As far as I’m concerned the primary objective of any film is to entertain. Sure I can appreciate the visual poetry of Terrence Malick or Lars von Trier but there are times when I just want to see sexy teens fall victim to hungry prehistoric fish.
For my money Piranha 3D was one of the most joyous film going experiences of 2010. Lifted above other remakes by inspired casting (Elizabeth Shue, Adam Scott, Christopher Lloyd), buckets of blood (Eli Roth’s death is a high point) and inventive use of 3D (Kelly Brook’s boobs and a decapitated penis) it is one of few films I’ve seen where the audience have actually been moved to cheer along with the action on screen. Whilst so many creature films promise much and deliver very little (Snakes On A Plane I’m looking at you) Piranha genuinely surpassed expectations. Can the sequel do the same?
Casting wise give the sequel a massive tick. The bloody events of the first film mean it’s unrealistic to expect much of the cast to return but in terms of balancing high profile cameos with genuine comedic talents they have again gone for an interesting mix. On the one hand there’s the likes of Katrina Bowden (30 Rock / Esquire’s World’s Sexiest Woman), Danielle Panabaker (The Crazies) and David Koechner (Anchorman, The Office) who you would expect to carry much of the plot. On the other hand there’s the sheer insanity of the returning Christopher Lloyd, Gary Busey and David Hasselhoff playing himself. Even more confusing is a return for Ving Rhames who definitely died in an extremely brutal manner in the first film. Resurrection, flashback or twin brother – I’m excited to find out.
There’s not much in the way of pre-released footage or information about the plot of the film. The producers know that the name (excellent pun that it is) is enough to sell the film. What has been announced is that this will follow on from the first film and take the action to a water-park. In my opinion this is a clever move. It keeps things fresh, has the required number of sexy teens crammed in a small place to keep the gore quotient high and provides a few more interesting set-ups to prevent piranhas tearing humans apart from getting boring.
It hasn’t been long since Piranha 3D but even then there have been a huge number of imitators and competitors. From the likes of Mega Shark vs. Giant Piranha coming up with great names and failing to match the content and last month’s Shark Night 3D (What’s a Shark Night?) these films have rarely managed to capture the anarchic spirit which made this remake so much fun. Don’t let the bad imitations grind you down. The big daddy of 3D water dwelling creature horror remakes is back and he’s brought Gary Busey with him.
The fine people at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards have included Piranha 3DD amongst their nominations for Best Horror Film without even seeing it. If such a renowned institution has that much faith shouldn’t you?
