Snakes on a Plane flies on low-grade humor

By Frank Visco
Collegian Editor
August 30, 2006

Snakes on a Plane has garnered a reputation as a movie that is so bad, it’s good. Internet frenzy has helped perpetrate this belief, and the film’s director, David Ellis, has even gone so far to compare it to the schlock cult-films of John Waters.

So, after what has seemed like an eternity of anticipation, the big question seems to be does Snakes on a Plane, which slithered into theaters on Aug. 18, deliver the madcap lunacy the public seems to be expecting/demanding? The answer isn’t quite as easy as saying “yes” or “no.”

It is true that there are some humorously random bits, such as a scene where a conversation between two central characters comes to a halting stop to show another passenger sneeze and then wipe his snot on his pants.

It is also true that there are several crude scenes that are the clear result of bumping the movie from a PG-13 to an R (think: a couple joining the mile high club and an inattentive urinating gentleman getting attacked by snakes… yeah, ouch).

However, Pink Flamingos this isn’t. For the most part, Snakes on a Plane is a pretty straightforward B-movie, and once you get past the high-stakes concept and the aforementioned scenes, it is actually a tame, albeit still highly enjoyable, affair.

The catalyst of the movie is Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips), a surfing enthusiast who stumbles upon a murder committed by Eddie Kim (Bryon Lawson), who happens to be a major crime boss. As a result, Kim targets Jones, who is soon under the protection of two FBI agents, one of whom is Samuel L. Jackson’s interestingly-named Nelville Flynn.

Jones, Flynn and Flynn’s partner soon find themselves commandeering first class on a plane en route to Los Angeles from Hawaii so that Jones can testify against Kim. As a result, Kim fixes to bring the plane down by hiding hundreds of deadly snakes in the plane’s cargo hold, only to have them go into a killing frenzy after spraying pheromones throughout the plane.

That’s the setup, and if you can get past the ludicrousness of putting snakes on the plane as opposed to finding other means to ensure a witness’s death, then the rest of the ride should provide a pretty enjoyable experience.

One reason for this is that the filmmakers have successfully found a way to stretch the thin premise into a feature length film. Admittedly, while some would have no problem watching nonstop snake carnage, it would make for a repetitively dull movie.

In acknowledgement of this, the screenwriters, John Heffernan and Sebastian Gutierrez, wisely decided to break up the carnage with varying problems on the plane (such as the air conditioning unit going out and a passenger having to land the plane), as well as a subplot on the ground involving another agent’s attempt to track down the snake supplier. These things are all run-of-the-mill genre conventions, but the movie plays with them in an original way.

Much of the credit for this must be given to Ellis. Although Ellis will never be confused with Spielberg, he has carved a nice little niche in recent years, putting out high concept B-action movies that work. With Snakes on a Plane joining Final Destination 2 and Cellular on his resume, Ellis has become somewhat of a guilty-pleasure popcorn-film connoisseur.

Another reason the movie keeps its honorable B-movie dignity has to do with its cast. While some, such as Phillips, are as unimpressive as one might think an actor would be in a movie like this, a lot of quality actors also participate. Emmy winners Julianna Margulies (ER) and Bobby Canavalle (Will and Grace) all add some dimension to their thinly- drawn characters, along with David Koechner (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy). Also, Kenan Thompson, the best thing on SNL these days, is outright hilarious in the scene-stealing role of Troy, a character who plays an integral role in the last act of the film.

However, the movie rests on the shoulders of Jackson and his badass goodness, and boy, does he deliver. As Flynn, he exudes cool and confidence, and never plays down to the story. In fact, with the exception of the film’s token line (“I have had it with these mother****ing snakes on this mother****ing plane”), he plays the role straight, which lends the movie all the more credibility, while enhancing the ludicrous fun.

So check out Snakes on a Plane. It’s not exactly a cinematic masterpiece, but after a summer of mostly disappointing movies, it’s nice to have some motherhugging fun in a motherhugging movie theater.

viscof1@lasalle.edu