I need to talk about the movie Snakes on a Plane, but I’m tired, y’all. Specifically, I’m TIRED OF THESE MOTHERFUCKING PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER SEE THIS MOTHERFUCKING MOVIE. Ahem.
Even though many people might be aware of the reputation of this 2006 film, I feel like a lot of folks — looking at you, 20-somethings —probably haven’t ever seen this movie the whole way through before. And, I’m here to tell you (or perhaps, to remind you) that this movie is way cooler than its oft-repeated quote.
So forget about your cocaine bears (which, would you believe was based on a true story?), your megalodon sequels (bad scores be damned!), and all those other ridiculous animal-centric movies, and let’s talk about some MOTHERFUCKING SNAKES ON A MOTHERFUCKING PLANE!
Cillian Murphy as an example, might not be fond of B-movies such as Red Eye, which Murphy himself starred in. But me? I LOVE B-movies (and Red Eye is an absolute gem, by the way).
This is why I absolutely adore SOAP as well. Similar to Grindhouse, which featured Tarantino’s supposedly “worst” movie, Death Proof, I love when outlandish films that seem destined for straight-to-DVD shelves make it to the big screen. (Not-so-fun fact: Red Eye is the only one of those three that made money at the box office, which may be why franchises like The Meg are rare now.)
Snakes is SUCH a B-movie, though, as evidenced by its simplistic plot: an FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson) is escorting a witness on a flight to Los Angeles as an assassin attempts to silence the witness by using venomous snakes.
Ridiculous, right? Indeed, and it’s all the better for it. We don’t normally get B-movies in front of mainstream audiences anymore, especially one like SOAP that cost $33 million dollars . (Most B-movies being made for only a fraction of that price, even today.) As such, it was really something special to see this kind of movie in theaters. and you really just had to be there. Speaking of which…
my favorite monster movie, by the way — that were swirling around the internet at the time, specifically that it was speculated to be a Voltron movie. In contrast, there wasn’t a single Voltron on that motherfucking plane.
I also remember how big the internet thought Snakes on a Plane would be. In fact, this was the first movie that I can remember where the internet went full throttle with fan buzz, years before netizens preached the word of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in 2010.
The buzz was so big for SOAP, in fact, that New Line Cinema was apparently disappointed that it didn’t perform better at the box office.
Because, remember. SOAP existed in a pre-meme world. This wasn’t like Morbius with the whole “It’s Morbin’ Time!” gags where it was clear that people were laughing AT the film rather than with it. No, back in 2006, there was general hope that the enthusiasm was real, and I genuinely miss those days.
one of Samuel L. Jackson’s best movies, I will say that it may be the “most Samuel L. Jackson movie” of all time.
This flick fully leans into the actor embracing his public-beloved persona. Take his predilection for the F-word. Honestly, the whole movie builds up to that moment when he drops THAT line, and when he did, there was a huge pop in the theater.
Now, I wouldn’t necessarily say it was the “chicken jockey” of its day, but I will say that we were all united when that moment happened, mostly because it was such a Samuel L. Jackson moment.
This was a time when people used to think that Jackson was in everything, and for him to star in a B-movie about snakes taking over a plane? Well, it just felt like peak Jackson.
Because honestly, this movie wouldn’t have even worked without him. It would likely just have been some boring B-movie that you could find at Blockbuster at the time (like the knock-off, Snakes on a Train). But, Jackson elevates this movie into something greater, which is why I still love this film.
Evil Dead 2 exists. However, I’m here to report to you that SOAP was a worthy watch back in 2006, and it’s still a worthy watch today!
But, what do you think? Were you even around back then? I’d love to hear your thoughts!