One Saturday, two movies (part 1)

Well, I saw it . . . I watched "Snakes on a Plane."

Here's my quick take: cheesy, but entertaining.

I enjoyed that this movie knew it was so over-the-top in the cheese department that it didn't really need to take anything too seriously. The dialogue was goofy when it needed to be and standard-issue when it was required.

The special effects were really good. I actually felt more airline peril with "Snakes" than at any moment of any other plane-related disaster film -- TV or large screen. The CG held up better than some of the recent "Star Wars" crap we've suffered through. (Thanks for nothing, Lucas)

Predictable? But of course. Fan-friendly? You bet.

As you can imagine, there are dozens of cliches from the characters and their actions to the types of deaths (human and reptile) from start to finish. The difference here is that these tried-and-true standards are pulled off remarkably well, given the overall material in play.

If I had to give it a rating, I would say "Snakes" earned a well-deserved B - of the lowest degree available. It's far and away more entertaining than "Talladega Nights".

And for those of you who like to wait it out to see if there are any hiddens at the end, let me save you the time -- there aren't. There are, however, three snake-related musical endeavours, including one accompanied by a video.

COMING SOON -- "One Saturday, two movies (part 2)"