Snakes
On A Plane
(originally
posted by Jamie Kelwick at his own site -- www.the-usher.com.)
After
witnessing the murder of an LA district attorney, surfer
Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips) is talked into giving evidence
against crime lord Eddie Kim (Byron Lawson) by FBI Agent
Nelville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson). Fearing that his witness
will be killed before he gets him back to LA, Agent Flynn
takes him on the redeye flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles
but Eddie Kim has men everywhere. When they discover the
flight that Sean is on, a crate is loaded into the cargo
hold. When the plane reaches 35,000 feet, the crate opens
and hundreds of snakes slither out.
A title can have hidden meanings, be a grand statement or
be emotionally charged but sometimes, just sometimes, a
title tells you exactly what to expect and Snakes on
a Plane is a classic example.
Imagine
if you take a big dollop of 80s/90s high concept action
flick, throw in a 50s/60s B-Movie plot, add a sprinkle of
new millennium special effects and then serve with a large
helping of Samuel L. Jackson and you have a movie that is
destined to become a real crowd pleaser and maybe even a
cult classic.
The
idea is very basic but quite ingenious. As airport security
becomes more stringent, making it almost impossible to get
any kind of weapon onto a plane, crime lord Eddie Kim comes
up with the idea of putting a crate full of deadly snakes
on a plane to bring down the flight and kill the FBI's key
witness against him. While this might seem extremely far-fetched
(and it is), the explanation as to how the snakes got on
the plane and why they would go on a killing frenzy is very
good, making the film even more enjoyable.
Yet
to be honest it doesn't matter how the snakes got on the
plane but what they do when they are let loose. A film like
Snakes on a Plane is all about how the victims
meet a grizzly end but with the only weapon being a snake's
bite, the filmmakers have to be very inventive. The good
news it that they have been.
Firstly,
with only two obvious exceptions, everyone is a potential
fatality. From children to old ladies and from dogs to babies,
no one is safe from the attack of these venomous, slithering
reptiles. This makes the guessing game of who is going to
die next a good one as the snakes attack in a frenzy.
The
victims, or the cast it is more commonly known, are there
just to keep you guessing. Nathan Phillips is the witness
under Agent Flynn's protection and he handles the action
quite well during the finale of the movie.
Former
ER favorite Julianna Margulies finally starts to
make a cinematic impact after leaving the hit show, as head
air steward Claire. Sunny Mabrey shines as the beautiful
and slightly stereotypical airhostess Tiffany. Rachel Blanchard
has fun as spoilt little rich girl Mercedes. She even has
the Chihuahua in a handbag accessory. Flex Alexander has
fun as rap star Three G's, as does David Koechner as the
sexiest pilot Rick. Bobby Cannavale is slightly underused
as Agent Hank Harris but Todd Louiso perfectly cast as snake
expert Dr. Steven Price.
Running
the show is the performance of the immortally cool Samuel
L. Jackson, dealing out snake death with ease and throwing
in some brilliant one-liners to compliment the killing action.
This is a role that some people might ask why an actor of
his caliber is involved in a film like this. However, this
is a movie that the actor wanted to do and you can tell
by the quality of his performance.
You
have to applaud big name actors who get involved in a project
that they like or feel passionate about as they always tend
to throw everything into the film, even more than they do
when they are just doing it for the paycheck.
Snakes
on a Plane is what going to the movies is all about.
This is pure escapism filled with killings, cheap frights,
gore, comedy and even some nudity thrown in for good measure,
making it the kind of action horror movie that fans will
adore.
While
it may have some big plot holes in parts and may be slightly
over the top for some but if you take the film for what
it is, a homage to the classic B-Movie, you'll have bundles
of fun. Just sit back and enjoy the fright.
Rating:
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