I Have Had It With These Snakes On This Plane (Snakes on a Plane (DVD))

Member Name: rleigh

Product:	Snakes on a Plane (DVD)
Date:	12/09/06 (300 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Something a bit different from the norm, some classic one liners

Disadvantages: Unrealistic storyline, not for those with strong phobias of snakes

(Originally posted on Ciao under my Ciao name RazzaLazza)

DIRECTOR: David R. Ellis
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2006
GENRE: Action/Thriller/Horror
BBFC RATING: 15
LANGUAGE: English


--Snakes On A Plane--

When I saw the title for this film I knew that I would just have to see it, and that's pretty much the way that Samuel L Jackson felt when he saw it, only of course he knew that he wanted to be in this film rather than just see it. He hadn't even seen the script when he agreed to be in the film, signing up to be in it on the basis of the director, the storyline and of course the title (allegedly). He obviously saw the films potential to gain cult status it would seem. After much hype prior to release and a track written for the film by Cobra Starship aptly titled 'Bring It (Snakes On A Plane)' the film was ready to go and I was ready to see it. With a name like 'Snakes On A Plane' the film obviously wasn't going to take itself too seriously so I went into this film with an open mind, prepared to be kept well amused by the subject matter and inevitable bursts of hilarity that would ensue.

As a basic plot overview, the film starts off with the character Sean (Nathan Philips) witnessing a murder being committed by major criminal Eddie Kim (Byron Lawson). Sean then goes to take off on his motorbike, however Eddie Kim hears the motorbike and realises that he has been spotted so sets his henchmen on Sean. Sean is shot at by them, however they do not succeed in hitting him and he manages to get away. This getting away from them is short lived however as the two men that shot at him soon turn up at his door with guns, kicking the door down in order to get to him. At this point Sean is saved by FBI agent Neville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) when he turns up from out the back and this is where it becomes the Samuel L. Jackson show with him shooting the two men dead with 2 bullets before he and Sean get away. For the rest of the film the plot is basically to be expected - they are on a plane and what do you know, it's full of snakes. Sean needs to travel to LA where we will be a witness for the prosecution, however Eddie Kim soon gets wind of this so tries to make sure that Sean will not be able to testify against him. The snakes are put on the plane by Eddie Kim so that he can't testify against him for the murder which was earlier committed. Pheromones have been put into the planes air conditioning system to make sure that the snakes will bite anyone and anything in their path unprovoked. Samuel L. Jackson character Neville Flynn on discovery of the snakes on the plane makes it his mission to make sure that Sean does not get bitten as if he is killed then everyone that has been killed on this flight would have died in vain.

It does not take the snakes to claim there first victim once they are unleashed from the luggage compartment, with a snake quickly moving into a wild cat cage that is being transported and we are not shown what happens here but the sound is more than enough to let us know. The first human death is not long after this and is probably the most memorable one of the film - a couple are joining the mile high club so to speak when a snake comes down on them, biting the woman in an interesting place on her upper body. It is not until much later in the film that the couple are found dead when someone opens the toilet door and the couple fall down on them, still intimately attached. There are many rather disgusting deaths throughout the film and some definite look away moments, especially if you're a male. The film combines elements of Action with the suspension of Horror and the embodiment of Thriller, and it all just fits together perfectly. Sure, if you're after a film with a gripping narrative and deep plot then you're not going to find that here but for what it is - this film is a masterful b-movie. There are some great moments in the films 105 minute run time such as the classic Samuel L. Jackson one liner from the trailer, and where flight attendant Ken (Bruce James) chucks a snake in the microwave where it explodes before exclaiming 'Who's your daddy now, bitch?!' Throughout the film Ken bares the brunt of a number of gay jokes as a result of his femininity despite always maintaining the point that his girlfriend would be waiting for him in LA.

There are some recognisable faces in this film, obviously with the inclusion of Samuel L. Jackson there is at least one big name in the film, however others include Kenan Thompson from the popular Nickelodeon show 'Kenan and Kel', Rachel Blanchford from 'Road Trip' and popular TV series' 'Peep Show' and 'Clueless' as well as the Hollywood veteran that is Lin Shaye amongst others. It's a pretty good cast for such a b-movie type of film and I can only imagine that most of the cast got involved as they realised what a cult film that 'Snakes On A Plane' would later become and wanted in on the action thriller, that combined with the fact that it has Samuel L. Jackson in it so was guaranteed to be a success that is. The acting here is of a decent standard and wont frustrate you with an amateur style as some films do, however the film will obviously not win any awards for the acting calibre shown as this kind of storyline and script just doesn't allow for that level of depth of performance. Samuel L. Jackson plays his role well as ever, and he as well as other cast members in the film allow for the comedy element of it all to really come through.

This film is clichéd and predictably cheesy, however I think this is probably why I liked the film so much as it never really claims to be anything other than that and so 'Snakes On A Plane' just provides you with decent entertainment for it's duration where you can rest assured that you can just chill out and give your brain a rest. If you're a fan of Samuel L. Jackson films then you'll probably like what you find here as once again he has come up with the good in a terrific yet simplistic b-movie action film. I would definitely recommend seeing this film unless of course you have a phobia of snakes as although you can tell when the snakes are CGI, it wouldn't really be a wise move to go and see a film based on one of your greatest fears really would it. The same goes for if you have a phobia of planes really, and if you have a phobia of both snakes and planes then you're just asking for trouble with this one aren't you. With 'Snakes On A Plane' expect some definite gory moments and disgusting deaths, a strong element of humour and some classic one-liners, and I am sure that you will not be disappointed. With the film having the same director as that of 'Final Destination 2' I just knew that this would be a great film and I was definitely not disappointed with what I found here.


Main Cast:

Samuel L. Jackson - Neville Flynn
Julianna Margulies - Claire Miller
Nathan Phillips - Sean Jones
Rachel Blanchard - Mercedes Harbont
Flex Alexander - Three G's/Clarence Dewey
Kenan Thompson - Troy McDaniel
Keith Dallas - Big Leroy DuBois (as Keith "Blackman" Dallas)
Lin Shaye - Grace Bresson
Bruce James - Ken Cosette
Sunny Mabrey - Tiffany Engelhard
Casey Dubois - Curtis Brown
Daniel Hogarth - Tommy Brown
Gerard Plunkett - Paul Oswald
Terry Chen - Chen Leong
Elsa Pataky - Maria
Emily Holmes - Ashley
Tygh Runyan - Tyler
Mark Houghton - Agent John Sanders
Tom Butler - Captain Sam McKeon
Kendall Cross - Driver
Byron Lawson - Edward 'Eddie' Kim
Lisa Marie Caruk - Kitty (Ken's Girlfriend)

Summary: A great b-movie action thriller starring the almighty Samuel L. Jackson.