Anaconda (1997) Dir: Luis Llosa
- Ridley Coote
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
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When it comes to creature features, the horror subgenre has its fair share of good, bad, and ugly. I have never been afraid to try out a random or seemingly average horror, and this Luis Llosa directed film was very much on the cards. It is, of course, a bit of a cult hit, and one that has spawned multiple sequels, albeit none that are at all well-rated. This film may not be critically acclaimed, but it has its fanbase, and I felt like it was worth a watch at least once, just to see what it was like.
The film had some pretty awful green screen - the perspectives were badly off in several shots, which was extremely distracting. However, I quite enjoyed the few bits of practical effects - the puppet version of the anaconda actually looked very cool. I really wish the CGI had been better, because it would've made this film a lot more enjoyable.
The story was pretty simple, but it made sense - people went out in search of a huge monstrous anaconda, and by golly they found one. I wouldn't say it was particularly well-written, but the film had its vision, and I would argue it achieved that fairly well. It certainly entertained me, with its silly snake antics and absurd moments of monster horror violence.
Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube provided the most entertaining performances, but not really because they were actually any good, as much as it was amusing seeing Ice Cube trying to be serious. It reminded me a little of watching LL Cool J in 1999's 'Deep Blue Sea'. Lopez isn't the best actress, but she worked well with Ice Cube, and at least looked like she was fairly authentic.
Jon Voight was playing a Paraguayan man, for some reason, and it went about as well as you'd expect. This would've been easier to get my head around if it was a properly old film, but this being from the late 90's makes this casting absolutely baffling. Eric Stoltz and Jonathon Hyde were fine, if unimpressive, and the brief appearances from Owen Wilson and Danny Trejo were fun, if a little bit random.
Overall, this may not have been the best film in the world, but it sure was entertaining, and that's honestly all it needed to be. I can see why it found itself its own fanbase. My surprisingly positive words are less about how good the film actually was, and more about how enjoyable it was, in spite of its shortcomings. Sometimes a silly horror film is exactly what you need, and, if an absurd creature feature is your thing, this one is definitely worth a try.
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