Listening to: The Roots feat Maimouna Youssef - “Don’t Feel Right” - Game Theory



snakes-on-a-plane, originally uploaded by constantskepticupdates.

Honestly, part of me wishes they’d actually gone with this poster for the movie. Anyway, I know people, most probably studio execs were expecting this movie to do amazing numbers and were disappointed by the actual results. In any case, the movie made US$15 million during it’s opening weekend, and the movie was made for US$30 million. Making half back on its first weekend is pretty good by most standards.

Anyway, on to the movie itself. It’s very obviously a B movie. The plot contrivance that forms the basis of the movie is the definition of absurdity (I’m still laughing at the criminal mastermind saying “You don’t think I’ve exhausted all my other options?!?” with regards to his masterplan). There’s no characterisation really, and the special effects aren’t very good either. Is it worth watching?

Absolutely.

First of all, there’s Samuel L. Jackson A.K.A. the coolest man in Hollywood. Being the consumate working actor that he is, he never looks like he’s phoning in a performance. He’s the reason most people are even going to watch this movie in the first place. While he’s still cool, the movie is sadly lacking in the classic one liners Sam Jackson’s characters tend to have.

There are a whole bunch of B-List stars in this movie. There’s of course, the lovely Juliana Margulies. I miss her curly hair but she still looks great, especially considering she’s 40. Gotta love older women. Here’s a then and now comparison.

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Kenan Thompson, great comic actor, the only guy to graduate from All That to Saturday Night Live. I’m a fan. There’s Todd Luiso, who played Dick in High Fidelity. He plays a snake expert in this movie, and I’d say it’s just nice to see him work.

This is the sort of movie you should go with a whole bunch of buddies to go watch, get lots of popcorn and really enjoy. You’ll heckle, for sure, but Snakes on a Plane isn’t a movie, it’s an experience. You should be laughing and screaming through the movie. And that’s something the other summer blockbusters we were looking forward to (Superman Returns and X-Men the Last Stand) were lacking. Sure, there’s a little dig at just how secure airports are after 9-11, but after all that it’s just plain fun to watch. What’s interesting is the movie subverts as many B movie conventions as it follows, although sadly (in terms of shock appeal) few people bite it (get it? ha! I kill me) after the initial snake attack. Some of those deaths, while expected, are still on the gross side.

So anyway, watch it. Have a good time. And if you’re really insistent on not watching it, here’s a taste. Heeeeere’s Sammy!