Anacondas are snakes that are primarily found to be living in the
Amazon jungle. They allegedly grow to be forty feet long in some
cases and can eat people. Your enjoyment of the move 'Anaconda' will
depend entirely on how you accept the film's visual effects. It is
obvious to tell that at most times they are computer graphics but the
chills and terror set fourth by the film are genuine.
A group of documentary filmmakers led by their director (Jennifer
Lopez) venture into the Amazon jungle to film a piece detailing the
existence of a South American tribe of natives. She is accompanied by
her camerman (rapper Ice Cube) and an anthropologist (Eric Stoltz).
Along with a few others they rescue a stranded and mysterious stranger
(Jon Voight) from his broken down barge and he seems to be a nice guy
at first. It turns out that Voight is bounty hunter whose quarry is
snakes and he sabotages the boat's crew at gunpoint and any other means
necessary in his quest for an anaconda which will make him a rich man.
This is a clever and enjoyably campy film from director Luis Llosa
('Sniper', 'The Specialist') who never over estimates the value of his
subject matter and directs 'Anaconda' in a frightfully pleasant way
reminiscent of 1990's 'Arachnophobia' which was about a gigantic and
deadly amazon spider on the loose in small town California. That film
had more humour than 'Anaconda' but there isn't much to laugh about
when we see nature in its most furious and fatal moments.
Jon Voight makes a cunning and precariously acceptable villain along
with the snake and his character reminded me a little bit of Quint
(Robert Shaw), the salty and crusty shark hunter of 'Jaws'. Both are
men of determination and both end up losing their lives in a struggle
to big for them to handle. 'Anaconda' has a biting and firey climax
which will leave you as mesmerized as any jungle picture you're ever
likely to view.
Copyright © 1997 Walter Frith