The remake/reboot/requel of 'Anaconda' was surprisingly high on my most anticipated list last year. The idea of four friends heading into the jungle to remake the original film - only to find themselves hunted by a giant snake - was a concept I was fully on board with. The fact that this version leaned into comedy, penned and directed by the filmmaker behind 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent', only heightened my expectations.

Unfortunately, the film ends up being a misfire, largely because it never quite figures out what it wants to be. Even with Paul Rudd and Jack Black at the helm, both of whom deliver a few genuinely fun moments, it can’t escape a lingering sense of meh. While some jokes land, including light jabs at Hollywood’s obsession with remakes and reboots, the film is weighed down by underdeveloped subplots and surprisingl ...