Today’s quick review: Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid. To save their pharmaceutical startup, Jack Byron (Matthew Marsden) and Gordon Mitchell (Morris Chestnut) mount an expedition to the jungles of Borneo in search of the Blood Orchid, a rare flower that holds the secret to immortality. But when the expedition goes awry, it’s up to riverboat captain Bill Johnson (Johnny Messner) to lead the team to safety through the snake-infested jungle.
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid is an adventure movie with horror elements. Anacondas takes the same loose premise as the original Anaconda and pushes it to new extremes. This time around the anacondas are larger, the expedition is more important, and the survivors are even more fractured. The setting trades away the likable cast and modicum of believability of the first film in exchange for more action, a more focused plot, and better CGI.
Anacondas’ main weaknesses are its story and the characters who inhabit it. The movie has to bend over backwards to get Byron and Mitchell’s crew out in the jungle, concocting an elaborate scenario where a reckless river expedition is the only way to save the company. The characters are shallower than the ones in the first film, and their grating personalities make it hard to care much about what happens to them one way or the other.
Anacondas fares better with its action. The special effects are a marked step up from Anaconda, leading to better scares and more dynamic fights. The suspense still isn’t handled perfectly, and horror fans will find the movie to be tame compared to what it could have been, but it’s enough to make good on the premise of desperate survivors versus giant snakes. The movie also benefits from having a clear objective for its characters to pursue.
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid does serve up some decent thrills, but its overall execution leaves something to be desired. Those interested in the premise may want to give it a shot simply for the spectacle, but there are enough flaws with its plot and characters that it won’t impress a more critical audience. Fans of the original Anaconda should approach with caution, since the sequel achieves better action at the cost of some charm.
For an even more action-oriented movie about giant animals, try Rampage. For a sci-fi survival movie with similar appeal, try Alien vs. Predator.
4.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for snake-fighting action hampered by shaky fundamentals.