©Courtesy of Sony Pictures
It wasn’t just the Bossa Nova that came from Brazil. Horror fans know Coffin Joe terrorized the streets of Sao Paulo, while the Creature from the Black Lagoon and the massive snake from the original 1997 Anaconda hailed from deep within the Brazilian Amazon. Film geeks like Doug McCallister and his pal Robert Griffen Jr. understand you would be better off facing the Creature than the snake. Yet, they tempt fate by recklessly venturing into the Amazon to shoot their own highly dubious “reboot” of Anaconda in Tom Gormican’s comedically-meta re-conception, also simply titled Anaconda (2025), which opens Christmas Day in theaters.
McCallister is a wedding videographer and Griffen sort of works as a background extra, but they fondly remember their glory days of student filmmaking. In lieu of a mid-life crisis, they hatch a plan to remake their all-time favorite film, Luis Llosa’s Anaconda (1997). Supposedly, Griffen even secured the rights. The minimal budget keeps shrinking, but they convince their old collaborator Claire Simons to be their leading lady, opposite Griffen. McCallister even temporarily makes peace with his former cameraman Kenny Trent. Soon, the quartet ventures forth into the Brazilian Amazon, because who needs to waste time on extensive pre-production logistics?
At least McCallister hired Santiago Braga, a Brazilian snake-wrangler, whose manageably-sized anaconda cannot compare to the giant snake picking off people in the background. Mishaps inevitably ensue, especially with self-proclaimed environmental activist Ana Almeida masquerading as their riverboat captain. Pursued by the hardboiled Joao and his men, Almeida’s skilled marksmanship might come in handy when the titular snake starts terrorizing the rag-tag film crew.
Plus, as has been reported online, Ice Cube makes a memorable appearance as himself, in what is far and away the film’s funniest scene. As a further bonus, an additional 1997 cast-member also makes a humorous cameo as themselves (but that one is clearly meant to be a surprise). Gormican and co-screenwriter Kevin Etten deliberately and self-consciously lean into those self-referentially meta jokes, very much in the spirit of their cult-favorite The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
Indeed, McCallister and company essentially provide a running commentary on the perils and pitfalls of rebooting fan-beloved franchises. It is often funny, but over half of the gags still involve over-the-top slapstick pratfalls. Ultimately, it feels like the producers did not have full confidence in Gormican’s ironic approach, so they hedged their bets.
Jack Black and Paul Rudd gamely perform the physical gags, but the shtick grows repetitive. Nevertheless, their likably loopy chemistry is appealing. It is nice to see friendship amongst nerds celebrated on-screen. Likewise, Thandiwe Newton always feels like part of the old gang. Conversely, Black’s constant bickering with Steve Zahn often sounds forced.
©Courtesy of Sony Pictures
Regardless, Brazilian thesp Selton Mello (down-shifting back to comedy after earning international acclaim in I’m Still Here) adds some grit and authenticity as Braga, the snake guy. The Portuguese Daniela Melchior brings plenty of action swagger as Almeida and the secret of her subplot cleverly subverts audience expectations. (In case you were worried, the American subtitles faithfully translate the Brazilian Portuguese dialogue.)
Oddly enough, Gormican’s Anaconda is the second recent not-exactly-a-reboot of Llosa’s 1997 box office hit. Much like McCllister’s film-within-the-film, the Xiang Brothers’ Anaconda: Cursed Jungle (2024) plays it fast-and-loose with regards to official remake rights. While it is more faithful to the original, it is also much less inspired—and considered downright cheesy by the uncharitable. Gormican’s re-whatever-you-want-to-call-it can also credibly claim its deliberately cornball special effects are part of its off-kilter charm.
Of the two, Gormican’s film is the reinterpretation-homage to watch, even though it is often a little too silly for its own good. Nevertheless, Gormican and his cast try to deliver a fresh and distinctive take, which is appreciated. There are considerable highpoints, but its general inconsistency makes the latest Anaconda the kind of movie you can safely wait to stream later. Still, it is so gosh-darned eager to please, Anaconda (2025) could serve as an acceptable compromise choice for your holiday movie-going, when it opens in theaters Christmas Day.
©Courtesy of Sony Pictures
Grade: a very generous B-
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Here’s the trailer of the film.