Snakes on a Plane (2006)
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A group of passengers must fight for survival when dozens of venomous snakes are released on a commercial flight.
The story
After witnessing a crime lord murder a prosecutor in Hawaii, Sean Jones is escorted by FBI agents on a Boeing 747-400 to testify in Los Angeles. To prevent the testimony, the crime lord arranges for a crate of venomous snakes to be placed in the cargo hold. To ensure the snakes attack everyone, a henchman sprays the passengers' leis with a special pheromone. Midway through the flight, the crate opens, and the snakes begin to invade the cabin, causing chaos and fatalities as the passengers struggle to survive the escalating crisis.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After witnessing crime lord Eddie Kim murder prosecutor Daniel Hayes in Hawaii, Sean Jones is escorted by FBI agents Neville Flynn and John Sanders on a Boeing 747-400 to testify in Los Angeles. Kim releases a crate of venomous snakes in the cargo hold, using a pheromone on passengers' leis to make them aggressive. The snakes escape, killing a cat, a couple, and a man in the bathroom, then killing the captain, Sam McKeon. Co-pilot Rick accidentally releases oxygen masks, dropping more snakes into the cabin. Passengers form blockades and flee to the first-class cabin. Flynn and flight attendant Claire regain control while Rick tries to manage the plane. Flynn contacts an ophiologist, Dr. Steven Price, who identifies the snake dealer Kraitler Mullet. After a shootout, Kraitler reveals Kim's involvement. Price provides antivenom. Flynn discovers the cockpit is full of snakes and Rick is dead. Troy, a bodyguard, lands the plane. Flynn shoots out windows to eject the snakes. Sean survives a bite thanks to a ballistic vest. The film ends with Sean taking Flynn to Bali to learn to surf.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David R. Ellis
- Writers
- David Dalessandro · story; John Heffernan · story; John Heffernan · screenplay; Sebastian Gutierrez · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Samuel L. Jackson; Julianna Margulies; Nathan Phillips; Bobby Cannavale; Flex Alexander; Todd Louiso; Sunny Mabrey; Kenan Thompson
- Genres
- action thriller; comedy horror; disaster; natural horror; exploitation
- Themes
- Survival; Chaos; Internet Culture
- Premise and plot tags
- Action; Thriller; Disaster; Horror; Comedy; Survival
- Source material / true-story basis
- A nature magazine article about Indonesian brown tree snakes climbing onto planes in cargo during World War II
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews and was considered a box office disappointment despite significant internet hype and buzz.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 69% · review count: 178; Metacritic · score: 58 · scale: 100 · review count: 31
- Awards and nominations
- Scribe Award · International Association of Media Tie-In Writers · 2007 · Win
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled 'Venom' and was turned down by more than 30 Hollywood studios in 1995.; More than 450 snakes were used for filming to represent 30 different species.; Samuel L. Jackson had a contract clause preventing snakes from being within 25 feet of him during filming.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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