What to watch: Jack Black’s big snake adventure
· Citizen
There can be nothing worse than spending hard earned cash on codswallop schmaltzy B-grade horror flicks.
At first glance The Anaconda, now available for rent on Apple TV and other rental platforms, also for free on Netflix, looks like a remake of the awfully delightful Anaconda horror flick. The first instalment was in 1997. But Jack Black’s version is different.
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And if you enjoy Jack Black’s comedic style in this buddy comedy, then The Anaconda is the perfect weekend family flick.
The movie reimagines the gigantic snake horror. Doug, played by Black, is a wedding videographer whose life path is leading him to follow in his dad’s footsteps and take over the family business on his retirement.
Paul Rudd is Griff, a struggling actor whose career has never passed beyond the credits naming him as, for example, talking juror number three. Both mates are struggling with their midlife stagnation and after revisiting a teenage horror home video they made, the pair agree to try making a movie and live their ideal, one more time.
A spiritual remake of Anaconda
Their plan, to remake Anaconda with a budget lower than most people spend on groceries over a year. They called it a spiritual sequel. Camera operator and teeny cast besides the two, the crew head off to the Amazon jungle to kick off a sequence of events that’s as much action comedy as it is buddy movie.
In the jungle, everything starts to unravel, quickly. Actress and childhood sweetheart of Griff, Claire is played by Thandi Newton and Kenny the camera performed by Steve Zahn end up with the middle-aged two in this misadventure. Chaos from start to finish probably describes the balance of the movie perfectly, and it’s so much fun!
Of course, the storyline also collides with Brazil’s own version of the zama zamas as the filmmakers clash with illegal miners and the local police investigating them. It adds a bit of shooting and running away as a segue to the snaky adventure.
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There are a lot of undertones in the film, too. And you don’t have to look too deep to find the third layer of the narrative that pokes some sardonic fun at Hollywood and the constant rehash of ideas, movies and so on. Ice Cube and J-Lo both guest star for a few moments to make this bit of the joke real, and so too does a reconstruction of a destructed “original” Anaconda movie set.
It’s all somewhat bizarre, but then again, which Jack Black movie doesn’t have an element of the stir crazy in it?
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Irresistible trademark Jack Black humour
There’s also slapstick humour. But it’s done irresistibly well and never feels forced or overdone. There’s balance and the script feel almost like a batch of freshly baked cookies. It’s that snackable and the performances of the cast, wonderfully easy and relaxed.
Snake, camera, action! Picture SuppliedWhat’s really lekker about this movie is that it’s tidy. It’s suitable for the whole family and while the kids gloss over the more grown-up comedic moments, there’s more than enough to content to keep them entertained.
Importantly, and yes, as with most buddy movies there are teachable moments in between the romping and rolling. It’s a movie that also tells its audience that it is okay to chase your dreams, no matter whether you are six or 60 and that friendship can endure no matter what.
Because we all need people in our lives that can live the dream, or in this case, the bit of nightmare, with us. It’s a movie about second chances, about learning about one another, about the context of frustration and how to shed your own preconceived ideas about personal limitations.
It’s deep, but it’s also shallow. And that’s what makes a great teachable moment in between the big slithers, the action and the funnies.
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