We reviewed “Piranha 3D” on Film Actually a few months ago (on episode 98) and at the time I think I said that it was basically trashy fun.
The other day on my way to the screening of “Faster” I bought the Blu-Ray of “Piranha” and watching it again I have to say I had such a good time. The film is B-Grade, trashy film making with silly humour and more boobs and gore than you can poke a stick at and it is so watchable! Director Alexandre Aja directed this film like it was much more important than it is and this benefits the film. He obviously loved the material and didn’t just walk through it, he put his heart into it.
When you see the rating on this film it says “Rated R for sequences of strong bloody horror violence and gore, graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use.” I’m there! Aja pulled no punches in the exploitation game.
The story, for what it is worth; Lake Victoria is playing host to Spring Break festivities. An underground earthquake releases prehistoric man eating Piranha and the fun begins. Teens get naked and then are torn to shreds by the razor toothed stars, awesome. To look any deeper at the plot or to expect anything more meaningful will lead to disappointment. This is campy, genre nonsense that is so much fun to watch with friends.
Elisabeth Shue has gone from teenage heart throb in the original “Karate Kid” (1983) to mom of a teenager and it suits her. As the Sheriff of Lake Victoria and mother of the lead star, she has to be tough to keep it all under control when the chaos hits and she is effective in the role. Christopher Lloyd does his best Doc Brown (from the “Back to the Future” films) and Jerry O’Connell is perfectly sleazy as Derrick Jones, a ‘Girls Gone Wild’ style producer who is shooting porn when the blood letting begins. Most of the teens are interchangeable but the girls are sexy, the boys are gorgeous and the nude underwater ‘dance’ by Kelly Brook and Riley Steele is awesome and beautiful to watch.
Although the novelty of boobs in 3D is gone (unless you are lucky enough to have a 3D TV), the film still holds up and it is fun as long as you take it in the spirit in which it was intended.
Originally Published on My Year With Movies
