By Sydney Blake
The 2025 “Anaconda” movie is underwhelming. The film came out on Netflix this late March and is already ranked third on Netflix’s top ten movies in the U.S. today, but I had expected more than what was given.
Director Tom Gormican’s version of the film “Anaconda” starred Jack Black as Doug, Paul Rudd as Ronald, Steve Zahn as Kenny, Thandiwe Newton as Claire and Selton Mello as Santiago. All five of their characters enter unfulfilling times of their lives, and come together to make a second movie based off the original “Anaconda” that came out in 1997. The movie is set in the Amazon rainforest, where the main five must survive antagonists after gold, the jungle environment and of course the anaconda that lurks within.
I was ready to watch an action packed comedy movie, but instead had an average viewing experience. It was just okay. I liked that the film was aware of itself by making jokes about the movie industry, remaking movies and the “Anaconda” movie franchise. The cast and writers pulled through with humor, but lacked proper pacing of action. The movie went back and forth between two different stories; one focusing on the characters fixing their relationships and lives, while the other was the thriller about surviving the snake and the jungle.
Visually the film was well produced. The jungle helped build tension as the murky water and plants had me wondering when something was going to pop out. The setting helped create beautiful and chaotic scenes, such as when Rudd and Mello’s characters walk through a swamp during the night in search of an anaconda.
Speaking of the snake, we barely see it. I thought of this as a disappointment because the snake is the whole thing. It’s the title of the movie. However, when they did show the anaconda, its CGI was satisfactory.
What carried the movie most was its high-quality appearance and star-studded cast. I thought that Black and Rudd played roles that I’ve seen them in before, and I’m not mad at it. Black’s character is smart, but silly and a leader, which pairs well with Rudd’s character who is clueless, but has a big heart. Rudd’s love interest was played by Newton who is more of a straight man character, which in other words means that her character wasn’t funny and chaotic, but rather rational and logical. This makes her a good supporting character, but nothing impactful to me.
However, this film wouldn’t be as good or funny without Zahn. I always loved seeing Zahn on my screen and think he is overlooked as an actor. He consistently made me laugh and I thought he made the film with his shy peeing scene in the jungle. I hope to see him in more movies in the future.
“Anaconda” was a so-so watching experience. It lacked the amount of action I was expecting, yet somewhat made up for it in humor and not taking itself too seriously. I had fun watching it, but I’d be fine never seeing it again. I’d give this film 3.5 out of 5 stars.
