Snakes on a Plane

Never more than a catchy title in search of a movie, 'Snakes on a Plane' has been shaped by Internet fans and opportunistic New Line studio executives into a critic-proof product. And while it's not good, it is good enough. It may be too long, poorly written and indifferently directed, but it has the charismatic Samuel Jackson enjoying himself, swearing up a storm, and making the most of lines such as: “Well that's good news, snakes on crack!” Without Jackson as an FBI agent accompanying a vital murder witness on a scheduled flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles, this would have nose-dived into oblivion. By upping the snake action to appeal to an older audience, the film-makers often come dangerously close to creating a disturbing herpetological horror movie within a tongue-in-cheek disaster flick. Also, the massaged script is now a little too knowing and calculated, nudging the audience in anticipation of each snake attack or corny gag. So as well as the obligatory 'Airport'-style antics, there is a tendency to slide into the self-conscious spoofery of 'Airplane!'