Jack Black and Paul Rudd Are the New Abbott and Costello in Anaconda (Review)

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I have to admit, when I first heard Columbia Pictures was making another Anaconda movie, I was stunned. Then they announced it would be a comedy starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd, and it honestly felt like a joke! It seemed so random – taking comedians and putting them in a reboot of a cheesy ’90s monster movie that everyone mostly makes fun of online. I started to wonder if this was just the state of things now, where comedians need to revive not-so-great movies to even get a comedy made. But, surprisingly, the movie is actually funny! The path to making it might have been a little strange, but the final result is genuinely entertaining.

Surprisingly, the new Anaconda movie shows that silly, studio comedies aren’t completely extinct. These kinds of films have mostly disappeared from cinemas, ending up on streaming services or becoming TV shows. It clearly follows the style of previous movies starring John Cena and Paul Rudd, like Saving Silverman and Role Models, but even that wasn’t enough to get it made – it needed to be presented as a continuation of the Anaconda franchise. It’s a mix of the humor from Tropic Thunder, the thrills of a classic Anaconda movie, and a bit of that viral Raiders of the Lost Ark fan film from years ago. Ultimately, this Anaconda offers a fun, lighthearted escape for audiences looking for holiday entertainment that can be both funny and scary.

Rating: 3 out of 5

PROS CONS
Jack Black and Paul Rudd are hilarious throughout Drags when it tries to do too much
Roasts Hollywood’s dependence on reboots Some characters literally have nothing to do

Let’s be honest, the new Anaconda doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It’s pretty much what you’d expect. While it does offer some clever commentary on Hollywood’s obsession with remakes, that’s not the whole story. What this reboot really shows is a new approach to bringing old movies back to life. It’s not just acknowledging how wearying these reboots can be – it’s playfully using that awareness to give a classic concept a fresh spin. It’s a knowing wink to the audience, and surprisingly effective.

Anaconda Delivers a Surprising New Detour for Reboots

In the movie Anaconda, Paul Rudd plays Griff, an actor in Hollywood who’s having a hard time catching a break. He mostly struggles to find work and ends up with very small roles. His best friend from Buffalo, Doug (Jack Black), still works at his dad’s wedding video company, but he secretly dreams of making real movies. When the two reconnect for Doug’s birthday, Griff reminds everyone – including their old friends Kenny (Steve Zahn) and Claire (Thandiwe Newton) – of the fun they used to have making films together. He then surprises them with big news: he’s acquired the rights to remake the 1997 movie Anaconda, and wants them to make it with him.

The plot is completely silly, but is that really any different from the original Anaconda film? By openly embracing how ridiculous it is and letting the actors focus on being funny, this movie actually delivers something rare these days: genuine jokes. The first twenty minutes are packed with great one-liners and memorable moments – like Paul Rudd being asked if a home video is kid-friendly and casually responding with a swear – and that lighthearted tone continues throughout most of the film, even if it occasionally falters.

Anaconda Falls Apart When It Tries to Get Too Big

The film Anaconda begins with a gripping scene in the Amazon rainforest, introducing Daniela Melchior’s character and establishing the movie’s setting. However, after the opening credits, this initial sequence is largely forgotten, with only brief references throughout the first half of the film. Despite being the boat’s operator and part of the film crew, Melchior’s character is absent for significant portions of the movie, remaining mostly inactive until the plot finally focuses on her story.

After this plot point is established, it doesn’t really go anywhere, and the movie wouldn’t have changed much if it had been left out. It’s disappointing because the comedy has to pause to follow a storyline that ultimately doesn’t affect anything, and it slows down the pace of the jokes. While there are still laughs, they become much less frequent as the movie focuses on this unnecessary subplot, which only results in the snake being fed. Some viewers might find that enough, but it feels like a forced addition, especially because the genuinely funny moments—which also involve the anaconda—make this detour seem like unwanted studio meddling.

Beyond the story itself, the film relies on being a classic giant snake movie, aiming for thrills but never genuine scares. Unlike the original, which used a real snake for some scenes, this version depends entirely on computer-generated effects. The exciting moments are mostly quick surprises designed to hold the audience’s attention between jokes. Ultimately, the snake isn’t even the most memorable part of the movie, highlighting that it’s really a comedy dressed up as a big-budget reboot.

Anaconda Is at Its Best When It Just Focuses on the Leads

The movie Anaconda works best when it focuses on its core four characters – Rudd, Black, Zahn, and Newton – particularly in the beginning, much of the middle, and the ending. When the film tries to do too much with other storylines, it loses its way, except for the humorous scenes involving Selton Mello as the snake handler, which echo the over-the-top performance and accent of Jon Voight in the first Anaconda movie.

Jack Black effortlessly brings his signature charm and humor to the role, essentially playing a heightened version of the personality fans already enjoy from his talk show appearances and YouTube videos. While the character feels natural for him, it showcases his impressive range as an actor. The humor in Anaconda isn’t just surface-level; Black fully commits to making every joke land. Paul Rudd is equally funny, occasionally referencing his energetic Wet Hot American Summer persona, and cleverly poking fun at the typical Hollywood leading man – a role he’s now fully embraced thanks to his work in the MCU.

While Anaconda features a large cast, the story primarily revolves around two leads. Though Steve Zahn delivers some funny lines, his character feels underdeveloped compared to the main duo. Similarly, the character played by Newton mainly serves to support the lead’s journey without getting much development of her own. This is the film’s biggest flaw: it showcases two talented actresses but doesn’t give them enough substantial material – whether comedic or dramatic – to truly shine.

The 1948 film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein cleverly combined classic monster movie thrills with the comedic style of Abbott and Costello, proving hugely popular and leading to several sequels featuring other monsters like the Invisible Man and the Mummy. The recent film Anaconda demonstrates that this same approach still works today. You can successfully revive a classic movie by playfully acknowledging it’s a reboot, and adding genuine humor and comedians can breathe new life into even the most familiar franchises.

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2025-12-23 20:18