When the first marketing image for this film was released – the one with Jack Black wearing the pig carcass on his head – I knew I’d be seated for it. I hoped it would include some of the seriousness of the first film and the irreverent humor from the second. While this new film doesn’t quite know exactly what it is, it does land a few laughs and a couple of great cameos along the way.
The film follows four middle aged friends, each at various stages of down on their luck disappointment, who come together when one of them says he now has the movie rights to Anaconda. They head down to Brazil to film their low budget film in the Amazon. They hire a snake wrangler and a boat captain who is also on the run for stealing gold. Their adventure is sidelined when the snake dies and they have to find another. After the wrangler dies during this attempt, they find out that the rights to Anaconda aren’t in their possession after all when they see an actual film crew filming another sequel. This is when the real anacondas make their presence known and people start dying.
If you had ever told me that Thandiwe Newton would star in a comedic horror film and be convincing, I would have told you to choke on your anaconda sized nonsense in the nicest way possible. Newton shows up for this film with her usual seriousness and a really bad wig and adds a little extra meaning and heart to what is transpiring. She manages it without feeling like she is out of place in the film. Jack Black, Paul Rudd, and Steve Zahn are just as you would expect. Funny. Irreverent. Unmatched comedic timing. These four have so much chemistry that it feels like they have been friends forever, and that is really the heart of the film. They talk about themes a few times, and I think one of the main themes in this film are that it’s never too late to start over and do what makes you happy as long as its surrounded by the people you love.
What I could have done without is the whole gold subplot with the boat’s captain. It adds nothing to the film and the captain disappears for most of the first half until she appears wielding a shotgun. Black’s character, the screenwriter and amateur filmmaker, writes her into their film and it causes a riff with Rudd’s character who is a struggling actor. Then she reverts back to wanting to retrieve her gold and what could have been a funny, ridiculous, meta filmmaking jaunt into the jungle is upended by greed. This is where the film lost its way and forgot what it was.
That said, Ice Cube shows up during the third act to do some badassery before running off to rescue another actor who starred in the original film. I won’t tell you who this other cameo is because I didn’t honestly think they would ever get this person to show up for this film. Like thinking Thandiwe Newton had no comedic chops, I was wrong. I’m okay with admitting it twice today.
3.5 out of 5 stars for this mildly funny film.
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Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
When the first marketing image for this film was released – the one with Jack Black wearing the pig carcass on his head – I knew I’d be seated for it. I hoped it would include some of the seriousness of the first film and the irreverent humor from the second. While this new film doesn’t quite know exactly what it is, it does land a few laughs and a couple of great cameos along the way.
The film follows four middle aged friends, each at various stages of down on their luck disappointment, who come together when one of them says he now has the movie rights to Anaconda. They head down to Brazil to film their low budget film in the Amazon. They hire a snake wrangler and a boat captain who is also on the run for stealing gold. Their adventure is sidelined when the snake dies and they have to find another. After the wrangler dies during this attempt, they find out that the rights to Anaconda aren’t in their possession after all when they see an actual film crew filming another sequel. This is when the real anacondas make their presence known and people start dying.
If you had ever told me that Thandiwe Newton would star in a comedic horror film and be convincing, I would have told you to choke on your anaconda sized nonsense in the nicest way possible. Newton shows up for this film with her usual seriousness and a really bad wig and adds a little extra meaning and heart to what is transpiring. She manages it without feeling like she is out of place in the film. Jack Black, Paul Rudd, and Steve Zahn are just as you would expect. Funny. Irreverent. Unmatched comedic timing. These four have so much chemistry that it feels like they have been friends forever, and that is really the heart of the film. They talk about themes a few times, and I think one of the main themes in this film are that it’s never too late to start over and do what makes you happy as long as its surrounded by the people you love.
What I could have done without is the whole gold subplot with the boat’s captain. It adds nothing to the film and the captain disappears for most of the first half until she appears wielding a shotgun. Black’s character, the screenwriter and amateur filmmaker, writes her into their film and it causes a riff with Rudd’s character who is a struggling actor. Then she reverts back to wanting to retrieve her gold and what could have been a funny, ridiculous, meta filmmaking jaunt into the jungle is upended by greed. This is where the film lost its way and forgot what it was.
That said, Ice Cube shows up during the third act to do some badassery before running off to rescue another actor who starred in the original film. I won’t tell you who this other cameo is because I didn’t honestly think they would ever get this person to show up for this film. Like thinking Thandiwe Newton had no comedic chops, I was wrong. I’m okay with admitting it twice today.
3.5 out of 5 stars for this mildly funny film.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
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