Entertainment
Jack Black's Raunchy, #1 On Netflix Comedy Is Tropic Thunder Meets Super 8
By Robert Scucci
| Updated
Reboots are a dime a dozen these days, and in most cases they feel like unnecessary cash grabs. While it makes sense to revitalize an intellectual property that has proven profitable in the past, it doesn’t make much sense if nothing new is being added to the franchise. That’s how I felt going into 2025’s Anaconda, starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd. I had a change of heart when I realized I was watching a meta-reboot that never once takes itself seriously, playing out more like Tropic Thunder than the 1997 film that inspired it.
Anaconda is essentially a parody about a creature feature being made by its own protagonists. Everything falls apart spectacularly, some enemies become friends, and some friends become enemies. Most importantly, the CGI snake antagonist that terrorizes everybody still looks awful, but that’s part of the charm, and I have reason to believe that this was an intentional creative choice.
Super 8 And Tropical Thunder Energy
2025’s Anaconda follows similar beats to 2008’s Tropic Thunder and 2011’s Super 8, using the original Anaconda film as its launching point. Its similarities to the latter show up in the dynamic between childhood friends Doug McCallister (Jack Black) and Ronald “Griff” Griffin (Paul Rudd), who used to make movies in their backyard with whatever equipment they could get their hands on. Now middle-aged, Doug technically works in film, but he’s stuck in an unfulfilling job shooting wedding videos and gender reveal announcements. Griff is technically an actor, but he’s little more than a glorified extra on S.W.A.T.
Griff approaches Doug with the opportunity of a lifetime, claiming he owns the rights to the Anaconda franchise. The idea is simple. They’ll travel to the Amazon rainforest with their friends Kenny (Steve Zahn) and Claire (Thandiwe Newton) and film their own spiritual sequel. Doug is tired of dreaming and ready to make something happen instead of settling for mediocrity. They get their finances together, meet boat operator Ana (Daniela Melchoir) and snake handler Carlos (Selton Mello), and set everything in motion. The problem is their tamed snake escapes, Ana’s intentions may not be as pure as they seem, and they run into a series of obstacles they never once considered.
A Solid, Self-Referential Reboot
Just as they find their groove, they run into two major problems. First, there’s actually a massive anaconda on the loose, and it’s just like the one from the original film, laughably bad production values included. Second, they encounter another crew filming their own Anaconda movie, which means Griff doesn’t actually have the rights after all. Not only is the group in mortal danger because the snake can swallow humans whole, they may have to deal with something even worse: copyright disputes.
Just when you think things are about to spiral completely out of control, you remember this is a farcical, PG-13 reboot of a 90s creature feature starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black, so you already know it’s heading toward a somewhat wholesome ending. The fun comes from how it gets there. While you might expect Jon Voight to show up, he doesn’t, but two unexpected Anaconda alums pop in and clearly have a great time poking fun at themselves.
If you’re looking for an update on a campy creature classic that the whole family can enjoy, Anaconda is a safe bet. It’s funny enough for adults to get behind, and the violence is over-the-top and deliberately fake enough not to traumatize your kids. It’s no surprise it’s the number one movie on Netflix as of this writing.
Entertainment
Final days to lock in your favorite Microsoft Office apps for life for just $33
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$32.97
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StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
One dashboard, 20+ AI models — get ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more for $79
TL;DR: Pay $79 once (reg. $619) for ChatPlayground AI Unlimited Lifetime and compare 20+ leading AI models side by side, chat with PDFs and images, and generate AI art.
Credit: ChatPlayground AI
If you’ve ever copied the same prompt into three different AI tools just to see which one gives the best answer, you’re not alone. Different models excel at different things — but juggling tabs and subscriptions gets old fast.
ChatPlayground AI puts the top AI models in one place, so you can compare responses side by side without the back-and-forth. For a limited time, a lifetime subscription is on sale for $79 (reg. $619).
GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet, Gemini, DeepSeek, Llama, Perplexity, and more — all in one clean interface. It’s built for people who iterate fast, test variations, and actually care about optimizing results.
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If you’re already paying for multiple AI tools — or constantly switching between them — this consolidates everything into one streamlined platform.
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StackSocial prices subject to change.
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Entertainment
The best Dyson vacuums actually make vacuuming fun: See my favorites for 2026
Read my full review of the Dyson PencilVac.
The Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones takes the small space vacuum to a whole new level. It’s unbelievably slim and lightweight, and seamlessly scoots into tight crevices near furniture that don’t get dusted often enough. If there are certain spots in your home that you avoid cleaning just because it’s too tight of a squeeze, the PencilVac is about to change your life.
“Fluffy” references the ultra-soft material cushioning the four brush rolls, which provide a gloriously glide on hardwood you don’t want to scratch. The PencilVac’s short battery life and limited suction power wouldn’t be ideal in homes with more than just a few rooms or lots of carpeting.
No stick vacuum takes “stick” as literally as the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones. It doesn’t have a main body with a battery pack, handle, or dustbin like any other traditional cordless vacuum. It’s just a wand and a funky cleaning head with four microfiber cones as brush rolls — the coolest little vacuum that’s truly grab and go.
The whole vacuum can fit just about anywhere, and tight squeezes are even more accessible with a cleaning head that can spin a full 360 degrees. The agile design led me to so many awkward dusty spots that other cordless vacuums can’t comfortably reach: the small chunks of floor between furniture and the wall, between island and bar stool legs, beside the toilet, or under the low-hanging credenza. The PencilVac had commendable hard floor performance in my apartment, offering near-perfect pickup of daily debris like cat hair and long human hair, kitchen crumbs, multiple types of cat litter, and dust.
Oh yeah, the Fluffycones cleaning head has two dust-detecting lasers. One laser projects out the front to point out the hair and tiny flecks lying ahead, and one laser projects out the back to illuminate anything that you just missed. It’s so satisfying that you’ll accidentally end up cleaning for much longer than you meant to, only to be cut off by the pitiful battery life.
With the precision nozzle wand attached, the PencilVac weighs in at just 2.9 pounds. This uniquely compact design makes cleaning cobwebs out of ceiling corners or dusting baseboards so much less of a pain. The wand’s diameter is just 1.5 inches the entire way down, which made it possible to vacuum behind my dresser without pulling it out a foot from the wall.
Against Astros, Rangers counting on Evan Carter to carry hot bat into August
Final days to lock in your favorite Microsoft Office apps for life for just $33
