By Chris Summerfield
Monster Movies! Yes you might love them, simply cringe or dislike them. However, whatever your personal opinion upon these movies the fact is they are very popular and have been for decades, with a back catalogue of hundreds if not thousands made over the years. Though saying this there has been many in my opinion, especially of recent years you just have to cringe to, with poor story lines and bad acting, some throwing in nudity to try and keep the viewer interested, and not forgetting extras just being used as food for the monsters… But not all monster movies are like this and this movie I would say was one of the better ones of recent years, though it was bound to be of reasonable standards because of the huge budget and staring the stunning multi talented Jennifer Lopez, and veteran actor Jon Voight having starred in movies such as, Deliverance 1972, and Coming home 1978.
The Movie:
The Ariau Jungle Hotel, deep in the Amazon is where Professor Steven Cale (Eric Stoltz) meets director Terri Flores (Jennifer Lopez) in which he hires to film his documentary, regards finding the lost tribe of the Amazon, the Shirishama tribe.
So the journey begins with captain, Mateo ((Vincent Castellanos) escorting the professor and the camera crew on their epic journey in which would turn out to be a battle of survival against a huge Anaconda snake.
Not long in to the journey they meet a stranded, Paul Serone (Jon Voight) a skilled poacher, who they take on board, however he has his own sinister plans with his ultimate prize in mind being the capture of the legendary giant anaconda, however he would have to convince the others that the anaconda would make a better investment than searching for the lost tribe.
The film then takes a twist as Professor Cale, being the man in charge is wounded and therefore unconscious for part of the following journey, (he was stung by a deadly wasp whilst working upon freeing the boats propeller underwater). Serone decides thereafter to navigation their journey and therefore takes them on a detour though with his own gains in mind.
A boat that is the opening scene of the movie is discovered the owner having shot himself in the beginning, though Serone is fully aware who the owner was and goes to explore along with Mateo and the camera man. We are then introduced to the first anaconda killing, being Mateo who is crushed before being eaten.
Back on the boat, Serone, shows off his collection of snake skins in which he had salvaged from the doomed boat and then confesses to what he knows on snakes and speaks of possibilities of capturing a giant anaconda, stating the financial rewards, one of the crew members, Gary Dixon (Owen Wilson) agrees with Serone the others having to go along with it at gun point, and so the battle against the anaconda begins and I can assure you, this movie develops really well, with professor Cale and Terri Flores, trying to stop the mad Serone and survive against the giant snake in which is picking off the crew one by one, it sure leads to a great climax.
It leaves me to say, a great movie that as stunning scenery in which you get to see the Amazon jungle from the safety of your own home and some bone breaking moments that are breath taking. Do watch this movie if you like your monster ones.
Rating: 8/10