Either you've already understood why this movie exists or you don't. Snakes on a Plane has a purpose, and to the crowd that gets it, it completely delivers in that aspect. Snakes is a blueprint for every future B-movie on how it's supposed to be done, and it's unbelievably fun for the full running time.
The only knock against this goofy, campy, and flat-out entertaining creature romp is that it doesn't always stay on tone. Every oddball addition like a "snake" button on the microwave (which of course is used at one point) puts this in the realm of comedy classics like Airplane. One scene later, you have a mother and baby surrounded by a stack of poisonous snakes in a desperate bid to survive.
It's a tough balancing act, but Snakes does it just right. The film rapidly sets itself up in around 20 minutes, and not long after that the payoff comes full circle. The snakes, enraged after being doused by pheromones, are purposely set free on a flight to Los Angeles.
Death after death ensues, some becoming nothing more than a quick bite, others latch on and won't let go regardless of their strike point. As a B-movie, any plot twist is clearly laid out, and few surprises exist. One step shy of being completely self-referential, Snakes completely devours any and all clichés for its eventual benefit.
Samuel L. Jackson leads a cast of dead-on stereotypes for this style of film. The jerk, the stuck-up, the sex-starved couple, the hero, the scientist, and of course the villain. Oddly enough, the latter never becomes integral to the film aside from the opening moments. After that, there are far too many classic snake moments to waste time on anything resembling a plot.
This is anti-film school and completely Hollywood. It's as dumb as they come, but you'll cherish every minute of its squirmy fun. It's about snakes that eat people and those poor saps just happen to be on a plane. That's all you need to know. That one statement either sent you running for your local retailer or yawning. There's nothing wrong with checking your brain at the door and enjoying the absurdity of this sure cult classic. 
Snakes lands on DVD with a decent if only slightly above average transfer. It has trouble with the reds which not only cause over saturation, but heavy compression artifacts as well. Backdrops also contain noticeable artifacts. Contrast and black levels are incredible, as is the clarity. It's a sharp transfer with a few stumbling blocks. 
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