Anaconda (2025) review – one of the funniest movies of the year. An entertaining nonsense at the service of Jack Black and Paul Rudd

28 years ago it premiered ‘Anaconda’a horror film led by Jennifer Lopez which ended up being the beginning of an unlikely franchise that seemed to come to an end in 2015 with the launch of the crossover ‘Jaws vs. Anaconda’. However, it is very difficult for a saga to die in Hollywood and Sony has spent several years trying to shape a reboot that finally hits theaters this Friday, December 25.

The first thing to be clear about this ‘Anaconda’ is that it is an unusual update, since it revolves around a group of friends who are trying to make a new version of the film released in 1997, with the bad luck that they end up having to face one of these snakes. That translates into a very funny comedy if you connect with the approach it proposessince it is still a nice nonsense in the service of Jack Black y Paul Rudd.

Direct and effective

There are many reasons why it would be easy to bury this new ‘Anaconda’, from the fact that it is very predictable – the only more or less surprising twist is part of the most failed subplot of the feature – to the fact that the visual finish of the snake is not at all achieved and screams digital artifact at all times. But in his favor he has something that is contagious, and that is his determined commitment to taking everything as a joke, but always knowing how to keep his feet on the ground.

In fact, the premise of the film itself is based on a group of friends who had a childhood dream of succeeding in the movies who get together because one of them claims to have obtained the rights to make a reboot of ‘Anaconda’. This means that there is always in the background a story of losers giving everything that is very easy to empathize withespecially if you add Rudd and Black on top of their comedic skills.

That said, no one expects characters with much substance, since ‘Anaconda’ is not something that interests him too much either. The most serious case is that of Daniela Melchiorthat one never really knows what she’s worth there other than how pretty she is, but in return that tendency to not take anything seriously works wonders in the case of the unique trainer played by Selton Mellowho leaves us some of the best moments of the show.

It is true that the action – and small doses of terror – gains weight as the minutes go by and that it is not something that is particularly successful either. Humor is also what works best then, even when the film openly embraces absurdity. and there is no choice but to accept what happens without wondering too much if what happens makes much sense.

That leads to In no case can it be said that ‘Anaconda’ is a great filmbut he is perfectly aware of both what he wants to be and his limitations – hence the appearances on screen of the monstrous snake are reduced to a minimum. What really matters here is that its protagonists have a good time and that that energy is transmitted to the viewer.

Tom Gormicanco-writer and director of this new ‘Anaconda’, is also perfectly aware of this, approaching his staging work from the purely functional so that his stars are the ones who elevate material that is not particularly memorable either. Choosing the right actor for the role adds a lot and here we have a good example of it.

For the rest, ‘Anaconda’ also dedicates a little love to the original film and makes effective use of that meta component that explains its mere existence – although always maintaining its tendency to be as subtle as a punch in the face. However, It is still nonsense in which we have to accept that little less than anything goes to give us a fun time. And if you don’t jump into what it proposes first, it’s likely that all you want is for it to end as soon as possible.

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