Paul Rudd and Jack Black star in comic remake of 1997 cult classic
Anaconda ★★★
(M), 99 minutes
There’s a ready-made audience for this hilarious remake of the 1997 alien movie Anaconda.
The original film has become a cherished cult classic among movies that are as bad as they are good, meaning fans view the new film with a fond appreciation for its parodic references to the original. But if you are among the unconverted, you may be less sensitive.
Jack Black in Anaconda references the cult-favorite original.
The adventure begins when Griff Griffin (Paul Rudd), an unemployed actor, tells a few old friends that he has managed to acquire the rights to the film. AnacondaIt’s a picture they’ve all loved since they were teenagers. Wanting to make a remake, he suggests that he and his ex-girlfriend Claire (Thandiwe Newton) play the lead roles, with their camera-geek friend Doug (Jack Black) directing and the fourth member of the group, Kenny (Steve Zahn), taking on the role of cinematographer.
The story will reflect their own circumstances. The characters of Griff and Claire are also Anaconda reboot – traveling on a boat in the Amazon, shooting scenes as you go. But first they must find an anaconda docile enough to be their co-star, while resisting the urge to view the cast and crew as their next meal.
Productions directed by Tom Gormican The Unbearable Weight of Tremendous Talenta similarly chaotic Nicolas Cage comedy adventure – the film has a crucial element. Both Rudd and Black are experts when it comes to hysterical comedy. They know exactly how to make you laugh as they tease each other in a state of high anxiety, and the script gives them plenty of opportunities to do so — especially after they recruit snake tamers Santiago (Brazilian star Selton Mello) and his supposedly tenderable anaconda, Heitor. However, it takes a while for the action to pick up speed.
Claire (Thandiwe Newton), Kenny (Steve Zahn) and Griff (Paul Rudd) need to find an anaconda to star in the remake.
The film was not shot in the Brazilian rainforest, but in Australia’s Gold Coast hinterland and other subtropical areas of southern Queensland. The Tweed River stands in for the Amazon, and if you think all that information would take away from the film’s exotic appeal, don’t worry. The jungle looks incredibly dense and dangerous, and the players are suitably warm and sweaty, which is all that’s needed.
As in the original, the story’s villains aren’t just reptiles. There’s a subplot centering on a mystery involving a gang of gold smugglers and the boat’s dazzling but mysterious captain, Ana (Portuguese actress Daniela Melchior), but none of the surrounding complications develop into anything approaching suspense. It’s the sordid appeal of the story that elevates things to the level needed to make it all work.
