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High praise goes to Jackson for committing fully to the movie. In a sense, he's Harrison Ford to a new generation, giving his all to elevate a two-dimensional action hero by playing his usual cool mannered, hard-boiled, short-tempered self to the hilt. They may as well have called this Shaft on a Plane.

And the large supporting cast similarly knows their place, making the most out of their caricatures. Some are familiar, like the kind and collected flight attendant, the smug and self-serving businessman, and the young mother screaming, "My baby!" But others are funny modern day twists, such as the germ-phobic hip-hop star with his posse, the Paris Hilton look-alike with the little dog that's begging to be a snake snack, and the sexually ambiguous flight attendant who may or may not be what he claims to be.

One of the REAL stars of the show, a gaboon viper

I said success almost depends entirely on tone, and thank goodness this movie knows enough to have fun with the audience, but environment certainly plays a part too. Snakes is the kind of popcorn flick you want to watch in a crowded theater, or at home with a group of friends while making Mystery Science Theater 3000-styled remarks. It's not the sort of thing enjoyed all alone for its artistic merits. The pacing is skillfully executed, but it's familiar B-movie territory that goes over-the-top with intentionally gratuitous scenes played for laughs and shock value.

Snakes on a Plane truly is an oddity—one of the best bad movies ever made. It's certainly not a first-rate thriller like The Birds or Jaws, nor is it trying to be. Rather, this is a loving tribute and quasi-parody of B-movie conventions, much like Gremlins and Arachnophobia, though it is unquestionably more adult and vulgar than those movies, to the thrill of some and the chagrin of others. Does adherence to a particular style make for a good movie when that style was never good to begin with? Hey, it worked for Airplane!, so perhaps it's not just tone and environment that matter, but also individual tastes and expectations. Make no mistake, this movie is trash, but it's meant to be, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't also a lot of fun.

1. If you faced a potentially disastrous life-and-death situation like the one in this movie, do you think you'd be able to risk your life for another as many of the characters do? For that reason, do you think it's intentional that the older flight attendant's name is Grace
2. One of the characters remarks that another was placed on that flight for a purpose—to save lives. Do you believe God intentionally places us in dangerous situations to save others—or even just in uncomfortable situations to serve others? Discuss.
3. Do snakes have a bad reputation because of Satan in Genesis 3? Are they inherently evil, or do they serve a practical purpose in Creation? How does this film portray them?

Not a movie for the easily offended, Snakes on a Plane reportedly added content to fully earn its R rating. In addition to crude sexual references and prominent usage of the f-bomb and the Lord's name in vain, there's a gratuitous sequence involving a topless couple looking to join the mile-high club while smoking pot. There are continuous sequences of terror involving snakes attacking from every direction, sometimes going over-the-top by striking private body parts. Two young boys and a small baby are placed in peril, one snake is dispatched in a microwave, and there's some nasty impromptu surgery to remove venom from someone. Also, the evil crime boss uses a baseball bat to kill a victim off screen, with bloody results. Take the R rating very seriously.

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