By 
Anaconda (2025)
It’s The Movie They’re Dying To Remake
Before we slither into Anaconda (2025), let’s rewind the VHS tape to where this whole franchise first struck fear — or at least fascinated audiences with oversized CGI serpents. The original Anaconda (1997) loomed onto screens as a sweaty, jungle-set creature feature directed by Luis Llosa, starring Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Owen Wilson, Jon Voight and Eric Stoltz. It wasn’t haute cinema, but its mix of camp, adventure, and slightly terrifying giant snake effects helped it become a cult classic, grossing over $130 million worldwide despite mixed critical bites. That 1997 entry spawned a whole nest of sequels — from Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) to direct-to-video entries and even a crossover with the Lake Placid crocs — proving that Hollywood loves a big snake almost as much as it loves … greenlighting sequels. Which brings us to Anaconda (2025), the sixth film in this slippery saga: part action, part horror, part buddy comedy, and 100% self-aware Hollywood commentary. Directed by Tom Gormican, who co-wrote with Kevin Etten, this new reboot wrestles the franchise’s legacy into something equal parts homage and parody.
If you’re expecting a straight thriller this time around … well, you’re about to get tangled. Instead of rescue crews and snake hunters, Anaconda (2025) follows Doug McCallister (Jack Black) and Ronald “Griff” Griffen Jr. (Paul Rudd) — childhood besties who’ve always dreamed of remaking their favorite 1997 snake classic. So when Griff sneaks into possession of its “rights,” they recruit old pals Kenny (Steve Zahn) and Claire (Thandiwe Newton) and set course for the Amazon rainforest to shoot their own indie version. Cue the jungle funhouse: they accidentally kill the ‘trained’ snake intended for their movie, venture deep into the Amazon to find a replacement, and end up face-to-fang with a real, giant anaconda. The result is not so much a survival thriller as a meta-movie-within-a-movie gumbo — laughs, mayhem, and unexpected danger slithering side by side.
Confidence is high. Survival odds are … negotiable.
Director Gormican clearly brings his tongue firmly in cheek — a creative choice that recalls his previous swing at meta comedy with The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022), another film that starred actors playing versions of themselves against absurd backdrops. Here, the self-awareness sticks out like a snake in a fruit bowl: it’s clever, occasionally hilarious, and just as often too clever by half. Tom Gormican’s filmography reveals a taste for blending joke with reality. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent saw Nicolas Cage playing “Nicolas Cage” — a winking take on celebrity and identity, packed with Hollywood in-jokes and affectionate roast-ings. With Anaconda, Gormican applies a similar lens to franchise fandom and auteur obsession: Doug and Griff’s quest to remake their beloved snake classic is as much about midlife reflection as it is about reptilian encounters.
That meta twist doesn’t always land with perfect precision — sometimes the movie’s self-awareness feels like a snake biting its own tail — but when it works, it’s hiss-terical. Think of it as a creature adventure that doesn’t just ask “What’s chasing the heroes?” but also “And why are we making this movie again?” The answer, in Anaconda, seems to be: because it’s fun.
Underneath the jokes about reboot culture and Hollywood’s endless appetite for remakes, Anaconda ‘25 genuinely tries to say something about creation and obsession. At its heart, this is a story about midlife ambition, the nostalgia that drives us back to old dreams, and the way filmmaking itself can be a monster — a creature just as unpredictable as any giant snake. The Amazon setting becomes more than a backdrop; it’s a character, reminding us that nature — like creativity — is wild, chaotic, and sometimes jaw-droppingly beautiful. And while the actual serpent action is sporadic (more on that in a moment), the jungle itself swallows characters, jokes, and — in true meta fashion — even the audience’s expectations. This movie doesn’t just wink at genre films — it gives them a full-on snake-squeeze hug.
Still not the worst thing that happens on this trip.
For fans of creature features, expect a bit less predator prowling and a bit more laugh-while-you-cringe. The giant anaconda itself shows up with less regularity than you might hope, and its presence feels like a punchline as much as a peril. But — like a well-timed hiss — the action sequences that do occur are enjoyable and well-paced. There’s something inherently playful about watching Doug and Griff’s DIY filmmaking misadventures slowly devolve into real danger. It’s less frenetic survival horror and more popcorn comedy with fang flair, which is exactly the flavor many viewers were hoping for over the holiday season. The best reptilian set piece? A “dead boar” scene involving Jack Black: a wonderfully absurd gag where Black’s character and a supposed carcass produce one of the film’s most unexpectedly goofy beats. It’s slapstick wrapped in scales.
This film is anchored not by its snake, but by its people — and what a charming bunch they are. Paul Rudd and Jack Black are a comedy tag-team worthy of a buddy flick renaissance. Rudd’s easy-going charm and Black’s energetic oddball energy play off each other like banter and bite marks. Steve Zahn and Thandiwe Newton add grounded support, giving the ensemble a mix of level-headed reactions and sharp comic relief that keeps the tone from going full snake-oil. Zahn’s Kenny Trent is the eternally game, slightly bewildered buddy — the guy who signed up for a casual getaway and slowly realizes he’s wandered into a midlife crisis with fangs — while Newton’s Claire Simons plays the practical realist, offering calm, competence, and perfectly deployed side-eye as the madness escalates. Daniela Melchior more than holds her own as Ana Almeida, the quietly mysterious boat captain who’s clearly hiding more than she lets on. Selton Mello rounds things out as Carlos Santiago Braga, the crew’s snake handler and resident wild card — the kind of guy who talks about giant reptiles with casual confidence, drops a few perfectly timed lines, and keeps the whole jungle circus feeling playfully off-kilter rather than genuinely grim.
Adventure films always skip this part in the pitch.
Even the obligatory cameos — particularly Ice Cube returning from the original and Jennifer Lopez showing up in a surprise mid-credits scene that riffs on her role — bring warm nostalgia without overshadowing the current story. These little nods feel less like pandering and more like affectionate winks to longtime fans.
Anaconda ‘25 isn’t the slickest creature feature of the year, nor is it trying to be. Instead, it’s a joyful (if occasionally overindulgent) meta-comedy that knows exactly what it is: a pop culture snake sandwich with extra laughs. The movie balances nostalgia with fresh ideas and delivers enough comedy and action to satisfy casual viewers and franchise obsessives alike. Is it perfect? No — sometimes the jokes coil back too tightly and the plot gets tangled in its own self-awareness. But that’s part of the charm. In a cinematic landscape that can feel over-serious, Anaconda is content to have fun — and it mostly succeeds at that. For a holiday popcorn flick that serves laughs with a side of scales it’s a solid watch — a movie that might not bite you, but definitely leaves a grin.
3.5 / 5 – Great
Reviewed by Dan Cachia (Mr. Movie)
Anaconda is released through Sony Pictures Australia
