Snakes on a Plane

From AwardAnnals

Reviews

Amazon.com

Snakes on a Plane knows exactly what kind of movie it is, knows exactly what moviegoers expect from a title like Snakes on a Plane, and delivers the exact pleasures of a movie in which poisonous snakes are unleashed on a plane to kill an eyewitness to murder. Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, The Long Kiss Goodnight) knows exactly what he’s doing in this movie and knows exactly when to pull out the superbad Samuel L. Jackson stare and deliver the infuriated Samuel L. Jackson bellow. The rest of the cast—including Julianna Margulies (ER), Rachel Blanchard (the TV series Clueless), Kenan Thompson (Fat Albert), David Koechner (Anchorman), Bobby Canavale (The Station Agent), and Sunny Mabrey (One Last Thing…)—play their parts with admirably straight faces and deadpan humor. Director David R. Ellis (Final Destination 2, Cellular) gives the movie the much-needed headlong momentum you would expect from a former stunt coordinator. In summation: A perfect piece of self-aware but not self-conscious high camp entertainment, blending comedy and thrills in perfect proportion. —Bret Fetzer

Barnes and Noble

Few films in 2006 were as feverishly anticipated as this tongue-in-cheek horror movie, which became something of a phenomenon as a result of the “buzz” cannily created and disseminated by online blogging allies of the theatrical distributor. Characterized by one wag as “a chance for Samuel L. Jackson to kick some serious asp,” Snakes on a Plane became the summer’s most exuberantly ridiculous thrill ride: a collection of outrageous situations motivated by the flimsiest of plot gambits. It's even said that pre-release fan feedback—the result of frequently vocalized expectations that kept Internet message boards humming for months—inspired director David R. Ellis to shoot additional footage that increased the level of blood and nudity, thus guaranteeing the picture an R rating instead of the originally anticipated PG-13. Even Jackson's most famous line (obscenity included) was reportedly suggested by an Internet exchange. What passes for a plot opens with surfer Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips), on vacation in Hawaii, witnessing a prosecutor’s brutal murder by notorious gangster Eddie Kim (Byron Lawson). Offered protection by tough FBI agent Neville Flynn (Jackson), Sean decides to testify against Kim. He and the G-man board a Los Angeles-bound airliner, unaware that the mobster's thugs have smuggled aboard several crates of venomous serpents that will be released into the main cabin in mid-flight. You can guess what happens next. Jackson, clearly enjoying himself, takes his role only as seriously as is necessary to sustain the illusion of menace. Nice supporting turns are contributed by Julianna Margulies (playing the requisite plucky flight attendant), David Koechner (hilarious as a lecherous co-pilot), Rachel Blanchard (as a Paris Hilton wannabe, complete with Chihuahua), and Flex Alexander (as a surprisingly timid rap star). What's really great about Snakes is that, at every point, it delivers exactly what the audience expects and wants. For example, there’s the scene in which one of the slimy serpents interrupts the initiation of a horny young couple into the “Mile-High Club.” Get the picture? Ed Hulse