Snakes on a Plane Review

While the movie Snakes on a Plane may not have received the best reviews or have been a box office hit it is still one of my favorite movies of all time and that is why I am choosing it as my first review.

To no one’s surprise the movie deals primarily with snakes on a plane. A quick and brief summary of the movie is a man jetting through Hawaii on a dirt bike stumbles upon a murder. Oh no! After observing copious amounts blood (which looks pretty fake) he somehow eludes many gun shots and this lands him on F.B.I. protective watch with who other than Samuel L. Jackson. These evil people plan on taking care of him by putting boxes and boxes of fatal snakes on a plane with him. The rest of the movie is Samuel L. Jackson and the rest of the passengers fighting off these horrible creatures.

The director, David R. Ellis makes it into a horror film. In the movie death takes the form of snakes. The snakes pose a transformative threat to the audience.  Like many horrors, the movie has a protagonist. The protagonist in this case is Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson has to save every one on the plane even though he hardly knows them. 

However, the movie also takes on a comedy role. It makes me laugh at least. According to the text, it would best be described as a "boys-will-be-babies-until-they-are-forced-to-grow-up" type of comedy. The movie is funny because it is so ridiculous. There are numerous slapstick moments throughout the movie. Every time a person is killed it is done so in a humorous manner. For example, in one scene the passenger thinks he is wearing his seat belt, however it is actually a snake and out of no where it comes up and takes a bite out of his neck!

Lets look more into this scene. At first you are laughing because the guy thinks he is wearing his seat belt, when we all know it is a snake. This scene is an example of when the movie is a comedy. Then,the movie quickly evolves into a horror film when the snake jumps up and chomps into the man's neck. In essence, at one moment you are laughing hysterically then at the next you are jumping out of your seat!

 I guess the main reason I like the movie so much is the simplicity of it. I mean how could you go wrong with Samuel L. Jackson and snakes on a plane? I think the director realizes and doesn't try to overdo the plot and make it too complex or have too many side stories. Just Samuel L. Jackson killing some snakes.

The lighting in the movie is always pretty bright as the whole movie pretty much takes place on a plane. The director uses chiaroscuro well as the movie gradually transitions from dark to light and vice verse. As you would expect, the suspense and fright in the movie enlarges when the lighting on the plane goes out. This is when it really gets scary. Obviously, this is all done intentionally as dark scenes make for scary scenes. 

I will admit, the movie lacks a strong story and plot. In fact there is not much of a plot at all. The
arrangement of the actions in the movie are not done so in a very effective way and it could be stronger. Moving on, the story is weak because it lacks creativity and is sort of basic. There are also no implicit events that are explicitly presented. However, if you are willing to accept that the movie will be a lot better!

This movie is culturally relevant because it gained a cult following. It became a full blown internet sensation through the many popular quotes. Though there are many hysterical quotes throughout the film perhaps the most well-known is when Samuel L. Jackson grows sick and tired of dealing with the snakes and finally comes up with a plan to eliminate them and yells: “Enough is enough! I have had it with these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane!” This single quote made the movie popular.

Though there are quite a few legendary scenes in the movie I have a clear favorite. After the plane is finally free of snakes; the plane is on a crash course and somehow the passengers need to land it safely. The only person on the plane with any experience flying planes is Kenan Thomson, or so Samuel L. Jackson thinks. When the two finally get back to the cockpit Jackson asks him how he knows how to fly a plane. To which Thomson confesses that he has no experience landing real planes only playing a flight simulator on the PlayStation 2. This scene gets me every time.

All in all, is Snakes on a Plane a good movie? No. Is it entertaining? Yes, I have watched in countless times and every time I watch I am entertained and get a good laugh which is why we watch movies. It is the type of movie you watch with some friends when are you looking for a good laugh. Thanks for reading! 

Works Cited

Barsam, Richard Meran., and Dave Monaham. Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. Print.

Dargis, Manohla. "Snakes on a Plane': That's No Seat Belt Around Your Waist." The New York Times. The New York TImes, 18 Aug. 2006. Web. 17 Jan. 2015

Snakes on a Plane Cover. Digital image. 3.bp.blogspot.com. N.p., 21 July 2010. Web. 17 Jan. 2015.

Man Holding Snake in Hand. Digital image. Http://www.richardcrouse.ca/. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2015.

Samuel L. Jackson on Plane. Digital image. Http://www.leffatykki.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2015.

Snake Eating Man. Digital image. Http://basementrejects.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2015.

Kenan Thomson Flying Plane. Digital image. Http://i.ytimg.com/. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2015.