Director Tom Gormican's Anaconda isn't a sequel, remake, or reboot of the 1997 creature feature starring J.Lo and Ice Cube. "It's an original story, but it uses the original Anaconda in a very meta way," Paul Rudd tells RTÉ Entertainment.
Gormican’s film dives headfirst into chaos, poking fun at itself and often forgetting the cartoonish snake entirely. Its chief weakness is that it tries to do everything at once - monster scares, jungle havoc, and meta jokes with none of it fully sinking its teeth in.
Rudd and Jack Black are pure magic. Their chemistry slithers effortlessly through the off-the-wall dialogue, making it impossible not to root for them as they wrangle the script.
Watch: RTÉ Entertainment catches up with Anaconda stars Paul Rudd and Jack Black:
Supporting cast Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, Daniela Melchior, and Selton Mello are all team players and can only do so much against the madness.
Standout moments include Rudd channelling the over-the-top charm of the original film in a hilariously exaggerated accent, Zahn delivering his absurd "Buffalo Sober" monologues, and the film striding through jokes about Hollywood's remake obsession.
It's not perfect, and not every gag lands, but Anaconda is a deliciously bonkers romp that, from time to time, bites in all the right ways.
Warning: Nicki Minaj's aptly titled mega-hit (Anaconda, duh) may take up permanent residence in your brain this holiday season.
