Scientists working for a pharmaceutical company travel to Borneo in search of 'the blood orchid', a rare flower that they believe can be used to prolong a person's life. Chartering a boat, they travel down river, but after an unexpected encounter with a raging waterfall, they find themselves stranded in the jungle, where they are hunted by giant anacondas.
Big creature sequel Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid lacks the star power of the first film - it's biggest name is Morris Chestnut, 'star' of Boyz n the Hood and Under Siege 2: Dark Territory - but despite the dearth of familiar faces, the film still manages to be a lot of fun, director Dwight H. Little (Marked for Death, Halloween 4) recognising the dumb popcorn nature of the script and conducting matters accordingly. His film is full of over-the-top action and horror, with every character a cliché, from the gruff hero with tattoos and stubble, to his brave Asian sidekick, to the sexy blonde female scientist, to the token latino woman with sass, and the loathsome British villain, right down to the cowardly comic relief who screams at every opportunity. There's even a cute capuchin monkey called Kong! It's 'switch off your brain and enjoy' entertainment -- nothing more, nothing less -- and Little pulls it off superbly and not without a sense of style, the director making great use of his lush, tropical setting.
The anacondas themselves, are, of course, cost-effective CGI and aren't wholly convincing (although they're nowhere near as bad as SyFy channel standards), but thankfully the snakes are largely kept in the dark, or under water, and don't dominate the film, much of the action being relatively reptile free. There are plenty of other dangers to be faced by the plucky adventurers, including a hungry crocodile, a wild river, bloodsucking leeches, poisonous spiders, and an unscrupulous leader who will do absolutely ANYTHING to achieve his goal.
When all is said and done, Anacondas is the kind of film that demands the viewer to forget all about such trifling details as the fact that anacondas aren't indigenous to Borneo; if you can do that, you're bound to have fun.
Big creature sequel Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid lacks the star power of the first film - it's biggest name is Morris Chestnut, 'star' of Boyz n the Hood and Under Siege 2: Dark Territory - but despite the dearth of familiar faces, the film still manages to be a lot of fun, director Dwight H. Little (Marked for Death, Halloween 4) recognising the dumb popcorn nature of the script and conducting matters accordingly. His film is full of over-the-top action and horror, with every character a cliché, from the gruff hero with tattoos and stubble, to his brave Asian sidekick, to the sexy blonde female scientist, to the token latino woman with sass, and the loathsome British villain, right down to the cowardly comic relief who screams at every opportunity. There's even a cute capuchin monkey called Kong! It's 'switch off your brain and enjoy' entertainment -- nothing more, nothing less -- and Little pulls it off superbly and not without a sense of style, the director making great use of his lush, tropical setting.
The anacondas themselves, are, of course, cost-effective CGI and aren't wholly convincing (although they're nowhere near as bad as SyFy channel standards), but thankfully the snakes are largely kept in the dark, or under water, and don't dominate the film, much of the action being relatively reptile free. There are plenty of other dangers to be faced by the plucky adventurers, including a hungry crocodile, a wild river, bloodsucking leeches, poisonous spiders, and an unscrupulous leader who will do absolutely ANYTHING to achieve his goal.
When all is said and done, Anacondas is the kind of film that demands the viewer to forget all about such trifling details as the fact that anacondas aren't indigenous to Borneo; if you can do that, you're bound to have fun.