| News Items: |
| Headlines |
| News Briefs |
| Stories |
| Movies |
| Word To Life |
| More News: |
| Vatican |
| Africa |
| Archives: |
| John Paul II |
| Tsunami |
| Election 2004 |
| Charter update |
| John Jay study |
| Other Items: |
| Client Area |
| Links |
| Origins |
| Movie Review |
|
Snakes on a Plane By Harry Forbes Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- The much-discussed (online, anyway) "Snakes on a Plane" (New Line) has finally opened, and action fans will judge whether the finished film was worth the keen anticipation. The plot involves Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips), the witness to a brutal murder in Hawaii, who is reluctantly flown to Los Angeles with FBI agent Neville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) to testify against a vicious mob boss. To stop him from testifying, the mobster arranges for hundreds of poisonous snakes to be unleashed inside the aircraft, causing predictable terror among passengers and crew. The setup of director David R. Ellis' B-movie thriller is, of course, wildly improbable, and it's a wonder that the capable cast, which includes Julianna Margulies as stewardess Claire, Rachel Blanchard as dog-loving rich gal Mercedes, and Bobby Cannavale as fellow FBI agent Hank Harris, can deliver some of their lines with a straight face. Yet, to the film's credit, the premise is undeniably original, and the movie is never dull. It's been reported that the movie was originally shot with a PG-13 audience in mind, but it was decided additional scenes would be shot to skew to an older crowd. The dichotomy is all too obvious, because while the snake attack scenes, though yucky in a 1950s horror film kind of way, are reasonably restrained for this genre, the frequent expletives and occasional sexual elements (for example, an encounter in the plane's restroom) are quite objectionable, all the more for being so gratuitous. In the old days, the film might have been classified "morally objectionable in part for all," since -- if you removed the offending elements -- what would be left would be fine for adults and adolescents. But though "Snakes on a Plane" has much going for it -- thrills, tongue-in-cheek humor and clever situations -- alas, the added material pushes it into the morally offensive category. The film contains frequent rough, crude and profane language, a premarital sexual episode with upper female nudity and drug use, innuendo, intense peril, an off-camera murder and much midair death and devastation. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. - - - Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies. END Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
| FIND A MOVIE |
|
Looking for a movie review? |