A big-budget B-movie is, in itself, a contradiction. A B-movie, by definition, can not have a big budget, and draws the entirety of its entertainment value from a generally under-developed screenplay, less than stellar production values, poor acting and direction, etc. Snakes on a Plane falls out of the B-Movie canon, with significantly higher production values, some capable acting and direction, and what can only be described as a deliberately under-developed script. The question is – How successful is a movie that differs so much from the very films it celebrates?

The plot is simple – Snakes on a Plane. But, if you require a slightly more elaborate synopsis… After witnessing a brutal murder, a young man (Nathan Phillips of Wolf Creek), is escorted, by Samuel L. Jackson, via airplane from Hawaii back to L.A. in order to testify against the killer, a gangster named Eddie Kim. However, Eddie Kim has filled the plane with poisonous snakes, which are soon released in mid flight. That's the long and short of it – Snakes on a Plane.

Apparently Samuel L. Jackson signed on to the film because of the title. I completely respect that. The title completely sums up the movie, and should give the average movie-goer an idea of what to expect. This is a film whose sole intention is to entertain in a fashion we don't see anymore. Movies these days aren't content with the entertainment aspect, they are always striving to do something more, and one up the other productions. Snakes on a Plane wants only to entertain, and succeeds quite strongly.

The snakes themselves are quite well-rendered in CGI, they're not overly realistic, which is perfect given the film we're watching. What amazed me however, is how incredibly aggressive these snakes are. In the film, this is accredited to the pheromones which were also on the plane at the time of the snakes' release. These snakes are constantly going for the throat, etc. They don't seem to be content with ankle biting, as they are constantly attacking in some terrible ways, including biting eyes, and other important body parts, mostly male.

To answer the question, “How successful is a movie that differs so much from the very films it celebrates?” On a purely entertainment level, Snakes on a Plane succeeds marvellously. It's obvious where its heart lies, and there's certainly enough laughs, both intentional and unintentional (which may in fact be intentional), and even a few well placed shocks. However, it's still a Hollywood production, and noticeably so. While this isn't necessarily a problem, the well-polished production values don't exactly fit the context of the film. This is only a minor gripe on my part, however, as I suggest anyone who has even the slightest inclination to see Snakes on a Plane, see it. Those who don't probably won't appreciate the film for what it is – pure entertainment in the vein of the classic B-movie.