RUTHERFORD ON FILM: Oh My, Oh My! There Are Snakes (Poisonous on a Plane in ….You Guessed it: ‘Snakes on a Plane’
By Tony RutherfordHuntington News Network Critic
Huntington, WV (HNN) -- Grab your rattlers (the kind that babies play with), some mechanical windup toys to turn loose in the aisle, and practice screaming an expression that cannot be printed here. Judging by the audience reaction to the advance showing of “Snakes on a Plane,” this may be the most interactive film since the time warping “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
One viewer took a popcorn break and returned asking, “Any snakes yet?”
Boasting catchy tunes and a combination of “Airplane” with “Airport,” these “Snakes” are everywhere, from the cockpit to the bathroom. They’re mean, they’re of all colors, and they may have been given a little crack before take off. In any event, the serpents claim their first victims in a bathroom where a caressing couple suddenly discover vipers squeezing them.
How do the snakes get on the plane? When a Hawaii vacationer witnesses the murder of a district attorney by a mob thug, he blasts away from the scene on a motorbike as bullets fly towards him. Hours later, as assassins work to enter his hotel room, an FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson) rescues him and then twists his arms to testify in Los Angeles against the kingpin. Although the agent attempts a diversion as to which plane contains the witness, a baggage handler gives the word and the plane is loaded with a collection of the world’s most poisonous reptiles.
An explosive triggers a small blast that opens the containers allowing the serpents to start slithering in the underbelly. Before long, they’ve crawled into all the air flow crevices of the jet on their way to begin their attack in ‘coach.’
As these vipers run amuck, director David (“Cellular,” “Final Destination II) Ellis, a former stuntman, shows the slithering monsters targeting victims through a greenish night vision perspective. Did I say monsters? Yea, these nasty serpents have often been enhanced by the gift of computer CGI animation, allowing a gulping snake to open wide and begin downing a victim head first!
Behaving more like mice on the loose, the snakes first crawl over a few toes (WARNING: If you’re afraid of spiders, snakes or rodents, wear closed toe shoes at this one!) before they’re everywhere, like crawling up a woman’s leg while sleeping who judging by her face has a smiling, orgasmic dream before succumbing to the critter’s invasion of her body.
Obviously, you’ve gotten the idea that this suggestive and fun R-rated absurdity delivers so many hysterics that you hate to see the dude with 2,000 hours flying time bring the craft to a halt. Meantime, Boeing has a cool commercial for decompression survival which whisks out objects, yet allows the female flight attendants to retain their apparently glued on pumps!
Did I just write a spoiler? No, it’s not just the movie, it’s the audience participation. Get out there and join them.