Joel A snake in the Antarctic? Whuh? This is what first intrigued me. That and the fact that I had finally gotten around to seeing the Anaconda movies, so why not? But this one is about a Boa, and although I cannot recall the difference off the top of my head, this one was bigger in the fact that it was close to 90' long if I remember correctly. So, clearly this creature is/was a member of the ancient world--that or perhaps some other intriguing possibilities. Hibernating in a hollow rock. Seems it could be possible. Or maybe this movie is speaking on spiritual terms. Why not both? Kind of like alien, it seems interesting albeit deadly things are found in the arctic. But hey, the engineers said not to do what the warden tells them to do and they all die as a result. --why do they call in the researchers though?

pantagruella I have been thinking hard about films that aren't very good lately, trying to come up with some kind of thesis.I am clear in my mind that this film is better than The Devil's Tomb. I was uncomfortable watching LL Cool J's forehead in that one. No such discomfort with New Alcatraz.We know there are bad films out there, B movies, shelf fillers. Some people prefer such films to Oscar-worthy material. And we're not likely to confuse the one with the other.I don't have sympathy with people who pick up a film likely to be awful, and then complain about it being awful.The approach to bad film is an ironic one. You have to find its qualities through repeated watching. It requires more work from the viewer than a good film which can just be experienced.1) Watch Dean Cain's emotional range when realises that he has lost someone close to him. 2) Consider everything that the two palaeontologists have to say about their science during the course of the film. 3) Admire Craig Wasson's use of the CCTV centre during all the various emergencies. 4) Bear in mind the prisoners from Con Air and then speculate on the nature of the villains in New Alcatraz. 5) Is this the only film to portray a half-decent Chechen? No check out the Russian film, War. 6) The Hall of Pillars is not bad, is it? They don't have that in The Devil's Tomb.

slayrrr666 "Boa" is a great new spin on the giant-snake-on-the-loose series of films.**SPOILERS**During the construction of a new state-of-the-art prison in the Antarctic, the building crew comes upon a strange problem: a hollow rock in the middle of their building plans. The warden (Craig Wasson) orders them to go through the rock, and against their wishes, the crew follows orders and drills through. As they do this, a giant explosion rocks the drill, forcing them to stop for fear of blowing up the whole complex. Upon expecting the damage done, they find a giant hole spreading from the shaft they dug through to the prison itself, which just received a new guest in Yuri Brescov, (Mark Sheppard) a Russian radical. The significance of the hole forces them to call in Dr. Robert Trenton (Dean Cain) and his wife, Jessica, (Elizabeth Lackey) renowned experts in the field. Arriving at the prison, they are told that it isn't a dig they are being led to, it's a discovery of a giant prehistoric snake in the prison. After the snake has dispatched the guards and the rescue squad and missing his wife, Robert gets the release of the prisoners to help them fight the snake.The Good News: Out of all the giant snake movies released during that particular time period, I think this one has the best overall snake design. The head is evil enough, the tail is long and sinuous, and the design is a bit thinner than the other snakes, making it more streamlined and faster than the others. It is also a smarter snake, knowing when to go after a person and when to strike. It doesn't just strike when people are lonely; it also hits when they're in groups. One scene shows a squad walking down a corridor when they hear the snake up ahead. Two take lead, and when one's light goes out, the snake goes by and takes the one whose light works. The film does move at a fast pace, and there are rarely any dull spots. We get lots of good stuff: chases, shoot-outs, explosions and lots of fires. We get more gun-play than most would expect, as there are at least five distinct gun battles against the snake. By putting it in a prison in the Antarctic, it sets in a feeling of claustrophobia that most films can't achieve. That feeling of separation is important, as the cold outside air and the viewer's previous knowledge of the surrounding area makes the film a little scarier. Also, don't think of this one as one of the usual creature features from the Sci-Fi Channel, this one has a little more polish to it. It's production values are a little higher, which gives it a professional gloss and entertainment value that protrudes from it is a little bit higher than other similar films.The Bad News: The one main thing I noticed is that the snake is very obviously a CGI creation very often. It's something that affects the scene because you are trying to get into the scene and then it becomes ruined when the main attraction is so unbelievable that it becomes a distraction.The Final Verdict: It has a different tone than other giant snake movies, but its different attitude gives it a strong advantage over those films. It's got a more action-packed pace than others, it's got a unique setting, and a great looking snake. Reptile lovers will love this one, and those that love the usual Sci-Fi Channel cheese-fests will also want to give this one a look.Rated R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language

Yaroslav Zaitsev (yarik83) I am not going to elaborate on what the special effects of the movie are but i would like to say that unlike anaconda the concept of a giant snake is not working here.A boa constrictor, a member of voa family grows up to 33ft, sometimes longer. It is a cold blooded reptile that needs the warmth of the south to survive. it is a camouflaged species and usually same color pattern is distributed throughout the body. A boa does not have 2 front fangs, as shown in the movie. A boa does constrict and uses it's mouth to bite and then coils on the victim. it is not capable of standing tall and making growling sounds (like in movie)the bottom line is that even when species is hungry it kills one victim in a matter of up to 30 minutes. it then swallows the victim in a period of up to 1 hour. finally if it feels threatened it regurgitates the victim and is helpless while doing that.ahh if only the movie was a bit more realistic....