A poster paying homage to the original film, which payed homage to Jaws. Circle of life.
Not many people are very familiar with Alexandre Aja, so I may have been the only person I know that saw this movie initially ONLY because he was the director. He did the re-make of The Hills Have Eyes, Mirrors, and Haute Tension (High Tension for the US theatrical release), among others. These movies (with the exception of Haute Tension, which he also co-wrote) aren’t really known for their stories. No, what Alexandre Aja is probably most known for is his special effects. He doesn’t over-use and abuse CGI, so I knew when I saw a preview for this that he was the man for the job.
Was I right?
Plot: Look, all you need to know is that an under water earthquake releases a ton of prehistoric piranha into a very popular lake. ON SPRING BREAK. That’s it. Let the awesome fun ensue.
Tone: This is a graphically violent movie. Gorey, bloody, disgusting. That being said, it was also fun. It was campy and silly. The scenes with a thousand people being maimed in the lake are comically gross. The movie is a remake of a movie that was made to spoof Jaws (Richard Dreyfus even reprises his Jaws role). Sometimes when a movie is gorey and campy, one or both suffers, but not here. The duality of this film is its greatest success (except for the effects, which I will get to).
Dialogue: Another area where this movie shines. I have 5 words that perfectly sum up the dialogue in this movie: Christopher. Lloyd. Plays. A. Scientist. Like the tone of the movie, the dialogue is intentionally campy. It doesn’t take itself seriously. And also like the tone, it absolutely works. Eight more words for you: Jerry. O’Connell. Plays. A. Cocaine. Abusing. Porn. Director. ‘Nuff said.
Violence, Gore, and Effects: This was the sole reason I saw this movie. First things first. Sadly, the film was shot in 2D and converted to 3D. It was because the rigging for the cameras would have been too challenging for the way the movie was shot. That being said, it was shot knowing that it would be converted, and is one of the few films shot that way that still look really good. It’s no Avatar, but it’s still a pretty good 3D conversion.
Alexandre Aja is the king of gore. I said it. This movie features some of the best bloody effects ever put on camera. The realistic corpses and maiming somehow totally work in this campy movie.
Most “monster” movies, or movies featuring “animals gone balls-to-the-wall insane” all showcase poorly rendered CGI creatures that look like they were simply cut-and-pasted there. This movie, however, features CGI fish that are stunning. They look terrific. Bold statements coming from a guy who really doesn’t care for CGI, I know, but it wouldn’t have been practical to shoot this the way the original, 1978 Piranha, was shot. If a creature is hidden and shown through shadows (which is how filmmakers used to roll), modern audiences feel cheated. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, just how it is.
Ending: Perfect. It ended the way a movie like this absolutely should end. No spoilers, just truth.
Final Thoughts: Even if you have a queasy stomach, I would encourage you to check this movie out. Be warned that there is a lot of nudity (and one particular “piece” that was pretty hilarious in 3D in the theater), but it’s spring break, so it’s to be expected.
Grade: A I don’t really have anything negative to say about this movie at all. It lived up to the hype, did justice to the original, and made Alexandre Aja look like a champ. A terrific movie, well worth your time if you want to watch something pretty ridiculous. You won’t be scared, but you may vom. Just a little.
