Anaconda (1997)

Director: Luis Llosa

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight, Eric Stoltz, Owen Wilson

A “National Geographic” film crew is taken hostage by an insane hunter, who forces them along on his quest to capture the world’s largest – and deadliest – snake.

Having received mostly negative reviews from critics, I once again disagree with them, as I found ‘Anaconda’ exciting and a hell of a thrill ride!

The film is set in the Amazon jungle, with a film crew shooting a documentary in search of an elusive Indian tribe. During a storm, they rescue a man, Paul, from his stranded boat. From the onset, things seem a bit off with Paul, and soon becomes the film’s antagonist. Oh, off course, the Anaconda is also an antagonist, but the giant snake doesn’t really make an appearance until well into the film. I actually found the suspense and mystery so interesting that it didn’t even matter that there was no snake during the first half. It was a nice build up to the horror that was to follow.

The characters were a bit stereotypical and none of them really stood out as memorable, except for Paul, maybe, with an eerie performance by Jon Voight. We see Owen Wilson in a serious role and I liked him here. I loved Jonathan Hyde as Westridge, who mainly served as comic relief, but did a darn fine job. Ice Cube should stick to singing (even though I don’t like rap), as I’ve never really viewed him as a serious actor. Eric Stoltz’s character, Steven Cale, was absent for most of the movie, having been injured early on in the movie. Lopez is supposedly the film’s protagonist, but her character, Terri, was a bit weak.

The clever photography enhances the suspense. The visual effects are excellent. I loved the call to adventure, and the action-packed, nail-biting finale. This is a bloody awesome movie.

Despite what critics thought about the film, ‘Anaconda’ was a box office success, earning nearly $137 million on a $45 million budget. It spawned three sequels and a crossover to the ‘Lake Placid’ film series.

Would I watch it again? Yes, definitely. I loved it!