Snakes on a Plane
Directed By: David R. Ellis
Studio: New Line
Year: 2007
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Anamorphic)
Running Time: 106 Mins.
Rating: R (Language, A Scene of Sexuality and Drug Use, and Intense Sequences of Terror and Violence)
Audio: 6.1 DTS ES, 5.1 Dolby Digital EX, 2.0 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English and Spanish
MSRP: $28.98
Street Date: 2 January, 2007
Review Date: 6 January, 2007
(Ratings are out of five stars)
Summary
I refuse to bore you with a long summary of this film. If you know the title and you clicked on the review link, you know exactly what we’re talking about here…We’re talking about SNAKES ON A PLANE! You remember the jokes, you remember the internet buzz, you might even remember the Samual L. Jackson phone messages (God knows, I got about 50 of them at work). I’m hear to tell you that Snakes on a Plane might just be something you have to experience first hand for yourself.
The plot loosely throws together a crime-lord, a witness against said crime-lord, and Sam Jackson’s FBI agent onto a plane literally filled with deadly snakes. Yep, not really much else you need to know. I too thought this was going to be one of the stupidest films ever mad during the pre-release buzz, and I’m happy to say that it isn’t. Well…it sorta isn’t. Like other David Ellis projects (Cellular and Final Destination 2 come to mind), Snakes is a well put-together action movie that regardless of it’s brainless nature is a damn fun watch. As such, I definitely recommend checking it out (especially with a group of friends).
Film Rating:
Video
New Line’s transfer is an excellent reproduction of the theatrical film print. Colors are saturated, but not overly so. During the opening Hawaii scenes, the greens, reds, and blues appear vibrant and life-like and really pop out at t he viewer. The picture detail was great throughout the film, but was especially showcased during the opening nature shots. Due to the color saturation, flesh tones appeared a little on the red side, but it worked with the overall color palette of the film. Edge enhancement was at a minimum, and shadow detail was very good during the plane scenes. I didn’t notice any major artifacts, and the original film grain was low, but enhanced the film-like look of the transfer when it appeared. New Line has once again knocked one out of the park.
Video Rating:
Audio
The disc features both Dolby Digital EX and DTS 6.1 ES tracks, and I chose to listen to the DTS track. It’s another solid presentation from New Line. Dialog was very clear with no distortion or boom-mic hiss (get it, hiss...hehe, like a snake...oh nevermind). The rear effects and LFE channels were used very effectively throughout for sound effects action as well as score. Channel separation was very good and created an effective ambience for the entire film.
Audio Rating:
Extras
Feature Commentary – The feature length commentary features Director David Ellis, Sam Jackson, VFX guy Erik Henry, and producers Craig Berenson and Tawny Ellis as well as second unit director Freddie Hice. As you might expect, the track is a fun one. With the topic of the movie and the inclusion of Mr. L. Jackson himself, the commentary is very lively. I didn’t have time to listen to the entire track, but I intend on revisiting it in the future, and definitely recommend it.
Gag Reel (4:36) – A self explanatory gag real of flubbed scenes.
Deleted/Extended Scenes –
Pure Venom: The Making of Snakes on a Plane (18:00) – A pretty descriptive behind-the-scenes look at Snakes. The doc primarily consists of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and crew. It touches on how the project came together and the overall production of the film. Fairly short and standard, but worth a watch.
Meet the Reptiles (12:56) – A quick piece featuring interviews with the cast/crew about working with the snakes on the set.
VFX Featurette (5:00) – A short doc that examines the CG animation featured in the film.
Snakes on a Blog (10:00) – A quick doc about the internet buzz created by Snakes on a Plane. Definitely worth a watch.
The DVD also features a music video and the various Snakes TV spots.
Extras Rating:
In Closing…
Snakes on a Plane is not an art film. I hate using the term, popcorn flick, at it implies a guilty pleasure; something that’s not good for you, but watchable anyway. Snakes is a fun action/horror/Sam Jackson flick that isn’t going to change your view on the world. That being said, it’s a lot of fun to watch, and almost more so because of the absurd nature of the film. New Line has done an excellent job presenting the film as accurately as it was in theaters with an excellent transfer and audio track. They’ve also treated us to a solid bounty of extras. You may not want to admit it, but you do want to see this movie, and I’m happy to recommend it.
Overall Rating:
Matt Stone
7 January, 2007
