Anaconda (2025): An Intriguing Meta Reboot That Almost Hits the Mark (Blu-ray)

The Film:

Nearly 30 years ago, a little horror flick called "Anaconda" was unleashed in theaters. It was a rather silly concept that involved hunting down a large snake in the Amazon, one which naturally ends up killing several people, that wasn't exactly embraced by critics, but which audiences surprisingly did end up taking to. The film would ultimately gross about three times its decently-sized budget and go on to spawn four more films (only the first of which was in theaters), with the original becoming a kind of cult classic among horror fans.

10 years after the last sequel, it was determined that now would be a good time to try and bring it back, but after five films of having a giant snake going on a killing spree, how do you reboot it without it being the same old stale scenario that we've already seen? To answer that question, screenwriters Tom Gornican & Kevin Etten ("The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent") have come up with a rather intriguing solution in their attempt to overcome the possibility of repetitiveness, but will it be enough to win over critics or bring back fans after the franchise's long absence?

The film centers on childhood friends Doug (Jack Black), a wannabe filmmaker who does wedding videos, Griff (Paul Rudd), a struggling actor, Claire (Thandiwe Newton), and Kenny (Steve Zahn). We learn that they had made a movie together years ago when they were kids, and now Griff thinks it would be a great idea to do it again, so he tells the others that he's obtained the rights to "Anaconda" and wants to go to the Amazon to film a new version of it. They eventually agree, so the group scrapes together the money, the equipment, and even manages to find someone with a large snake they can use. Joined by a mysterious woman named Ana (Daniela Melchior), who claims to be the daughter of the boat owner, they make the dangerous trip to the rainforest, where, as you can probably guess, circumstances soon put all of their lives in danger from a much more dangerous version of the titular snake.

When it comes to attempting a reboot of the "Anaconda" series, as mentioned earlier, it really wouldn't do to merely give audiences the "same old, same old" in terms of simply throwing a group of characters into the path of a gigantic, deadly snake, but that does leave quite a predicament as far as coming up with some kind of original approach to get it to that point. That's what makes Gornican & Etten's approach a rather intriguing one. Instead of just coming up with some other silly, nonsensical reason to instigate the usual plot, they've opted to take a meta route that has the original film actually exist, with the characters being big fans of it. This puts them exactly where they need to be for them to get involved in that very same plot, taking them along a similar path that naturally has them trying to stop the snake and get out alive.

That said, is this intriguing new approach enough to break it out of the monotony of the usual killer snake routine? Not exactly, but it can be said that it makes a bold effort to try and get there. These guys could've easily just done another cookie-cutter film that has its character hunting or experimenting on snakes just to get them all together for the same usual plot, but one has to admire that they took a much more interesting route, at the very least. In fact, if it weren't for a rather clunky third act that features some really bad attempts at humor and some ridiculous conveniences, it might have worked overall as a silly tribute to the original cult classic. Still, it's nice to see that it's not nearly as terrible as some are trying to make it out to be. Indeed, with material like this that's already been mined pretty deeply, this is likely the best outcome that one can expect, ultimately leaving us with a mixed bag that just might be enough to satisfy the franchise's loyal fans.

Video/Audio:

"Anaconda" comes to Blu-ray in a 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of excellent quality. The picture is clear & sharp throughout the entirety of its 99-minute duration, perfectly highlighting its gorgeous Australian shooting locations. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Sony Pictures has done a marvelous job in both areas for the film's physical debut.

Special Features:

A Ride Into Chaos with Jack & Paul (5 Minutes): A featurette that focuses on Jack Black & Paul Rudd.

Friends in the Wild: The Cast (6 Minutes): A featurette that explores the characters.

The Snake Charmer: Tom Gornican (5 Minutes): A featurette that takes a look at the director.

Reinventing the Legend: Anaconda (5 Minutes): A featurette that examines the film's new approach to the material.

Deleted & Extended Scenes (4 Sequences, 5 Minutes)

Hiss-terical Outtakes & Bloopers (3 Minutes)

Conclusion:

Tom Gornican's "Anaconda" takes a rather clever meta approach to the franchise that ends up being held back a little too much by some issues in its third act, but which surprisingly ends up not being the disaster that some have tried to make it out to be, ultimately resulting in a reboot that boldly tried to do something a little different from the usual, and which could even be seen as the best possible outcome for this overdone material.

Score: 3/5

Available on Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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