Five movies in, plus a 2024 Chinese remake, do we seriously need more Anaconda movies? I mean, what else can a filmmaker do with this franchise that has been losing its fang for God-knows-how-long-already? Apparently, Sony sees it fit to bring back Anaconda, and they have Tom Gormican in charge of the direction. His name isn’t immediately recognizable, but having seen his 2022 work in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, he sure knows a thing or two about incorporating the meta-comedy element while bringing out the best in Nicolas Cage, who clearly has a field day playing the fictionalized version of himself. Interestingly, Cage was originally rumored to appear in the new Anaconda, but was replaced by Jack Black instead. It would be an interesting what-if scenario if Cage actually reunites with Gormican, and the unhinged sense of fun this actor-director collaboration might turn out for such a creature feature in Anaconda.
Still, having Jack Black onboard is the next best thing, playing the kind of endearing underdog role that is synonymous with his acting alter ego. The new Anaconda begins with the unfulfilling life of Doug McCallister (Jack Black), whose profession as a wedding videographer feels like a dead-end job, even if it helps to pay the bills. He has a happy family and a group of childhood best friends who still keep in touch with him. The early comedy-drama stretch may look like an extended filler and a placeholder before we get to the main point of the story. And that is, a trip to the jungle where these characters eventually find themselves under the dangerous threat of a giant anaconda.
But Gormican, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kevin Etten, understands the importance of fleshing out these characters before everything turns awry, allowing us to actually care about their journey. This is especially true after one of Doug’s best friends, Griff (Paul Rudd), a struggling background actor who has been recently fired for screwing up his line, tells him and the two others, Claire (Thandiwe Newton) and Kenny (Steve Zahn), about securing the rights to Anaconda. This means they can finally make their own version of Anaconda since all four of them happen to be big fans of the movie.
Now, their next step is to secure some funding, but the bank could only grant them a few thousand, a far cry from the proposed million-dollar budget needed to pull off a low-budget Anaconda film. Even with such a limited fund, they refuse to give up as they find ways to improvise whatever they can to make it work. Personally, I find myself rooting for their journey since it’s hard not to get inspired by these characters’ determination, particularly Doug, who strongly believes this is his rare golden opportunity to prove to himself he can achieve his lifelong dream to become a filmmaker. I enjoy the character dynamics between the four of them, more than enough to keep me invested in the movie even before they face the anaconda.
The story also introduces two more characters, beginning with Santiago (Selton Mello), a snake handler whom Kenny is responsible to hook up wit him since the former owns a pet serpent that they can borrow for filming purpose. Then, there’s the mysterious Ana (Daniela Melchior), who is seemingly running away from some bad guys, looking everywhere for her. Things get complicated when Ana hops on the boat, pretending to be someone in charge of taking Doug and the rest to the river in the Amazonian jungle. Well, it’s just a matter of time before life imitates art after they subsequently encounter the giant anaconda.
Kudos go to Gormican for utilizing the meta-comedy approach to embrace the cheesy B-movie vibe that is associated with an Anaconda film, and I’m glad he doesn’t take it seriously. The subsequent manic energy is undeniable as the movie progresses, where the stakes – mixing laughs and scares – of seeing these characters in deep trouble with the anaconda, and not to mention, facing Ana’s enemy. The erratic pace tends to get in the way every now and then, but it doesn’t deter me from having fun watching this movie unfold, even when some scenes feel like the director could have omitted altogether.
The whole thing with Melchior’s enigmatic character feels like an unnecessary narrative diversion once her motive is eventually revealed. All I can say here is that her presence doesn’t fit in well with the main story, making her subplot as if it were a padded-out narrative. If there’s any consolation about her part, the only thing worth mentioning here is Melchior’s committed performance as the no-nonsense Ana, and it’s a pity the side of her story doesn’t do much to justify her existence as a coherent whole.
As for the rest of the cast, Jack Black and Paul Rudd made a good on-screen pair, combining their respective charm and comedic talents to effective results. The two are equally backed by solid supporting turns from Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn, where the latter has a memorable scene revolving around his character saving Doug. Let’s just say it has to do with an extended toilet humor that has everyone couldn’t stop laughing during the press screening that I attended last week.
While the new Anaconda emphasizes a lot on going broad and meta with the comedy elements, Gormican equally deserves praise for staging a few effective horror parts. The climactic third act is easily one of them, as the characters finally had enough with all the running and screaming (even though they still do), and decide to make the last stand against the persistent anaconda.
