dreams of making it big in the movies are dying. Griff spends more time working part time jobs than acting, Doug is a frustrated director stuck making wedding videos, Kenny is unemployed (Steve Zahn) and Claire (Thandiwe Newton) abandoned acting to become a lawyer. But, when Griff announces he has the rights to remake 90’s classic Anaconda, the friends have an opportunity to fulfil their dreams. They head off to the Amazon, but they get more than they bargained for, when trying to remake Anaconda turns into a battle for survival as the Anaconda movie comes very much to life!

How much of a “classic” Anaconda is, is very much up for debate, but what this well intentioned, good hearted, comedy does is pack plenty of gags, fun and action into this 99 minute homage to Ice Cube, J-Lo and the rest!

It’s certainly not a classic and isn’t going to be troubling the comedy greats, but with a likeable cast, tight script and no attempt to take itself seriously, Anaconda provides an amusing holiday distraction, that plays well to a broad audience.

The main cast give you everything you’d expect, all doing their thing, a vehicle that fits all four of them well, particularly Black, who specialises in silly comedy with a sentimental core. There is also good support from Selton Mello’s snake handler and  Daniela Melchior’s, Ana.

The action is well paced, as is the script that delivers plenty of regular gags and a fine set piece involving Doug, a boar and a squirrel!

Anaconda is never going to be a classic, but it is an amusing holiday diversion. With a likeable cast, that is at home with what is being asked of them, a 99 minute run time, humourous script and entertaining action, it will appeal to a pretty broad audience. While it never rises above relatively amusing, sometimes that’s enough and it is here, delivering some Christmas cinema fun.