Synopsis:
Best friends Griff and Doug have always dreamed of remaking their all-time favorite movie “Anaconda.” When a midlife crisis pushes them to finally go for it, they assemble a crew and head deep into the jungles of the Amazon to start filming. However, life soon imitates art when a gigantic anaconda with a thirst for blood starts hunting them down.
My Edition:
Library copy (DVD)
My Thoughts:
Sometimes life is kinda crappy. And when that happens, you’ll probably feel better (even just for a little while) if you watch a really silly movie. Well, I’m having a crappy time right now, and Tom Gormican’s whatever-the-hell this is (spiritual sequel? remake? re-imagining? meta-reboot?) to Luis Llosa’s dumpster fire-par excellence (1997’s Anaconda) was just what any doctor worth their degree would have ordered.
It actually reminds me of another of my favorite Jack Black movies, Be Kind Rewind (I like the ones where he still acts – not the ones where he just plays Jack Black). It is a bit similar in that Anaconda is also about some people who really like movies trying to remake a movie that they love. There is just something about that whole concept that I just find wildly endearing. And again, because I feel this is important: Jack Black is just playing a guy. Just a regular guy who would really rather be making movies that wedding videos. And I’d watch Paul Rudd and co-star Thandiwe Newton stare at a wall, so…yeah. Oh, and Steve Zahn is in Anaconda as well – I feel like he is such a criminally under-utilized comedic actor these days.
Anyway, Anaconda is a lot of fun. It’s not a movie you watch for its originality, or for its powerhouse performances (although everyone is pretty great in it). It’s the kind of movie you watch when life is just being stupid like it sometimes is, and you want to escape for a little while. And in that regard, it succeeds admirably. The cast work so well together that it’s easy to believe they’re lifelong friends.
Rating:
It’s silly, sweet, and kind of dumb, but in the nicest possible way.
Anaconda
Written by: Tom Gormican & Kevin Etten
Directed by: Tom Gormican
Columbia Pictures
US Release Date: December 25, 2025
Rated: PG-13
99 minutes
