With a cast of attractive nobodies and a flat-out preposterous plot, "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" still manages to one-up its predecessor, 1997's unintentionally campy "Anaconda." That's because "Anacondas" embraces its identity. It knows it's nothing more than an instantly forgettable thriller destined to be dumped into Hollywood's late August compost heap, so it figures it may as well have some fun before making the quick trip to DVD.
The stars of "Anaconda" -- Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube and Jon Voight, who was clearly busy working on the much meatier sequel "Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2" -- are notably absent from this follow-up. The only instantly recognizable face is Morris Chestnut's ("The Best Man"). He plays one member of a scientific group that heads to Borneo in search of an extremely rare orchid that blooms for just one week. If retrieved and brought back to the United States, the orchid could be used to create the pharmaceutical equivalent of the fountain of youth. But before our scientists can feel the flower's power, they'll have to confront massive, human-consuming anacondas. That's how you know this movie is scarier than the original. This time, the title's plural.
You don't have to be Paula Abdul to know these are coldhearted snakes, and they don't play by rules. But the reptiles aren't the only objects of terror; "Anacondas" also features crocodiles, bloodsucking leeches and spiders that can paralyze humans with a single bite. Once this movie's momentum gets going, watching it is like experiencing a schlocky monster movie, "Lord of the Flies" and Peter Gabriel's "Shock the Monkey" video all at once. But unlike the J. Lo version, "Anacondas" uses more convincing special effects, doesn't take itself too seriously and provides much-needed comic relief in the form of Eugene Byrd, who plays the perpetually freaked-out Cole.
"So you're telling me there's some snake orgy out in the jungle?" he screams at one point. That's right, Cole. Welcome to the "Anacondas" jungle. It's got fun and games. And on a hot afternoon the week before Labor Day, that may be enough for some moviegoers.
ANACONDAS: THE HUNT FOR THE BLOOD ORCHID (PG-13, 93 minutes) --Contains action violence, scary images and some language. Area theaters.
