A textbook case of heavy hype and puny payoff, David R. Ellis' Snakes on a Plane became a much-talked-about phenomenon thanks to huge buzz on the Internet, only to crash and burn when it opened in theaters. The plot would fit on the underside of a bottle-cap: a drug kingpin puts a time-release crate of squirmy poisonous reptiles in the hold of a plane bound for California carrying a hotshot FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson) tasked with transporting a Hawaii surfing dude (who saw the narcotics thug whack an L.A. prosecutor and has agreed to appear as a witness). Once the critters are loosed, many onboard screams and deaths ensue, coupled with the obligatory examples of macho courage and nobility punctuated with bursts of really lame humor. Meanwhile, the FBI station chief on the ground works with a scientist to collect the antidotes that will be required if the crippled aircraft ever makes it back to the mainland. Totally absurd premise, right? Unfortunately, the filmmakers try to turn this into a legitimate thriller (despite the shabby special effects) rather than playing it for ludicrous trash, resulting in unintentional giggles. A quintessential high-concept movie that never manages to take off, this is not recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary (by director David R. Ellis, star Samuel L. Jackson, producer Craig Berenson, associate producer Tawny Ellis, visual effects supervisor Erik Henry, and second unit director Freddie Hice), an 18-minute “Pure Venom” making-of featurette, a 13-minute “Meet the Reptiles” featurette, 10 deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary (12 min.), the “Snakes on a Blog” fan reel featurette (10 min.), the Cobra Starship music video “Snakes on a Plane (Bring It),” a visual effects featurette (5 min.), a five-minute gag reel, and trailers and TV spots. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a critical and commercial flop.] (F. Swietek)[Blu-ray Review—Oct. 13, 2009—New Line, 105 min., R, $28.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2006's Snakes on a Plane sports a great transfer and a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. Blu-ray extras are identical to the previous standard DVD release, including audio commentary (by director David R. Ellis, star Samuel L. Jackson, producer Craig Berenson, associate producer Tawny Ellis, visual effects supervisor Erik Henry, and second unit director Freddie Hice), a “Pure Venom” “making-of” featurette (18 min.), a “Meet the Reptiles” featurette (13 min.), 10 deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary (12 min.), the “Snakes on a Blog” fan reel featurette (10 min.), the Cobra Starship music video “Snakes on a Plane (Bring It),” a visual effects featurette (5 min.), a gag reel (5 min.), and trailers and TV spots. Bottom line: although it looks better in Blu, this is still a disappointing film.]
Snakes on a Plane
New Line, 106 min., R, DVD: $28.98, Jan. 2 Volume 22, Issue 1
Snakes on a Plane
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