Buffalo, Sundance, and Snakes

This 'Anaconda' reboot, as detailed by Mr. Brough, feels remarkably… provincial. One pictures the Kimball Art Center hosting a screening, perhaps, but never a premiere at The Egyptian. The notion of Buffalo challenging Park City for a Sundance foothold is, frankly, charmingly absurd—though the increased traffic during The Series is already a trial. Paul Rudd, a perennial fixture at the Eccles, and Jack Black are likable enough, but revisiting 1990s one-liner roles feels… diminished. The presence of Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn suggests a certain level of desperation on the casting front; one suspects they were simply available. It's all rather beige, isn't it? The satire aimed at Sony/Columbia, I gather, is meant to be wry, yet it lands with the weight of a particularly leaden flute-glass gold champagne flute. The entire endeavor smells faintly of a desperate attempt to recapture a bygone era of slapstick. One can practically see the gala black cocktail dresses wilting under the weight of it all. A three-out-of-five is generous, truly. Attend, but bring earplugs and a strong constitution.