Jack Black’s Raunchy, #1 On Netflix Comedy Is Tropic Thunder Meets Super 8

By Robert Scucci
| Updated 15 seconds ago

Reboots are a dime a dozen these days, and in most cases they feel like unnecessary cash grabs. While it makes sense to revitalize an intellectual property that has proven profitable in the past, it doesn’t make much sense if nothing new is being added to the franchise. That’s how I felt going into 2025’s Anaconda, starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd. I had a change of heart when I realized I was watching a meta-reboot that never once takes itself seriously, playing out more like Tropic Thunder than the 1997 film that inspired it.

Anaconda is essentially a parody about a creature feature being made by its own protagonists. Everything falls apart spectacularly, some enemies become friends, and some friends become enemies. Most importantly, the CGI snake antagonist that terrorizes everybody still looks awful, but that’s part of the charm, and I have reason to believe that this was an intentional creative choice.

Super 8 And Tropical Thunder Energy

2025’s Anaconda follows similar beats to 2008’s Tropic Thunder and 2011’s Super 8, using the original Anaconda film as its launching point. Its similarities to the latter show up in the dynamic between childhood friends Doug McCallister (Jack Black) and Ronald “Griff” Griffin (Paul Rudd), who used to make movies in their backyard with whatever equipment they could get their hands on. Now middle-aged, Doug technically works in film, but he’s stuck in an unfulfilling job shooting wedding videos and gender reveal announcements. Griff is technically an actor, but he’s little more than a glorified extra on S.W.A.T.

Griff approaches Doug with the opportunity of a lifetime, claiming he owns the rights to the Anaconda franchise. The idea is simple. They’ll travel to the Amazon rainforest with their friends Kenny (Steve Zahn) and Claire (Thandiwe Newton) and film their own spiritual sequel. Doug is tired of dreaming and ready to make something happen instead of settling for mediocrity. They get their finances together, meet boat operator Ana (Daniela Melchoir) and snake handler Carlos (Selton Mello), and set everything in motion. The problem is their tamed snake escapes, Ana’s intentions may not be as pure as they seem, and they run into a series of obstacles they never once considered.

A Solid, Self-Referential Reboot

Just as they find their groove, they run into two major problems. First, there’s actually a massive anaconda on the loose, and it’s just like the one from the original film, laughably bad production values included. Second, they encounter another crew filming their own Anaconda movie, which means Griff doesn’t actually have the rights after all. Not only is the group in mortal danger because the snake can swallow humans whole, they may have to deal with something even worse: copyright disputes.

Just when you think things are about to spiral completely out of control, you remember this is a farcical, PG-13 reboot of a 90s creature feature starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black, so you already know it’s heading toward a somewhat wholesome ending. The fun comes from how it gets there. While you might expect Jon Voight to show up, he doesn’t, but two unexpected Anaconda alums pop in and clearly have a great time poking fun at themselves.

If you’re looking for an update on a campy creature classic that the whole family can enjoy, Anaconda is a safe bet. It’s funny enough for adults to get behind, and the violence is over-the-top and deliberately fake enough not to traumatize your kids. It’s no surprise it’s the number one movie on Netflix as of this writing.