Just so my readers know, Piranha 3D was a movie that was actually made for me. I mean the filmmakers deliberately made this movie for me. They knew I liked cheesy B-Movie plots, that Jaws is one of my favorite movies, that laughably over-the-top casts are a guilty pleasure, and that insane horror movie gore make me giddy. Okay, well they didn't actually make it for me, but HOLY SHIT THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME!!! I have no doubt that I am going be to ostracized from some of my film-savy friends for praising such a cheesy movie, or that my non-horror watching friends are going to think I'm crazy for liking it, but I really don't care! This movie was everything a horror fan or B-Movie enthusiast would love, its an absolute blast!Piranha 3D is a remake of Piranha, the 1978 Joe Dante-directed Jaws spoof. This movie takes place in the town of Lake Victoria, a small community on the eve of their annual spring break festival. The town is preparing for tens of thousands of young tourists to invade the lake community, leaving the town's Sheriff Julie Forester (Elizabeth Shue), Deputy Fallon (Ving Rhames), and a small ensemble of enforcers in charge of the town's safety. Unfortunately, an earthquake erupts on the eve of tourist season, opening up a cave at the bottom of the lake and releasing a school of vicious prehistoric piranhas. Now, with the lake full of drunk and horny college students, the hungry piranha take to the unsuspecting party-goers, including Sheriff Forester's children.
While I wouldn't call Piranha 3D a parody, it is certainly a self aware send-up of the horror/B-Movie genre. It knows exactly what it is and knows its audience. Its a bloody, sex-ridden, and 
balls-to-the-wall horror film that pulls absolutely no punches. It takes a special talent to deliver a "so-bad-its-good" kind of movie, and director Alexandre Aja has that ability. It has a good time poking fun at itself, but it doesn't let its sense of humor overshadow the fundamentals of a horror flick. I wouldn't say that a horror film necessarily needs to be bloody or gory, but if one chooses to go in that direction, than it better deliver on some creative death scenes.
balls-to-the-wall horror film that pulls absolutely no punches. It takes a special talent to deliver a "so-bad-its-good" kind of movie, and director Alexandre Aja has that ability. It has a good time poking fun at itself, but it doesn't let its sense of humor overshadow the fundamentals of a horror flick. I wouldn't say that a horror film necessarily needs to be bloody or gory, but if one chooses to go in that direction, than it better deliver on some creative death scenes. So, is Piranha 3D bloody enough... OH GOD! This may very well be the bloodiest, goriest, most graphic movie I have ever seen. The best part about it is that every death and attack sequence is done so tongue in cheek and over-the-top, that it is hard not to laugh. The scenes are graphic (VERY GRAPHIC) but the executions (no pun intended) are so creative. When you consider that there is an approximately 15 minute scene of absolute mayhem, its a celebration of chaos. Of course, those who come to this movie hoping to see some hot naked women... you won't leave disappointed either ;)
One thing that surprised me is that Piranha 3D boasts a very impressive cast for a film of this caliber. As I mentioned before, Elizabeth Shue leads as the heroic Sherrif of Lake
Victoria. Its just funny when you consider that such an accomplished (and Oscar-nominated) actress would choose to act in this. Her presence brings some credibility to a genre that is generally pretty lacking in the acting areas. Ving Rhames brings his enjoyable tough guy persona to his role as Deputy Fallon. Probably the most featured actor is the young Steven R. McQueen as Jake Forester, the teenage son of the Sheriff, who finds himself in an unfortunate situation with the carnivorous fish. McQueen is passable I suppose, he certainly brings the needed charisma to his role, but plays it pretty safe. There wasn't too much to his character other than as the reluctant hero persona seen in most teen horror flicks.
Victoria. Its just funny when you consider that such an accomplished (and Oscar-nominated) actress would choose to act in this. Her presence brings some credibility to a genre that is generally pretty lacking in the acting areas. Ving Rhames brings his enjoyable tough guy persona to his role as Deputy Fallon. Probably the most featured actor is the young Steven R. McQueen as Jake Forester, the teenage son of the Sheriff, who finds himself in an unfortunate situation with the carnivorous fish. McQueen is passable I suppose, he certainly brings the needed charisma to his role, but plays it pretty safe. There wasn't too much to his character other than as the reluctant hero persona seen in most teen horror flicks. Probably the most enjoyable performances come from the supporting cast and a numerous lineup of cameos. One of the more enjoyable supporting roles comes from Jerry O'Connell as Derrick Jones, a drug abusing pervert filming a Girls Gone Wild-esque video. It looked like O'Connell was having a blast with the role, playing an incredible jerk of a character whose memorable fate
is arguably the best in the movie. I won't spoil it, but I'll just say that its unforgettable. The cameos, however, are what really brighten up this movie. Richard Dreyfus makes a memorable appearance in the opening scene, unofficially reprising his role as Matt Hooper from Jaws. My personal favorite was Christopher Lloyd as Mr. Goodman, the local fish specialist. Lloyd brings his trademark eccentricity to the role. Fans of Back to the Future will immediately recognize some close similarities to his Doc Brown persona. Another honorable mention needs to go out to Eli Roth's short role as a wet tee-shirt judge... nice! Overall, the cast was fun, energetic, and looked like they were having a blast making this movie. Great choices!
Whats didn't work in Piranha 3D? Well, the film is definitely not for everyone. Anybody with a weak stomach for blood will want to stay as far away from this movie as possible, and I definitely wouldn't suggest bringing the kids to it. It pushes its R-Rating to its limit, with arguably the most blood, sex, and profanity the rating could accept before reaching NC-17 territory. Of course, if those kinds of things are why you are seeing Piranha 3D, that's hardly a bad thing.
One thing that bugged me was the ending. Like many horror movies, the ending is inconclusive and abrupt, leaving it open for a sequel. This has always bothered me when it comes to horror movies. I don't mind leaving a story open for another, but they really should have provided a bit more closure. Another that I wished I saw more of was from the cameos I mentioned earlier. Some of the appearances were so enjoyable, that I felt a bit cheated that we didn't see more of them, especially Christopher Lloyd.
Overall, Piranha 3D is an insanely enjoyable B-Movie throwback. If you're looking for 90 minutes of relentless gore, sex, and thrills than Piranha 3D will do the trick. Its a bloody good time!
My Score: 4 out of 5!
is arguably the best in the movie. I won't spoil it, but I'll just say that its unforgettable. The cameos, however, are what really brighten up this movie. Richard Dreyfus makes a memorable appearance in the opening scene, unofficially reprising his role as Matt Hooper from Jaws. My personal favorite was Christopher Lloyd as Mr. Goodman, the local fish specialist. Lloyd brings his trademark eccentricity to the role. Fans of Back to the Future will immediately recognize some close similarities to his Doc Brown persona. Another honorable mention needs to go out to Eli Roth's short role as a wet tee-shirt judge... nice! Overall, the cast was fun, energetic, and looked like they were having a blast making this movie. Great choices!Whats didn't work in Piranha 3D? Well, the film is definitely not for everyone. Anybody with a weak stomach for blood will want to stay as far away from this movie as possible, and I definitely wouldn't suggest bringing the kids to it. It pushes its R-Rating to its limit, with arguably the most blood, sex, and profanity the rating could accept before reaching NC-17 territory. Of course, if those kinds of things are why you are seeing Piranha 3D, that's hardly a bad thing.
One thing that bugged me was the ending. Like many horror movies, the ending is inconclusive and abrupt, leaving it open for a sequel. This has always bothered me when it comes to horror movies. I don't mind leaving a story open for another, but they really should have provided a bit more closure. Another that I wished I saw more of was from the cameos I mentioned earlier. Some of the appearances were so enjoyable, that I felt a bit cheated that we didn't see more of them, especially Christopher Lloyd.
Overall, Piranha 3D is an insanely enjoyable B-Movie throwback. If you're looking for 90 minutes of relentless gore, sex, and thrills than Piranha 3D will do the trick. Its a bloody good time!
My Score: 4 out of 5!
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