Review Time: Snakes on a Plane

When I first suggested to Emile that we should go check out Snakes on a Plane he looked at me as if I was crazy. Well, okay, Emile often looks at me as if I'm crazy. But in this case even more so. He hadn't heard of the crazy internet fuelled history (and some would say hysteria) behind this movie. I took it upon myself to bring him up to date about the movie.

The result of this was Emile spending Sunday at work saying to me "Motherfucking Snakes on a Motherfucking Plane."

So last night was the night. We girded ourselves with Garlic Naan bread (and I drank waaaay too much Pepsi, so that I was squirming in the seat by the end of the movie... but the less said about that, the better. Needless to say I almost did irrepairable damage to my bladder and liver to stay until the end of the movie...)

I think the best way of describe Snakes on a Plane is to say Motherfucking Hilarious.

This is possibly the best parody and tribute of exploitation cinema ever. It is played straight-faced, while playing on your expectations all the way through. Don't get me wrong - this isn't cinematic genius by any stretch. Rather, if you are an afficianado of exploitation films from the 70s and really enjoyed their trashy silliness - Snakes on a Plane is just a perfect piss-take.

It uses all the elements of these films - the stereotyped passengers (to the point that I whispered to Emile "where's the hispanic character?" to then have a passenger barely seconds later on the screen turn and talk to someone in her thick hispanic accent.) Yet the film also tricks you into thinking that one group of people are going to die and then have someone else kick it.

I laughed my ass off throughout this film - it was just fantastic stuff. All because the cast clearly knew that it was a trashy movie and they put in excellent performances. Understated enough to not become pantomime while over the top enough to be funny. Samuel L. Jackson just has a blast being Samuel L. Jackson (and, after all, that is why people wanted him in the film. This guy knows how to deliver what the audience wants. People were applauding in the cinema!)

All I can say is - two thumbs up. Fucking excellent! :D

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: The Reality Dysfunction
Currently Playing: Exalted: The Seventh Legion
Mood: Still buzzing over the film. So much fun!