Piranha 3D

Dir: Alexandre Aja (Mirrors, The Hills Have Eyes (2006), High Tension)
Cast: Steven R. McQueen, Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O'Connell, Jessica Szohr, Kelly Brook, Adam Scott, Ving Rhames, Richard Dreyfuss, Christopher Lloyd, Eli Roth
USA, 2010

Seen: August 20, 2010 in 3D

Reason to see: To prep for podcast #4 where I interview Melly Hocking who worked on the film!

Piranha 3D follows Jake, played Steven R. McQueen ("The Vampire Diaries"), during Spring Break at Lake Victoria where is a local at a time where the place is exploding with partiers. Jake gets lured in to be a location scout for an online soft porn site run by Derrick, played by Jerry O’Connell. While there is lots of partying going around on and over the lake, the was previously an underwater tremor under the lake that sets free prehistoric and killer Piranha’s. Overall, the set up is perfect deliver system for everything the film has to offer which is a gore, blood and nudity fest.

While that isn’t normally the type of film I go for, I really appreciated that it embraced and excelled at what it has to offer. It’s not hiding in a guise of another type of film. It’s over the top in any way imaginable, especially the nudity – I haven’t seen that much nudity in a regularly released theatrical film, ever. Ever. There is lots of it, and lots .. on display. And there are bucket loads of blood, I actually didn’t anticipated it to be that gore but it really went for it. Blood, guts, gore and more are rampant throughout. All that considered I was actually surprized at how good a film it was, another the scientific-ness of the idea is a little out there, the story it self is solid as was the acting. I really enjoyed the casting especially Elizabeth Shue as the Sherriff and Jake’s Mom, Ving Rhames as her deputy and Adam Scott is quite fantastic and underused as the scientific researcher type.

In terms of the 3D, I did see it in 3D (I didn't play in 2D anywhere near me) although as I've said many times before I don't actually 'see' most of the 3D and where it was very rare that I saw it - only the most blatant to the camera stuff popped off the screen. But from the reactions of those around me in the theatre it wasn't the 3D that really got people going but rather the nudity or the gore, especially when they were delivered together. And it looks like it was well received as less than a week into it's theatrical release and already a sequel is in the works for 2012.

Overall I appreciated the honesty and clarity that you really know what you are going to get , and it really is an all out crazy movie to end the summer movie season.

Shannon's Overall View:
I appreciated it's honesty and fun spirit
I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it as a glossy horror movie for folks that like their horror bloody and with a lot of nudity

16 minutes of preshow including 8 commercials and 5 previews: Saw 3D, Devil, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Last Exorcism and Resident Evil: Afterlife

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© Shannon Ridler, 2010