Today’s quick review: Snakes on a Plane. FBI agent Neville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) must escort Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips), the witness to a mob murder, from Hawaii to Los Angeles so he can testify. But their flight becomes a fight for survival when the plane is flooded with hundreds of deadly snakes, smuggled aboard to kill Sean. The survivors turn every item at their disposal into weapons to beat back the snakes.
Snakes on a Plane is an action thriller with a straightforward premise. The film promises action, excess, and a slew of exotic kills. However, its thin cast and mediocre execution cause it to fall somewhat flat. Samuel L. Jackson is the film’s only real draw; the supporting cast, script, and snake CGI all feel like they belong to a film with a much lower budget. The result is a passable but unexceptional watch that falls short of its potential.
Snakes on a Plane’s main problem is that it never really achieves the attitude it aims for. Snakes on a Plane wants to be an over-the-top movie with a defiant attitude, one that embraces the absurdity of its premise and pushes it even farther. But that vision shows through only rarely. Instead, the movie plays out like a conventional disaster film, distinguished from countless others only by the specific nature of the threat.
There are other issues with the movie that are subtler. The snake encounters are necessarily brief, ending almost immediately with a bit human or a dead snake. The supporting actors are generally fine, but the film has a noticeable lack of talent outside Jackson himself. The kills are plentiful and verge on horror. Sensitive viewers will find them excessive, but those unfazed by gruesome snakebites will do just fine.
Give Snakes on a Plane a watch when you’re in the mood for a gory thriller with a healthy amount of action and a shallow plot. Snakes on a Plane is missing the extra punch it needs to make good on its promise, but it fits in comfortably with other films of its ilk. For a schlockier, gorier, and more entertaining film in the same vein, check out Sharknado. For a more conventional thriller set on an airplane, check out Non-Stop.
5.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for modest enjoyability.