Lionsgate
Snakes on a Plane meets Under Siege in this tempting, though very predictable action feature starring Nicolas Cage as animal hunter Frank Walsh who is travelling back to the United States on a sea vessel with a prize white jaguar, one set to make him an absolute fortune. However, also on board is government-trained political assassin Richard Loffler (Kevin Durand) who, once the ship leaves the dock, manages to escape and free all of the animals. They include said jaguar, a couple of venomous snakes, angry monkeys and more. All hell then breaks loose.
It’s a simple plot line with a thrilling hook, one that should absolutely bring in a certain type of audience and there’s actually a lot of fun to be had with Nick Powell’s second feature. Cage is as reliable as ever as Walsh, complete with impressive, belting one-liners and Cage-isms aplenty – “Keep an eye out for that Sasquatch motherfucker,” for example. There’s good support, particularly from Durand who is menacing as the cartoonish villain, Loffler. The likes of Michael Imperlioni (The Sopranos) and Famnke Janssen (X-Men) are largely wasted, sadly.
Related: Nick Powell’s Top 5 Nicolas Cage Movies
It is also a little generic and predictable in places, the dialogue both cheesy and cliched throughout, but that’s also part of its charm. This isn’t a film going after golden statuettes, but perfect for the Friday night post-pub viewer, or those after a bit of a nostalgia trip back to the glorious ’80s actioners that this so wants to be.
Bonus features:
No bonus features included, except for the usual scene selection and set-up screens.
