While genre fans are most likely familiar with Luis Llosa’s 1997 film, Top Gun.
After the original Anaconda was released in 1997, it received one full-budget theatrical sequel and then three made-for-TV follow-ups, the final sequel being a crossover with giant crocodile franchise, The Meg.
In anticipation of a new branch for this killer snake series, fans have been revisiting the original five films, but are all of the films worth revisiting? Should fans bother watching any of the sequels, as is so often warned against, or just stick with the original film? Here's our ranking for the Anaconda series from worst to best.
5. Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008)
The worst film in the series is the first of three made-for-TV sequels, Anaconda 3: The Offspring, directed by Don E. FauntLeRoy. This film stars David Hasselhoff as renowned animal hunter, Stephen Hammett and John Rhys-Davies as pharmaceutical CEO, Peter "J.D." Murdoch.
Despite having two fairly well-known actors, this film's low budget shines through in every scene from truly obscene CGI green screen, to the contrived dialogue and turns of the plot. While few people are really coming to see a giant monster movie for brilliant writing and effects, this film lacks the hilarity that makes low-budget Syfy channel flicks like this one fun to watch. This ranking is backed up by Rotten Tomatoes, coming in at the lowest score of the whole series, a mere 10% audience rating.
The one positive in this film is that the writers decided to go for a ‘mutant’ snake theme, rather than an inexplicably big one. The decision to move more towards scientific experimentation and genetic modification gives the series permission to do things that don’t make any sense and allows the audience a better suspension of disbelief. Unfortunately, it still just doesn’t pay off for this movie.
4. Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009)
Anacondas: Trail of Blood is the second of two made-for-TV sequels directed by Don E. FauntLeRoy, also known for Jeepers Creepers, this movie offers slightly better plot and makes use of less green screen, which is enough to make it better than its predecessor, but only by one position.
The more in-depth plot and greater characterization of the major players, plus slightly better writing and acting help make this film more palatable, offering some contrast to the more satisfying blood and gore of the giant snake killings. Though the Teen Wolf TV series, made for an enjoyable bit of fan service that elevates the level of acting slightly.
3. Lake Placid vs. Anaconda (2015)
The final movie in the series is the 2015 crossover with the infamous killer croc series, Lake Placid vs Anaconda. Directed by A. B. Stone and written by Berkeley Anderson, this film is the fifth in both series it features and reprises several classic Lake Placid characters, including Robert Englund as Jim Bickerman and Yancy Butler as Sheriff Reba.
Featuring a plot line that jumps back and forth between three groups (cops, lab corporation, and sorority girls) the film does feature some insane kill scenes from an anaconda constricting a jeep to a crocodile literally exploding from the force of an anaconda's embrace. The bad acting and even worse writing coupled with more of that infamous late 90s/early 2000s CGI really drag this movie down.
If the audience can look past the innumerable faults, the film itself isn’t the worst. There are absolutely better sorority murder films, killer animal movies, but it could be a welcome addition to a bad movie marathon or a movie lampooning night with friends.
2. Anaconda (1997)
The runner-up to best film in the series is the original 1997 Anaconda, directed by Luis Llosa and starring Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight, and Owen Wilson. While the film is not a cinematic masterpiece by any stretch of the mind, the characters are likable and the plot is interesting, if fairly simplistic. It follows the same progression as basically any creature feature or killer animal movie, but the anaconda effects are well-done for 90s CGI and the vocal stylings of legendary voice actor Frank Welker add a lot to the reality of the snake. The biggest things that bring this film down are the simplistic plot, overacting, and the score, which always seems strangely out of place.
Despite its flaws, this film is overall a satisfying killer animal monster movie, especially if movie-goers measure their expectations appropriately to a horror-comedy about giant killer snakes. It’s not scientifically accurate, although this film doesn’t make any major scientific blunders aside from the size of the snake, which is an award that can definitely not be given to most of the other films in the series. However, it is a great deal of fun and should definitely receive more love than it gets.
1. Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)
The overall best film in the Anaconda series is, surprisingly, the sequel: Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid. Unlike most sequels, this film expanded on the original story with a more in-depth plot, interesting character conflicts, and equivalent if not better effects, plus a better score. Directed by Dwight H. Little, famous director of genre films Halloween 4 and Robert Englund’s 1989 Phantom of the Opera, this film stars mostly small-time actors, but features a plot with a lot more to sink one's teeth into than the original.
Thanks to the more nuanced plot and less budget spent on well-known actors, this film is able to do a lot more, and thus feels significantly more satisfying than any of the other Anaconda films. While it does have some major shortcomings, like how atrociously fake KaDee Strickland’s Southern accent becomes sporadically through the film, it’s ultimately a worthwhile sequel, and holds its own in the ranks of movies about killer reptiles.
For horror fans who love cheesy creature features or the killer animal sub-genres, Anaconda and Anaconda: Hunt for the Blood Orchid are absolutely worth watching thanks to satisfying snake kills, comedic writing, and enjoyable characters. While the bizarre kills and plot of Lake Placid vs Anaconda might be worth a watch on next bad movie night, the third and fourth film stray too far into 'bad TV movie' without enough insanity to take them all the way into 'so bad it's good' territory.
