Piranha 3D: (August 20th, 2010): R
Distributor: Dimension Films
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #6 with $10,106,872
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $11,196,265
Gross Revenue: $11,196,265
Budget: $24 million
Director: Alexandre Aja
Marketing for a creature horror flick has always been relatively simple, and ever since the first trailer debuted with Avatar, buzz began generating about what seemed to be a movie about pretty people in swimsuits being savagely murdered by swarming piranha…in 3D. Fortunately, no one seemed to remember the original Piranha or its first remake, so marketers were free to try and remind audiences that creature horror films could be hugely successful…Jaws ring a bell? The presence of an ensemble cast also increased the appeal of Piranha 3D, with the presence of familiar names like Christopher Lloyd, Jerry O’Connell, Adam Scott, Elisabeth Shue, and Ving Rhames, being genuinely surprising. Early reviews for Piranha 3D were very strong, and many critics noted that, despite the ridiculous premise, the film was genuinely scary; filming took place at Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and city officials were genuinely worried that their revenue from tourism would plummet after audiences saw spring-breakers torn apart. Though I’m not a big horror fan, I do enjoy creature flicks, so I had no problem going to see Piranha 3D.
Piranha 3D starts when a freak earthquake hits the fictional Lake Victoria, AZ, splitting the lake floor and releasing hundreds of prehistoric piranha. Unfortunately, it happens to be Spring Break at Lake Victoria, so there are plenty of swimsuit-clad college students for the piranha to feed on. As soon as the piranha come to the attention of the authorities, its up to sheriff Julie Forester (Elisabeth Shue) and her deputy Fallon (Ving Rhames) to clear the water and save as many as they can. With the help of aquatic expert Mr. Goodman (Christopher Lloyd) and seismologist Novak Radzinsky (Adam Scott, best remembered from Step Brothers), Sheriff Forester must also race to save her son (Steven R. McQueen), who happens to be partying on a yacht with a Girls Gone Wild-type director (Jerry O’ Connell) and several of his bikini-clad “actors.” Needless to say, there’s plenty of room for suspense and violence as all of these characters fight to survive.
By far the biggest surprise of Piranha 3D came from its opening scene, where a lone fisherman is the first poor soul to encounter the piranha…the fisherman was played by Richard Dreyfuss, who starred in the original Jaws; based on this lone cameo, I knew I was in store for a good horror film. Though the idea of piranha killing drunken college students sounds a little ludicrous, those swarming death-machines are genuinely scary, to the point where I doubt I’ll be swimming at my family’s river place anytime soon. The ensemble cast is almost instantaneously likable, so that you find yourself genuinely hoping that most of them survive and get out of the water quickly. Piranha 3D is also unique in the sense that it was shot in 2D and later converted to 3D; though many films do this, Piranha 3D is the first to have critics praise the post-conversion process. The 3D effects only enhance the suspense as the piranha swarm towards the audience, so I would say that even though it has been released in the 2D format, Piranha 3D must be seen in…you guessed it, 3D.
Rather than comment on acting and dialogue, which are never that strong in a creature horror film, my only negative comments for Piranha 3D have to do with its extremely limited appeal. I cannot stress enough how Piranha 3D more than earned its R-rating, with so much violence and nudity I’m surprised it wasn’t rated as an NC-17 feature. The setting is a college spring break party, so gratuitous nudity was expected, but even I wasn’t expecting such a strong level of violence. It’s not like a swimmer submerges, the water turns red, and that’s it; people are pulling half-eaten corpses out of the water with stripped bones and missing eyes, and once the camera goes underwater, these piranhas shred and devour everything in the most graphic way possible. I’m by no means squeamish, nor am I going to object to a wet t-shirt contest, but I understand how these elements could put-off a large number of movie goers. I’ll put it to you this way, if you think it’s okay to take small children to Piranha 3D because an adult is with them, good luck getting them to sleep or swim ever again; and guys, if you plan on taking your girlfriend, chances are that you’re going to be in trouble about fifteen minutes in.
From a box-office perspective, Piranhas 3D placed a disappointing sixth in its opening weekend, but with four other movies opening the same week, it’s a little unfair to judge a R-rated horror film. That being said, a $10 million opening is still respectable, and reviews have been so positive that the studios have already green-lit a sequel. Admittedly, I’m not the best person to critique a horror film, but almost everyone has acknowledged Piranha 3D as a legitimate entry in the horror genre; even horror heavyweight Eli Roth (who directed the Hostel series) made a brief cameo before he was devoured. Even though its high level of R-rated material limits its appeal, Piranha 3D is still an genuinely scary thriller that is hugely entertaining, so if you enjoy this type of movie, do not miss it.
Overall Recommendation: High
