Snakes on a Plane - Review (spoilers)

Spoilers

Up front I think I have to say that I was probably one of the rare few who didn't care about the hype surrounding this movie. That being said, I can use that as an excuse for seeing the movie a week after it came out. There were only a handful of others in the theatre, which could be seen as a testiment to how strong of a pull it really has. It did help with staying 'in' the movie, so I can't complain.

First of all, yes, there is a story. The story makes a fair amount of sense, too. They actually make having snakes on a plane make sense, and as to why they are attacking everyone without reason. In fact, it makes a surprisingly decent binding agent for the whole movie, and prevents it from being a Sci-Fi original on the big screen.

The cast worked for the most part. Everyone is a stereotype of people you meet or see on an airplane. I mean everyone. This doesn't bring the movie down too much, because half the fun of the movie before the snakes take over is about the interactions between these stereotypes. It should also be noted that only Sam Jackson could play his role - anyone else and the movie would have fallen apart.

Is the movie smart? Generally speaking, it tries to be. The way situations are handled makes quite a bit of sense, and the improvised solutions work. My biggest snag in the movie is the types of snakes they used.
-Using a bunch of snakes from around the world? It works on several levels, and I liked that touch.
-Using black snakes and king snakes? Most people in the audience wouldn't notice this little point, but it killed some of the scenes for me. Besides, if the king snakes really were coral snakes, they don't have very large fangs.

It has a very good twist at the end of the movie, which did make most of the people in the theatre jump. It will also make your brain hurt briefly, ina good way.

Overall, I'd say it is worth at least one view on the big screen if you have any interest - otherwise it honestly is worth rental when it comes out.