Anaconda Trailer, Fun Facts & Review
Anaconda Synopsis:
Hoping to escape their midlife crises, best friends Doug and Griff (Jack Black and Paul Rudd) travel to the Amazon rainforest to film a low-budget, passion-project remake of their favorite '90s creature feature, Anaconda. Their comically disastrous filmmaking efforts are abruptly halted when a real, massive, and man-eating anaconda emerges from the jungle, turning their fictional quest into a desperate and action-packed fight for survival against a very monster far more ferocious than anything they could have scripted.
Genre: Action, Comedy, Adventure
Release Date: In theaters December 25th, 2025
Anaconda Fun Facts:
The Plot Is Meta:
The film's storyline is about movies themselves. The main characters are not a documentary crew, but the movie revolves around two best friends, Doug and Griff, who are experiencing a midlife crisis and decide to remake the original 1997 Anaconda movie in the Amazon, but they end up confronting a real massive snake.
Star-Powered Comedy Duo:
The movie features powerhouse comedians Paul Rudd and Jack Black in the lead roles, adding a very different tone mixing comedy with horror and action.
Talented Cast:
Joining Paul Rudd and Jack Black are a well-rounded group of talented cast, including Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior, and Selton Mello.
Directorial Reunion:
The movie reunites director Tom Gormican with screenwriter Kevin Etten, who co-wrote the script together. They had previously worked on the highly praised meta-comedy, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022), featuring a seasoned Hollywood actor (Nicolas Cage) playing a role that made fun of his self-image.
Unconventional Christmas Release:
It is very unusual for the studio to release a giant killer snake movie on Christmas Day. The studio appears to be targeting viewers seeking an alternative to the usual holiday family movie.
Sixth Installment:
The 2025 Anaconda movie is the sixth installment of the overall franchise, which includes the original 1997 Anaconda movie, three direct-to-video sequels, and a crossover film, Lake Placid vs. Anaconda.
Anaconda Review:
The new Anaconda movie isn't a typical horror remake of the 1997 original. Director Tom Gormican made a funny, "meta" comedy that pokes fun at itself. Instead of the silly horror found in the original, he turned this version into a funny and surprisingly heartwarming adventure about two friends dealing with midlife crises.
The story is about two childhood best friends, Doug (Jack Black) and Griff (Paul Rudd). Doug is a frustrated wedding cameraman, and Griff is an actor who hasn't had much success. To try and achieve their failed dreams, they travel to the Amazon rainforest to film their own low-budget, homemade version of their favorite childhood movie, Anaconda.
They are joined by their friends, Kenny (Steve Zahn) and Claire (Thandiwe Newton). The group soon learns that the dangerous rainforest does not care about their movie plans. When they run into a real, massive, and man-eating anaconda, their low-budget movie project turns into a scary fight for survival.
Jack Black and Paul Rudd are great as a team, and they have great chemistry working together. Black as always brings his usual wild and crazy energy to the movie, running through the jungle with a dead wild boar strapped on his back while being chased by a monster. Rudd is simply funny, having lied to his friend about actually having permission to remake the movie.
Steve Zahn plays Kenny, the "burnout" friend who is always tired and an alcoholic. He is one of the funniest characters in the movie because of the lines he made up on the spot and a funny side story involving a spider bite and using the corpse as bait.
Without giving away too much, the movie includes surprise cameos by the original stars, Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez. Their surprise appearances add a nice sense of history that fans will enjoy and bring back memories from the past.
The film has a difficult time deciding whether to focus entirely on the "meta" comedy that makes fun of itself or a serious movie about a monster. Instead, the film is a blend of a scary fight for survival mixed with silly jokes, which removes the seriousness of the monster movie.
Overall, Anaconda is a fun and lighthearted movie that is easy to enjoy during the holidays. The movie is at its best when it focuses on the friendship between the lead characters. It is more of a story that makes fun of itself than a scary monster movie, but if you are a big fan of Jack Black and Paul Rudd, you will truly enjoy this crazy ride.