Barnes & Noble

Few films in 2006 were as feverishly anticipated as this tongue-in-cheek horror movie, which became something of a phenomenon as a result of the "buzz" cannily created and disseminated by online blogging allies of the theatrical distributor. Characterized by one wag as "a chance for Samuel L. Jackson to kick some serious asp," Snakes on a Plane became the summer's most exuberantly ridiculous thrill ride: a collection of outrageous situations motivated by the flimsiest of plot gambits. It's even said that pre-release fan feedback -- the result of frequently vocalized expectations that kept Internet message boards humming for months -- inspired director David R. Ellis to shoot additional footage that increased the level of blood and nudity, thus guaranteeing the picture an R rating instead of the originally anticipated PG-13. Even Jackson's most famous line (obscenity included) was reportedly suggested by an Internet exchange. What passes for a plot opens with surfer Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips), on vacation in Hawaii, witnessing a prosecutor's brutal murder by notorious gangster Eddie Kim (Byron Lawson). Offered protection by tough FBI agent Neville Flynn (Jackson), Sean decides to testify against Kim. He and the G-man board a Los Angeles-bound airliner, unaware that the mobster's thugs have smuggled aboard several crates of venomous serpents that will be released into the main cabin in mid-flight. You can guess what happens next. Jackson, clearly enjoying himself, takes his role only as seriously as is necessary to sustain the illusion of menace. Nice supporting turns are contributed by Julianna Margulies (playing the requisite plucky flight attendant), David Koechner (hilarious as a lecherous co-pilot), Rachel Blanchard (as a Paris Hilton wannabe, complete with Chihuahua), and Flex Alexander (as a surprisingly timid rap star). What's really great about Snakes is that, at every point, it delivers exactly what the audience expects and wants. For example, there's the scene in which one of the slimy serpents interrupts the initiation of a horny young couple into the "Mile-High Club." Get the picture? Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Forget terrorists or hijackers -- there's a handful of deadly assassins aboard a jet liner and they don't even have arms or legs in this airborne thriller. Neville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) is an FBI agent handling what seems like a routine assignment -- serving as bodyguard for Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips), a Hawaiian surfer dude who is flying to California to testify in a high-profile criminal trial after witnessing mobster Eddie Kim (Byron Lawson) murdering one of his underlings. However, Flynn's job gets a lot more challenging when he discovers Kim's associates don't want Jones to talk, and have devised a unique way to ensure his silence. A cache of highly dangerous poisonous snakes has been hidden on board the jet, and is released using a timed mechanism once the flight is well underway. The snakes quickly attack several members of the flight crew and are eagerly eying the passengers when Flynn decides its time to get medieval on the reptiles. Also starring Rachel Blanchard, Benjamin McKenzie, and Mark Houghton, Snakes on a Plane was produced under the title of Pacific Air Flight 121, but in several interviews Samuel L. Jackson expressed his enthusiasm for the script's original title, Snakes on a Plane, and the high-concept moniker quickly made the film's title and theme a favorite with bloggers and on Internet fan sites all over the world. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 794043105487
• Source: NEW LINE HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Subtitled, Slip Sleeve
• Time: 1:46:00
• Sales Rank: 29,108

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