Snakes on a Plane
Samuel L Jackson is not afraid of no snakes
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Wednesday, 23, Aug 2006 03:09
Directed by David R Ellis, out now, cinema, starring Samuel L Jackson, Julianna Marguiles and Rachel Blanchard, running time 105 minutes.
In a nutshell.
Silly, childish, puerile, throwaway, gory.
What's it all about?
One of the summer's most hyped films is finally out, with the cinemagoers and industry moguls alike eagerly anticipating its release. The plot of the film is neatly wrapped up in its title. Neville Flynn (Jackson) is on a plan to Hawaii, escorting a witness to a murder. Unfortunately for him and the other passengers onboard, one man is intent on killing the witness and has sabotaged the plane by sneaking 450 snakes onto the plane. Neville takes it upon himself to safely land the plane with the help of crew member Claire Miller (Marguiles) and other passengers. But can they touch down safely before they fall prey to the snakes?
Who's in it?
Samuel L Jackson takes on the lead role as Neville Flynn brandishing a gun and barking orders, but with none of the authority or menace seen in Pulp Fiction. This could be because he's taking the film less seriously than the audience.
Julianna Marguiles provides able support, though her acting skills are barely tested. Rachel Blanchard reprises her role as a spoilt, pretty rich girl in Clueless, playing the Paris Hilton-like character of Mercedes complete with lapdog in handbag.
As an example.
Perhaps worth the entrance fee alone and surely one of the film's few highlights, Samuel L Jackson puts real gusto into the line "I've had it with these motherf***ing snakes on this motherf***ing plane!"
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
Highly unlikely. Performances are perfunctory, with Jackson's tongue lodged firmly in his cheek. The plot is threadbare at best and the script is poor, barring the odd humorous line. Ellis keeps the pace quick, so there's no point to catch a quick nap, but it is doubtful whether this feature will find favour among the Oscar board.
What the others say
"It's not so bad that it's good. It's so bland that it's boring. Not even worth a hissss." Peter Traver, Rolling Stone
"Snakes was the most exuberantly trashy delight of this summer movie season or last." Scott Foundas, LA Weekly
So is it any good?
Snakes on a Plane is not the embarrassing disaster it could have been, but neither is it a film of merit. As an entertaining blockbuster, it barely works. If you squint the snakes look realistic, if your humour is of the bawdy kind you may giggle and if you have the attention span of a toddler you might be mildly entertained. But the crashes aren't big enough, the laughs aren't large enough and the whole enterprise comes across as a cynical marketing ploy to get bums on seats. While there are a couple of giggles along the way, one gets the impression it is not the audience, Jackson, or the CGI snakes, but the studio executives who will be having the last laughs as they slither away to the bank.
5/10
Pranam Mavahalli