Anaconda 4K 1997

Despite all its trashiness, Anaconda remains perhaps the best film about giant snakes. Because if you start comparing this film with all sorts of clinical nonsense like Python or Mega Snakes, it seems that Luis Lloys' film is the pinnacle of cinematic art. In any case, this film is damn well made thanks to several components. First, there's the snake itself. Both animated and mechanical models of an anaconda were used during filming. And, in my opinion, the stuffed animal looks way cooler than the computer graphics depicting the giant snake. In the dynamic attack scenes, the “computer nature” of the snake is obvious, but in the calmer episodes, the mechanical model looks really scary. Most importantly, the anaconda turned out to be quite realistic in its overall perception, especially when compared to the aforementioned Mega Snake, Python, and similar films, where instead of a terrifying monster, we see laughably unconvincing, crudely computer-generated snakes...

The film's second trump card is the main villain in human form, played by John Voight. Incidentally, Voight is the only actor here who truly plays his character. The other famous personalities, such as Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Eric Stoltz, and Owen Wilson, are simply in the frame. They are like stereotypical mannequins, not trying to portray “conditional” characters. But Voight is really good! His character, Paul Saronne, may also seem like an unrealistic, caricatured villain from a real-life perspective, but in an adventure horror film, he looks just perfect! Voight's haughty, contemptuous smirk and maniacal, insane gaze in Anaconda are priceless. A perfectly played villain!

The third trump card is the beautiful scenery and excellent cinematography. As I said, the computer special effects in the film are sometimes lacking, revealing their artificiality, but the cinematographer shoots the film in an extremely clear and spectacular way. Each action scene is detailed and shot with the right amount of speed, allowing the viewer to clearly understand what is happening on the screen and perceive the episode from the correct and clear angles.

Overall, Anaconda is a high-quality adventure thriller, professionally made and exciting. It should not be taken seriously, but from the point of view of entertaining action horror, it is just what you need.