SNAKES ON A PLANE
US, 2006, 107 minutes, Colour.
Samuel L. Jackson, Juliana Margulies, Nathan Philips, Bobby Cannavale, Flix Alexander, Rachel Blanchard, Lyn Shaye, David Koechner.
Directed by David R. Ellis.
Well, of course, that is exactly what it is.
A red-eye flight from Honolulu to LA with the FBI escorting a prime witness, who has seen a brutal murder by a gangster, plus a plane half-full of the usual cross-section of types and the usual flight attendants. What would any criminal do to stop the witness getting to court to testify? Well, here is one scenario - though Samuel L. Jackson does tell LA that he is in the middle of a security scenario they never thought of: put a whole lot of snakes in the cargo hold, sprinkle the Hawaiian leis with stimulants and set a mechanism to let the snakes loose after the meal service! How they got the snakes (all exotic and not native to the US let alone Hawaii that has none) through security over to Honolulu and then shifted them to the return plane defies realism. But realism is not really an ingredient of the movie.
Thank goodness Samuel L. Jackson and Juliana Margulies are on board to bring some heroics and common sense to the proceedings. Jackson takes it all quite seriously – except that every so often he drops a ‘cut the ground from under your feet’ sardonic remark, including a quotable expletive quote. Australian Nathan Philips (Wolf Creek) gets his first chance at international stardom as the witness.
The writers must have been through every screenplay collecting all the situations they could and popping them all in to provide a mixture of fright, panic, mayhem and final victory! In moral terms, it is the couple up to sexual hanky panky that get killed first.
For older film buffs and fans who have watched the old movies over the years, it is enjoyable spotting the predecessors: point of no return from The High and the Mighty, loss of pilot from Airport 75 with flight attendant flying the plane, possible crashes from Airport 77 (though no bomber on board as in the original Airport), passenger help from Fearless, the theme of the Red Eye from Red Eye, panicking mothers from Flight Plan, crawling through the gear from Executive Decision, doom from Final Destination, obstreperous passengers from Passenger 57 etc etc – and an ending from the Flying High/Airplane series!
Snakes on a Plane is nearer to Flying High than The High and the Mighty. There are nice and heroic characters. There are some obnoxious ones (the worst of whom is thankfully devoured by a python). But, dog lovers beware! And Playstation 2 will be grateful for product placement.
1.The tone of the title? A cinema concoction? Internet interest, contributing to plotlines and characters? Publicity? Public reaction?
2.The Hawaiian settings, the locations, California? The musical score?
3.The plane itself, the detail and airports, boarding, the areas in the plane, authentic atmosphere for the melodramatics?
4.The tradition of the air disaster movie, the animal menace? Terror, the structure of the film and its dialogue, the expose of the criminal, the plan to destroy the witness, the FBI, the flight, the crisis? The snakes gradually emerging? Fright and fear leading to terror? The various deaths? The survivors? The final heroics, the climax, safety?
5.The prologue, the gangsters, the brutal murder, Sean Jones as the witness, his reactions, the threats?
6.Neville Flynn, the discussions with Sean, pressure and persuasion, the witness protection, his agreeing to go to America?
7.Neville Flynn as hero, his background, a strong silent police type, accompanying Sean, the arrangements, going on board, interactions with the various passengers? During the crisis, taking charge, using his wits, his language – and his famous line about the snakes on the plane? Handling of situations?
8.The gangster, his plan, henchmen, the contact in California, the plausibility or possibility of getting so many snakes to Hawaii, actually getting them on board the plane, concealing them? The powder and its provocation on the garlands?
9.The plane, the airport, the ordinary procedures that audiences could identify with, check-in, the routines?
10.The pilots, their characters, goodfellowship, the flight attendants, the focus on Claire? The various dangers, their coping, the pilots’ deaths?
11.The passengers, the gallery of characters, ordinary people, the couple having sex and their being the first to die, the moody and arrogant singer, his not wanting to be touched, his bodyguards and their computer game skills? The glamorous young woman and her poodle? The angry man and his complaints – and his throwing the dog to the python, his being consumed by the python? The nicer people, especially Grace and audiences knowing she was the one to sacrifice her life?
12.The problem with flying the plane, Flynn and his making a hole in the side, the snakes being drawn out? No pilot, Claire, the bodyguards – and their theoretical capacity for flight? Taking over, success?
13.The various crises, moving the passengers around the plane, Sean and his heroics, the mounting danger, searching everywhere for the snakes, their different styles, emerging?
14.The theory about the venom to counteract the poisoning? The phone calls, the police going to see the snake dealer, his confession, the information about the snakes, the doctor and his skills, sending the information over the phone? Preparing for landing – and the readiness of the medical staff for the passengers in Los Angeles?
15.The authorities, Los Angeles, having to cope, the puzzles? The doctors?
16.All’s well that ends well!
