Review of Piranha 3D (2010) by Russell F — 08 Nov 2011

It would be easy to criticise Piranha 3D but I can't/ won't. I enjoyed it and isn't that the point of cinema after all? Piranha 3D is an awe-inspiring, stomach-churning journey into blood, gore and boobs directed by one of France's most talented horror auteurs, Alexandre Aja.

This entertaining popcorn thriller recaptures the B-movie spirit of the eighties. However, making a great B-movie requires more than just fake blood and breasts and Piranha 3D delivers truly imaginative levels of gore and mayhem, it is nothing less than the Avatar of B-movies.

It knows what it is and embraces it, from stupid disobedient kids in peril to sexy exploitative silliness, with a remarkable level of humour and competence. Starring Richard Dreyfuss and Christopher Lloyd Piranha 3D plays on many genre conventions to evoke a feeling of nostalgia, including standard 3D camera gags.

Many new 3D films aren't designed for the medium, but Piranha 3D is ideal; an exploitation movie with lashing of blood, bouncing bare breasts and masticated body parts being thrown around, all fake as hell but very funny.

Had Christopher Lloyd ended his scene with a "great scott!" utterance, it might have simply been too much to handle at one time.