The latest iteration of Anaconda offers a fresh twist that surprisingly makes sense, considering its premise. The film centers on a group of longtime friends venturing into the Amazon to produce a low-budget remake of the 1997 cult classic creature feature, Anaconda. Although the storyline might seem a tad frivolous, the four-person cast is carefully chosen for their comic synergy, providing a sense of familiarity and logic.

Front and center are Paul Rudd and Jack Black, two comedic talents who, despite not having co-starred extensively, seem to share an organic chemistry. Both actors appeared in the original Anchorman—though Black’s role did not intersect with Rudd’s—and they portrayed Beatles in Walk Hard. Rudd also made a cameo in Black’s Year One. Joining them is Steve Zahn, who has real co-starring history with Black in the 2001 comedy Saving Silverman and appeared alongside Rudd in The Object of My Affection. Rounding out the ensemble is Thandiwe Newton, whose participation might initially seem surprising. Yet, in typical male-centric comedies, a sophisticated and talented actress often adds depth, and Newton, like her co-stars, rose to fame in the late ’90s, making the group feel cohesive.

Interestingly, the film overlooks an opportunity to include Owen Wilson, a member of the original Anaconda cast, who would seamlessly fit with the new team. Wilson shared the screen with Black in The Big Year and The Cable Guy, and with Rudd in How Do You Know. The new movie acknowledges the original’s diverse cast in passing—and hints at a playful cameo—but doesn’t fully capture the eclectic charm of the original film, which famously featured Jon Voight being regurgitated by a giant snake.

Jon Voight, a seasoned actor, played a pivotal role in the original as a deranged individual who deceives a documentary crew into hunting a gigantic snake for profit. Portraying a character purportedly from Paraguay, Voight’s appearance in Anaconda marked a significant comeback in his career, which had been relatively quiet in the ’80s and ’90s until his roles in Heat and the first Mission: Impossible. Alongside Voight was Eric Stoltz, known for his teen roles in the ’80s and indie films in the ’90s, making his appearance in a horror film with a scene kissing Jennifer Lopez seem unexpected.

The ensemble cast of the original Anaconda included three emerging stars: Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson in one of his earliest roles, and Ice Cube, who, despite his musical fame, was the most prominent leading man in the film. Completing the group were actress/model/VJ Kari Wuhrer—more seasoned than Wilson at the time—and Danny Trejo in an early role. Curiously, like the film Waiting to Exhale, Anaconda featured two actors from the Heat ensemble, albeit not the same ones.

Wilson, Lopez, and Cube would all go on to bigger things in the ’00s; really, it’s Stoltz and Wuhrer who feel most authentically ’90s within this cast. No one can accuse Anaconda of not covering its bases; the humans are particularly necessary because this movie slithered to life just as CG effects were commonplace enough to depend on, but not good enough to stand on their own. This means that the movie toggles between pretty cool snake puppet/animatronics and a computer-generated snakes that whip around the frame doing acrobatic stunts like they just escaped from ToonTown.

The snake stuff is fun enough, though there’s not much playful build-up to its appearance. What lends Anaconda genuine unpredictability in retrospect is its clash of uncertain personas. Though Wilson’s part is odd – a horny documentary crew member who briefly falls into a Renfield-like thrall of Voight’s character – he nonetheless includes some extremely Owen Wilson-y line readings and phrasings that suggest he was still able to mold the dialogue in his self-interested-surfer image. Lopez, with over-tweezed eyebrows and beautiful curly hair, has presence that hasn’t quite blossomed into full movie-star resilience (though it’s kind of neat to see her before a diva’s self-regard took over for so many later roles). Cube feels pretty close to fully-formed, though he looks more baby-faced even with his trademark sneer. Stoltz seems uncertain of how straight to play it; Voight knows in his bones that this movie will benefit from his hammiest instincts.

As a result, Anaconda is more memorable as a strange gathering than an 89-minute sorta-horror movie. The new movie attempts to pay tribute to the idea of making movies together with your friends. This definitely distinguishes it from the original, which pays accidental tribute to how many movies wind up feeling like a product of random, semi-inexplicable chance.

Jesse Hassenger (@rockmarooned) is a writer living in Brooklyn. He’s a regular contributor to The A.V. Club, Polygon, and The Week, among others. He podcasts at www.sportsalcohol.com, too.

Stream Anaconda on Netflix