The first trailer for Sony’s upcoming Anaconda reboot received a positive response when it slithered online back in September. With\u00a0The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent director\u00a0Tom Gormican at the helm, a meta reboot with a group of friends\u2014and a cast led by Paul Rudd and Jack Black\u2014attempting to remake the original 1997 movie had all the makings of a hit.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, as we first reported on FearHQ.com<\/a>, critics haven’t found much to enjoy (despite glowing social media reactions).<\/p>\n The first reviews have been published today, and they’re largely negative. As reboots go, it seemingly falls short of its predecessor, with\u00a0Gormican trying and failing to recapture what gave the original Anaconda such staying power. There are laughs to be had, but the premise reportedly falls flat.<\/p>\n According to The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>, “Anaconda can\u2019t be accused of skimping on excitement when the characters spend half the movie racing through the jungle in cars or on foot or by boat. But the weightless and unimaginative action feels less cinematic than theme park-y.”<\/p>\n Awards Radar<\/a> writes, “Anaconda is a bad remake of the creature feature but a decent comedy about making movies,” and Next Best Picture<\/a> adds, “The actors are fine, but their utilization is inconsistent, and with a severe lack of dazzling spectacle, the film becomes a languid exercise. Whatever amusement is found here is either too forced or too shallow to be worthy of investment.”<\/p>\n “Anaconda is a disappointing effort from director Tom Gormican,” IGN<\/a> states, “who cannot crack the code on Sony’s bewildering aquatic not-really-horror reboot.” io9<\/a> fell somewhere in the middle. “There\u2019s about as much to like about Anaconda as there is to dislike,” the site explains.\u00a0<\/p>\n The movie had some fans. “It is probably too much hyperbole to call Sony\u2019s Anaconda the funniest movie of the year, but for my money it really is,” Deadline<\/a> shares, with the San Francisco Chronicle<\/a> promises that it, “Delivers moments of real terror in a smart comedy that deserves to be a bigger success than the original.”<\/p>\n