“Snakes On A Plane” (New Line Cinema)
A Real Moviegoer’s Movie
“Snakes On A Plane” delivers exactly what it promises, and that is snakes on a plane. Samuel L Jackson has never been so cool and he sets the tone for the film. It’s a little gritty, a little serious, a little silly and a little funny. In short it is a moviegoer’s movie and as suspenseful as one of those Saturday serials of days gone by. If you can stand the thought of snakes on a plane take this movie in and have a roller coaster ride of thrills, chills and chuckles.
Jackson plays FBI Agent Neville Flynn, one of the coolest Feds to ever board a plane. He is escorting a surfer dude named Sean (Nathan Phillips) who witnessed a mob hit. Flynn is escorting him from Honolulu to Los Angeles. The killer he can finger is Eddie Kim (Byron Lawson), one of the most evil men on the planet. He is so determined to eliminate Sean that he sends a passel of snakes along in the plane. Once the plane is airborne the snakes are released and the fun begins.
Flynn has to keep Sean safe, try to save all the other passengers, repair the plane – and kill the snakes. Can he do it Is there any question! The great thing is that once you get over your repugnance of the snakes and the harm they do, the movie is just one thrill after another. It is set up after set up of sticky situations and inventive remedies.
Jackson is better than ever as Flynn. Here he is Shaft, a Jedi knight and Jules Winnfield of “Pulp Fiction” all rolled into one. If you are ever on a plane filled with snakes, this is the man you want in front of you.
Julianna Margulies plays stewardess Claire Miller. This is of course Claire’s last flight and wouldn’t you know it is a bad one. Margulies gives Claire a breathy beauty and an iron will. She can fight snakes alongside Jackson and be believable doing it.
The movie is rated R for profanity, violence and nudity.
In this movie, as in most other horror flicks, sex equals death. The first persons to get fanged are a couple trying to join the mile high club. Later in the movie the snakes seem to know who the worst of the worst are and get them in gruesome ways. Of course some good guys also bite the dust so you never know who is going to be next.
“Snakes On A Plane” is the type of movie you can watch over and over and have a good time every time. Word of mouth should help draw people into theaters and I can see this becoming a cult classic for Saturday midnight showings.
“Snakes On A Plane” is fun with a capital “F.” It’s gory entertainment but entertainment just the same.
I scored “Snakes On A Plane” a scaly 6 out of 10.
