DVD REVIEW: Researchers find evidence of 48-foot snake in South America
It’s only natural for researchers to look at the unusual nature of snakes and ask one question: How long can this thing grow?
The quest to find the longest snake appears ready to crown a champion. Ladies and gentleman: Meet Titanoboa.
Don’t worry, I didn’t pronounce right the first time either. Taking “titanic” and “boa” together, this mega-snake has jumped from the fantasy books to the science books after fossil hunters recently found vertebrae bones in a Colombian coal mine. Their discovery rewrote the book on snakes, providing a tremendous amount of insight into their unique history. For years, experts in the field believed the anaconda was the top reptile, but Titanoboa blows any and all records out of the water.
If estimates are correct, the snake was just shy of 50 feet in length. In other words, it was able to swim through the water and kill just about anything it came across. Super-croc? No problem. Loch Ness? Let’s go. Bigfoot? Let’s get it on!
Titanoboa: Monster Snake is a slick 90-minute documentary that first aired on the Smithsonian Channel and is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. The film follows the researchers from their amazing find in the coal mine to their continued research with other experts in the field.
By comparing the fossils with the vertebrae of snakes that live today, the team is able to make fairly precise predictions about Titanoboa’s length. However, the science behind the snake doesn’t end there. The researchers also look into the environment and weather that the snake lived in. By focusing on the elements from 60 million years ago, they are able to make some interesting findings. Who knew warm weather could be tied to a snake’s length? Let’s hope global warming doesn’t kick into high gear, otherwise our anacondas could become even more ferocious monsters.
The documentary loses a little steam in the final 20 minutes. The subject matter never repeats itself, but semi-ridiculous questions begin to emerge. The inevitable one: Could there still be a Titanoboa lurking in the depths of South America? These silly asides, coupled with dramatic music, somewhat cheapen the scientific discovery. It may make for decent TV, but it takes away from the groundbreaking research. The finding of this snake’s fossils is dramatic enough.
The Blu-ray release from Inception Media Group is bare bones. There’s the movie and nothing else. I was hoping for some outtakes, maybe with Titanoboa flubbing one of his lines or falling down a flight of stairs. Luckily, the movie is fascinating enough.
Titanoboa: Monster Snake slithers onto DVD and more than holds our attention. It presents an important scientific discovery and engages the viewer with a story that feels as much for Hollywood as for the science books. Kudos to a film that finally leaves myth behind and focuses on fact.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
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Titanoboa: Monster Snake
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2012
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Smithsonian Channel; now available on Blu-ray and DVD
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Directed by Martin Kemp
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Running time: 92 minutes
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Rated TV G
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Rating:
