Snakes on a Plane (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
Well, I am currently on a plane. I am feverishly looking up, down, left, & right ... hoping to not see any rattlers, copperheads, pythons, black mambas, cobras, & the like. This film is chock-full of chills, thrills, jolts, & grimaces. And yet, it is the perfect kind of flick for the late summer crowds; pure escapism. 'SoaP' blends great humor with cheesy horror. That is a winning combination. Was this movie perfect? No. Did all of the snakes look real? Nope. Is the last 15 minutes even conceivable? Nah, not really. And most importantly, can Julianna Margulies act well? Certainly not. Now I know why we haven't seen much of her since her 'ER' days. But all of that doesn't matter. 'SoaP' was mindless, & a Hell of a lot of fun!
'Snakes on a Plane' is directed by David R. Ellis. Sean (Nathan Phillips) is an extreme sports lover who, unfortunately, witnesses a gruesome murder. The man who has killed this victim is crime lord, Eddie Kim (Byron Lawson). And after Kim tracks down Sean, it is FBI agent Nelville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) who comes to the rescue. Nelville is able to convince young Sean to fly from Hawaii over to Los Angeles to testify against Eddie Kim. How do they get to L.A.? By plane, of course. And does Eddie Kim figure out which plane Sean will be on? Of course. And how will he try to prevent Sean and Nelville from getting to L.A.? Well, snakes, of course; duh. Flight 121 is the setting for this potential catastrophe high in the sky.
The plot is simple & straightforward. You don't have to cramp your brain when you watch this. The only things that could cramp would be your muscles as you flinch & girate in your chair when the snakes lash out on screen. Let's talk about Samuel L. Jackson for a minute. I love this guy. Everything he says and does is fun to watch. And the movie is no different. When he unleashes his now famous, "I've had it. I'm sick of these mutha#@*ing snakes on this mutha%&#ing plane", all you can do is agree and cheer. I will even go as far as to say that ... even though I loved this film, it would have been a complete & utter bomb without him in it.
With the exception of Margulies (as Claire, flight attendant on her last flight), the rest of the cast is great. Flex Alexander & Kenan Thompson are the germaphobic rap star & his silly bodyguard. David Koechner plays one of the pilots who hits on Claire. Lin Shaye (hysterical in There's Something About Mary) plays an aging flight attendant. Bruce James plays an ambiguously gay male flight attendant (with all cliches abounding). We also have our share of pretty blondes (Rachel Blanchard & her little doggy), nervous air travelers, couples who want to be added to the mile-high club, your typical 'prick' businessman who wants to be as far away from crying babies & pets, as possible, etc. Every type of person is on this flight for our viewing pleasure; it all works. We quickly learn who these people are & watch as the body count rises by the second with each venomous attack. It's also great to see how each survivor is keeping themselves alive/fending off the snakes/what weapons they are using, etc.
You know, this movie is not for everyone. I went with my dad. And he probably liked it a bit more because I got a real kick out of it. And other people will like it more if they went in a big group with their friends. This is exactly what happened to me when I saw 'Boat Trip' in the theater. Among my peers, & a theater filled with laughing strangers, I found the film to be quite funny. When I rented it, I realized it was one of the most un-funny movies ever. Would this happened with 'SoaP'? I don't think so. There are too many heart-stopping attacks, grizzly deaths, & other unexpected horrors to combat the hokey comedy. I never thought I would have enjoyed a flight as much as this one.
'Snakes on a Plane' is directed by David R. Ellis. Sean (Nathan Phillips) is an extreme sports lover who, unfortunately, witnesses a gruesome murder. The man who has killed this victim is crime lord, Eddie Kim (Byron Lawson). And after Kim tracks down Sean, it is FBI agent Nelville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) who comes to the rescue. Nelville is able to convince young Sean to fly from Hawaii over to Los Angeles to testify against Eddie Kim. How do they get to L.A.? By plane, of course. And does Eddie Kim figure out which plane Sean will be on? Of course. And how will he try to prevent Sean and Nelville from getting to L.A.? Well, snakes, of course; duh. Flight 121 is the setting for this potential catastrophe high in the sky.
The plot is simple & straightforward. You don't have to cramp your brain when you watch this. The only things that could cramp would be your muscles as you flinch & girate in your chair when the snakes lash out on screen. Let's talk about Samuel L. Jackson for a minute. I love this guy. Everything he says and does is fun to watch. And the movie is no different. When he unleashes his now famous, "I've had it. I'm sick of these mutha#@*ing snakes on this mutha%&#ing plane", all you can do is agree and cheer. I will even go as far as to say that ... even though I loved this film, it would have been a complete & utter bomb without him in it.
With the exception of Margulies (as Claire, flight attendant on her last flight), the rest of the cast is great. Flex Alexander & Kenan Thompson are the germaphobic rap star & his silly bodyguard. David Koechner plays one of the pilots who hits on Claire. Lin Shaye (hysterical in There's Something About Mary) plays an aging flight attendant. Bruce James plays an ambiguously gay male flight attendant (with all cliches abounding). We also have our share of pretty blondes (Rachel Blanchard & her little doggy), nervous air travelers, couples who want to be added to the mile-high club, your typical 'prick' businessman who wants to be as far away from crying babies & pets, as possible, etc. Every type of person is on this flight for our viewing pleasure; it all works. We quickly learn who these people are & watch as the body count rises by the second with each venomous attack. It's also great to see how each survivor is keeping themselves alive/fending off the snakes/what weapons they are using, etc.
You know, this movie is not for everyone. I went with my dad. And he probably liked it a bit more because I got a real kick out of it. And other people will like it more if they went in a big group with their friends. This is exactly what happened to me when I saw 'Boat Trip' in the theater. Among my peers, & a theater filled with laughing strangers, I found the film to be quite funny. When I rented it, I realized it was one of the most un-funny movies ever. Would this happened with 'SoaP'? I don't think so. There are too many heart-stopping attacks, grizzly deaths, & other unexpected horrors to combat the hokey comedy. I never thought I would have enjoyed a flight as much as this one.