A One Mann’s Movies review of “Anaconda” (2025, 3*, 12A).
Stories involving man tackling a giant snake have been covered in film and TV many times, from 1954’s “Anaconda” to Johnny Weissmuller wrestling various reptiles as Tarzan (such as in 1958’s “Tarzan’s Fight for Life”). But in modern times, the titular snake has most famously reared its head in the 1997 version of “Anaconda”: a popcorn action movie starring Jon Voight, Jennifer Lopez, Eric Stoltz and Ice Cube. Given that this film only has a 4.9 rating on IMDB, it seems total foolishness to try to remake it. But that is NOT what this 2025 film is doing: it is a fun, self-mocking parody of the movie-making business.
I mean, it’s no “Hamnet“. But it is also certainly not the 1* bust that I went in expecting it to be. I actually had fun in this one.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
A mid-life crisis is hitting a group of friends hard. It leads frustrated wedding-film director Doug McCallister (Jack Black); frustrated and unsuccessful actor Ronald Griffin Jr. (Paul Rudd); adrift alcoholic stoner Kenny Trent (Steve Zahn) and disgruntled lawyer Claire Simons (Thandiwe Newton) on a quest to the Amazon to film their own version of the 1997 film “Anaconda”. But there they run into the terrified Ana Almeida (Daniela Melchior) who is being pursued through the jungle by a bunch of gun-men.
Certification:
UK: 12A; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC web site: “Moderate violence, threat, drug misuse, infrequent strong language”)
Talent:
Starring: Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior, Selton Mello, Dan Silveira, Diego Arnary, Ione Skye
Directed by: Tom Gormican.
Written by: Tom Gormican & Kevin Etten. (Based on “Anaconda” by Hans Bauer, Jim Cash & Jack Epps Jr.
Running Time: 1h 39m.
Summary:
Positives:
- Broke the 6-laughs test for a comedy, with a few really good belly laughs.
- The meta gags about the film-making are very clever.
- Jack Black is again… Jack Black. But this is a film he is well suited to.
- The casting is really good.
- I enjoyed the ‘Amazonianishness’ of the score.
Negatives:
- It’s silly and cheesy.
- The plot is naturally ludicrous (but then that hardly matters here).
Full Review of “Anaconda”:
I went in knowing nothing.
The thing I liked most about this relatively low-grade popcorn fodder was that it was wonderfully self-mocking and meta. I went into the cinema knowing nothing about it, so when I found out it wasn’t a remake of “Anaconda” but a film about the REMAKING of “Anaconda” it came as a pleasant surprise. We actually spend a surprising amount of time in the set-up of the relationships between the four leads: those expecting a rousing action film may get fidgety. But this pays off well in the scenes to follow.
Ronald and Doug used to have big dreams of going to Hollywood to make their fortune in movies and while Ronald went there (unsuccessfully), Doug welched on the dream and ending up making dull wedding announcement videos. It’s a “B to B+” life, but Doug’s attempts to persuade his clients to make a version of “Terminator” or “Alien” for their wedding videos fall on deaf ears.
We learn that Ronald (Rudd) and Claire (Newton) had a thing for each other in school (so we of course know where this might go!) We also learn that Kenny (Zahn) has previously been fired by Doug (Black) for his addictions, but that he is now on the straight and narrow. Well, kind of: Trent claims that he is now “Buffalo sober”; that is, he just drinks “beer and wine and the lighter liquors” (LOL).
Way funnier than I was expecting.
As we recently talked about with “Fackham Hall“, comedy is very much in the eye of the beholder. But for me, this one smashed the 6-laughs test for a comedy and bits of it I found plain hilarious.
Some of the dialogue is really funny: Doug is told at one point “Dude, you could be the white Jordan Peele”! And when another, big-budget filming operation cruises past in their huge vessel and declares that they are also remaking “Anaconda”, a production assistant shrugs and says “I know… no new ideas”! (This vessel ends up wrecked further up the river which reminded me of the wonderful old – sadly no longer running – “Jaws” ride at Universal Studios Florida. Ah, happy sun-soaked days of family fun!)
The film also delivers some great visual laughs too. A scene where a snake meets an unfortunate end made me guffaw. A public-urination scene is absurd but funny. And another scene where Jack Black is running, hell-for-leather, across open South-American countryside, like Indiana Jones in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” – but with a live pig strapped to his back and after spitting out a dead squirrel – is one of the most ludicrously funny things I’ve seen on the big screen in a while.
Naturally, the big snake makes an appearance – “We came out here to make Anaconda and now we’re in it” – and the comedy turns to comedy terror in idiotically stupid ways. The plotting is ludicrous. A third reel twist is “Really?”. And the size of the snake, and its ability to be despatched in such a “Jaws”-like way, is absurd. But I really didn’t care too much about that… it was good silly fun.
The film also delivers some class cameos (which I won’t spoil) that were good fun.
“Green Ice” revisited.
Back in the early 80’s, one of my favourite soundtrack albums was Bill Wyman’s score for the Ryan O’Neal Amazonian adventure “Green Ice”. I used to play it constantly on repeat! I found similarities with the score for this film by David Fleming. (“Superman“; “Eternity“: clearly a composer on the up in Hollywood.) I loved the sweeping strings and the use of pan-pipes etc to provide the atmosphere.
Actors having a lot of fun.
There’s a strong turn out from the five main leads here.
Jack Black is always Jack Black in his films, but here the Jack-Blackiness seems to fit the mood of the film perfectly and I enjoyed the zany performance.
Paul Rudd’s currency with me is on dodgy ground after his last Ant Man fiasco, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” and “Death of a Unicorn“. Here though he is fine, if predictable, in his role. A ‘chemistry’ scene while filming with Thandiwe Newton (if anything getting more gorgeous with age) is very well done though.
Daniela Melchior plays Ana, a role which, from the name, I wonder might have been aimed at Ana de Armas if they could have afforded her! But she again impresses in this kick-ass action role.
Monkeys.
There is a brief mid-credit “monkey” but nothing further at the end of the titles. You’re welcome.
Summary Thoughts:
A cheesy, lightweight action comedy but one that is professionally delivered and actually surprisingly funny. Smashed the 6-laughs test and well worth catching when it appears on streaming.
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az8M5Mai0X4.
Subscribe
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to One Mann’s Movies to receive future reviews by email right here. No salesman will call!
