ANACONDA is a 2025 action comedy horror film directed by Tom Gormican (That Awkward Moment, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), from a screenplay he co-wrote with Kevin Etten. The film is a comedic reboot/reimagining of the 1997 horror thriller film of the same name.
Doug (Jack Black) and Griff (Paul Rudd) have been best friends since they were kids, and have always dreamed of remaking their all-time favorite movie: the cinematic "classic" Anaconda. When a midlife crisis pushes them to finally go for it, they head deep into the Amazon to start filming. But things get real when an actual giant anaconda appears, turning their comically chaotic movie set into a deadly situation. The movie they’re dying to make? It might just get them killed
The cast includes Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior, Ben Lawson, and Selton Mellow.
ANACONDA made it’s debut in theaters December 25th, courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
When I first saw the trailer for ANACONDA, I had an instant jolt of nostalgia. I’ve seen the original film easily 20 times, and it is absolutely a classic in my opinion. Another big draw for me was the cast for sure, and I am all for adding to the underappreciated comedy genre. The trailer just had the feel of a don’t take it too seriously and just sit back and enjoy a type of film, and I’m more than okay with that. It took me a bit longer than usual to check this one out in theaters with the holidays and all of the craziness they bring, but overall I would say I was pleased. I feel like I went in with fairly tempered expectations, just in terms of the type of film that it was, and in my opinion it delivered.
The premise for the film is pretty well explained in the trailer. Basically you have two long long time best friends who decide they want to reboot the classic film Anaconda. The two best friends, played by Paul Rudd and Jack Black, have instant chemistry together. The other two primary characters who were part of their friend group include Thandiwe Newton and my guy Steve Zahn, an actor who I always appreciate seeing on screen. I thought the cast was one of the primary strengths of the film, and I just felt like everyone was having fun the entire time. I don’t wanna give it away just in case, but the film also includes a fantastic cameo from an original cast member.
Although ANACONDA certainly didn’t break the bank in terms of visual effects, I still thought that it provided enough to warrant a trip to the theater to see it on the big screen. The film includes a nice balance of action and comedy, but the tone stays pretty light throughout while also including some feel good moments by the end. I also have to give credit to Selton Mellow who I thought was hilarious as Santiago, the snake handler who they hired for their film. I just loved what his character brought to the dynamic of the rest of the characters, and he was just great with some of his dialogue.
I’m not going to sit here and act like ANACONDA is a must see film, because it’s just not. It is slow at times and not all the jokes hit quite as well as they had hoped. But with that being said, if you enjoy yourself a good comedy and consider the original film to be a classic, it is easy for me to recommend seeing this in theaters. Like with most goofy comedies, you really need to go in more or less knowing what to expect, and if you do that with ANACONDA, I feel like you’re going to come out more than satisfied.
THE VERDICT
A goofy comedy with a great cast and a fun premise, ANACONDA delivers plenty of laughs and the nostalgia alone is worth the price of admission. Now it’s admittedly far from perfect and definitely not an instant classics within the genre, but I had fun with this movie and I would have no problem at all watching it again.
TED TAKES RATING - 5.9/10
ANACONDA is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.