Anaconda (1997)

   

Executive Produced & Directed by: Luis Llosa

Written by: Hans Bauer, Jim Cash & Jack Epps Jr.

Starring:


Jennifer Lopez .... Terri Flores
Ice Cube .... Danny Rich
John Voight .... Paul Sarone
Eric Stoltz .... Dr. Steven Cale
Jonathan Hyde .... Warren Westridge
Owen Wilson .... Gary Dixon
Kari Wuhrer .... Denise Kalberg
Vincent Castellanos .... Mateo

Special Appearance:

Danny Trejo .... Poacher

Release Date: Theatrical: April 11, 1997

 

 

Rating:

 

A group of documentary makers travel through a river to search for an Indian tribe to do a documentary on.
A storm occurs and they run into a crazy hunter named Paul Sarone (Jon Voight) as his boat was sinking and the crew ends up rescuing him. He then offers to help them out with their documentary but is really a snake hunter and is looking for the legendary anaconda snake and wants to catch it and takes over their boat in order to get it while the head boat drive Dr. Steven Cale (Eric Stoltz) is bitten by an insect and gets sick.
Sarone leads them to an area inhibited by amaconda's which are gigantic man eating snakes as he wants to catch one alive but people end up being eaten alive by them. They also realise what a madman this person really is which makes things more terrifying.

 

The beginning of the film looked dark and impressive with a wooded fort shaking and trembling like something monstrous is attacking it in which this leaves off the film a nice start to what we will expect later on in the plot here. Things seem nice and impressive with going into their boat and sailing off in which we spot a nice sunny tropical type of day here. There are good shots near night time with a storm happening in which things seem to look entertaining while spotting on what is happening here.
There's real interesting moments with the character Paul Sarone hitching a ride onto the boat by acting flirtatious and charming towards one of the women on board in which this leaves an impression that he's a bit too friendly and there's something deadly about him here.
There's good humoress moments on the boat with a character named Warren Westbridge practicing some golf as well as Danny Rich being distracted by this with an argument breaking out as this seems to work in well to the story to lighten stuff up before the future terrors occur which seems to be quite common in a horror flick.
There's also a suspenseful scene when one of the people named Dr. Steven Cale goes underneath the boat to fix something and then we spot him in pain along with spotting a posionous bug getting taken out of his mouth which makes you cringe for sure along with surgery on his neck which doesn't look pretty to watch and making you wonder if he will be accidentally killed here.
There's even a creepy moment with the boat crashing neat an area where baby snakes fall down as Paul seems to be happy on this making it another great drawing card that he's bad news here.
We even spot a situation when someone is in the water and suddenly we spot an anaconda attacking him which looked definetely creepy to watch all of this as the effects were fast paced here and well done too.
Also some moments with people panicking over a situation and we spot Paul shooting his gun which makes you jump even more and leaving a chill down your spine that he is up to no good at all with his plan on the people.
There's great moments with everyone struggling against an anaconda in which we spot on how clever this serpeant is finding it's prey here as there's a ton of cringing moments with certain people trying to hide and outsmart it as this all looked believeably struggling in every bit that it was shot here.
There's also terrific action sequences when they try to catch one too.
Many strong situations with a woman named Terri Flores trying to trick Paul into making out with him which looked calm and then lots of fast action and intense moments later on with struggling moments happening here when he realises that he's been tricked as this was perfectly put in.
Plus there's a great mind powering moment with Paul tied up towards Denise Kahlberg pointing a knife towards him in which this looked incredibly clever as well as him doing something violently which was nicely shot too.
We even spot an adventureous moment with Warren running away from an anaconda and is near a cliff of a water fountain then he jumps with a neat shot on the serpeant grabbing him and squeezing him. Nicely done here.
There's alot of great action shots with Warren struggling against both Terri and Danny on the boat in order to to grab a gun or a deadly object from him to save their lives in which for sure makes you glued watching all of this and finding the results on what will happen afterwards.
There's a nice camera shot closing in on Danny which gives you a cringing feeling here as well as a great quick shot on Warren smacking him in the head with his rifle as this is another good jumping moment. Great suspenseful timing here.
There's alot of terrifying situations with Danny and Terri trying to escape a tower from an anaconda in which we spot Terri high up on top of a chimney and it's a long way down. For anyone who's scared of heights like me will get a spooked feeling here while the anaconda is on her tail along with the tower catching on fire to snuff this giant snake.
Bottom line is that this is a film that has neat effects and very suspenseful. Loved the giant snakes and you never know when it will pop up to attack.
It's not the greatest film by any means but it was still well done and for anyone who has a fear of reptiles will find this incredibly scary imagining if you were stuck in an area infested by these things.

The acting is very good. Jennifer Lopez (Terri Flores) was great in her role too being frightened by these creatures plus she does well with her emotional behavior when she spots someone who is killed. She also does well whenever she has to act tough and was very powerful on her blocking when she is struggling against someone making this look realistic and full of energy too. She showed alot of suspenseful adrenaline while running away from giant reptiles making this seem very lifelike too. She is an all round character actress without a doubt and the fans will be pleased by her performance here.
Rapper Ice Cube (Danny Rich) seemed pretty strong in his performance and shows if off very well. I often found that he worked hard in a performance of his since I saw him in Boyz in the Hood. He knew on how to act heroic in his part as well as showing off great energy with his brawling actions in order to try and survive against the other person. He pulls off his weight incredibly here.
Jon Voight (Paul Sarone) delivered very well in his role as he is one of those versatile actors who always gained a success in his career with shows and really knew how to portray an evil character. He lived to play this role and stole the film with his performance here. She showed a nice wicked charm into his part showing great fearful expressions and a coldlike speaking too. He also springs to life when you least expect it with his violent attitude too which made him truly brutal and intimidating too. Plus he came across greatly with his ruthless attitude too making you wanna kill or hit him for having such a cruel and poisoning type of behavior making him believeably untrustworthy.
It's nice to see Eric Stoltz (Dr. Steven Cale) getting work again although halfway through the film he is in a coma.
He does a nice job as a guy next door type of behavior but yet taking his work believably seriously showing that he studied this role very well. He also was great with his anxious attitude when he is poisoned by a bug along with having a good expressionless behavior acting almost like he's close to death. Plus really springs to life when he tries to save the day which shows off terrifically too.
Jonathan Hyde
(Warren Westridge) was quite a ham in his part by having perfect timing as one of those goofballs who is not very bright in which this shows off perfectly here. He does well with his annoying attitude towards others and knew on how to act aggressive without being taken seriously at first. Then he knew on how to act serious with his frightened behavior while the anaconda's start to attack showing a nice versatality here. He derserved good credit within his performance here.
Owen Wilson (Gary Dixon) was another fine actor who shows off a not too bright personality and can easily be fooled in which he does well by going along with a trap and does well with his nervous type of behavior in which you can tell that his mind is being poisoned here. He also shows great fearful wide eyed expressions when he is attacked in his final performance showing a great shocked energy here.

It shows the snake eating some of it's victims but not extremely gruesome.
A panther's eyeball is popped out
An anaconda is brutally shot in the head

The music is superbly composed by Randy Edelman with classical violin playing and we have perfect sharp playing for the horrific moments in the film with real high sounds on the trombone and some violin music too. It even gives it a jumping effect too when the anaconda's attack. It has that total mainstream feel to the flick in which it sounds perfectly adventureous in which flows in well with each scene along with a good peaceful woodwind playing for the happy ending of the story which sounds fondly memorable too.
There's a songtrack performed by Ice Cube when he himself is listening to the song on his ghetto blaster in the movie.

Terry Flores: Snakes don't eat people.
Paul Sarone: Oh, they don't?
[pointing to scar on neck]

Paul Sarone: Never look into the eyes of someone you kill, they will haunt you forever. I know.

Warren Westridge: I had rather hoped that I had done my bit.

Warren Westridge: Asshole in one.

Gary: Is it just me or does the jungle make you really, really horny?

Warren Westridge: The last time I was in water like this I had to stay up all night picking leeches off of my scrotum.

Paul Sarone: This river can kill you, in a thousand ways.

Gary: There's something down there.
Paul Sarone: I know.
Gary: No, I really MEAN it.
Paul Sarone: I really mean it, too.

Paul Sarone: Eet wraps eetz COILS around yooo... .TIGHTAH zan anny luvvah.

Danny: Hold on I think I can blow it up.

Danny: That's it, man. I'm getting the hell back to L.A...

[Sarone unravels a thirty-five foot snake skin]
Danny: What's this?
Paul Sarone: Anaconda skin.
Danny: There's sankes out there this big?
Paul Sarone: This skin is three or four years old, whatever shed it has grown since then.

Paul Sarone: [holds up some white dust]See this? Human bones. That's how it comes out. Ashes to ashes.

Paul Sarone: [seeing the anaconda] Buenos noches, beautiful.

[investigating a wrecked boat]
Danny: It's kind of spooky in here.
Paul Sarone: You think so?

Gary: You don't know shit about the shit we're in out here!

Terry Flores: This film was supposed to be my big break, and it turned out to be a big disaster!