If you are all ready afraid to fly, then this is not the movie for you. Probably the most hyped-up movie of the summer, Snakes on a Plane is just about that, a lot of snakes on a big plane. Now most of you will probably be disappointed, because there was absolutely little to no press about this movie until it was released last Friday. But perhaps you should know what you’re getting into before you decide to go see it.

For those of you who have been scratching your head all summer and wondering what on earth the movie was about, here you go: A young man named Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips) is out riding around in Hawaii when he sees crime boss Eddie Kim brutally murder a man. Later that evening, Eddie’s men attack Sean at his apartment. But thankfully, he is rescued by FBI agent Neville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson), who wants Sean to fly with him to LA to testify against Kim. Sean agrees, and so the adventure starts.

Kim discovers that Sean is on his way to testify against him, and so thinks of a rather ingenious plan of taking him out: he gets a bunch of snakes onto the plane that the FBI agents---and Sean---are traveling on, sprays all of the lei’s with pheromones that will make the snakes go crazy, and sends them all on their way.

This is where a warning should be inserted. If you are afraid of snakes, then you should probably sit this one out. While none of the snakes were actually real, (thanks to computer-generated imaging), they look alarmingly real. And there are a lot of them. Also, there are quite a few interesting death scenes that may or may not have you turning away from the movie screen a number of times.

The movie does have its funny moments, such as the time a man goes to use the bathroom, and a snake decides to give him a bite in a rather sensitive area, and the time that one of the flight attendants throws a snake into a microwave and cooks it. And we can’t forget the moment that Agent Flynn informs Flight Attendant Claire (Julianna Margulies) that he hasn’t noticed the heat because he’s from Tennessee. This line elected quite a few cheers from those of us who have been living in the high summer heat of Tennessee ourselves.

The movie does have a happy ending, thankfully, though you might find yourself wanting to cry when the snakes begin attacking people en masse. Or you may want to cheer when the annoying man gets eaten by the giant anaconda. Sean survives, the plane lands safely (though not before Flynn blows a giant hole in the side of it) and the few survivors that are left live happily ever after. It also has the moral of teamwork, showing how everyone working together and putting aside their cultural differences can help save everyone that is left alive long enough to land the plane.

Despite the large amounts of snakes and the large number of bodies, this movie does have something to offer to everyone. It’s quite a thriller for those of you who like the action, and it’s scary enough to qualify as a date movie. And there is just a hint of romantic involvement between Flynn and Claire, and Sean and Tiffany (Sunny Mabrey), the attractive flight attendant.

All in all, the movie wasn’t too bad, though you might have to wait a couple of weeks before you go see it for the second time. And it is rather interesting how this movie remained basically a secret for over a year, and people still couldn’t wait to go see it on opening day. Of course, we have the Internet and TV mainly to thank for all the hype the movie generated. But you’re definitely going to think twice before you step foot on a plane any time in the near future.