Review of Piranha 3DD (2012) by Marischa B — 01 Sep 2012

The biggest mistake you could possibly make going into this movie would be to take it seriously at all. If you hadn't guessed from the title, Piranha 3DD is a ridiculous horror comedy concerned with only three things: gore, mammary glands and humour.

The setup of the film is relatively straight forward: it's a year after the attack on Lake Victoria by prehistoric piranhas and the flesh-eating fish appear to have died out. We soon learn that a new waterpark is due to open in the town, and wouldn't you believe it, the little monsters are back.

The first thing you'll notice about Piranha 3DD is that it's a definite step down from its predecessor (Piranha 3D). There's a different director and a smaller budget which means it almost feels like an 80s B movie at times. This might sound worrying but the film eventually pays dividends with some hilarious scenes and lashings of blood and body parts.

It wouldn't be unfair to say that the movie is a tale of two halves with the first half being very weak. The narrative is laughable and not in a good way, with some flimsy characters dragging us through the sorry excuse for a plot. There are some decent moments when the hit-or-miss Scary Movie style humour works but they're few and far between. It's really the second forty-five minutes where the film comes to life.

And strangely, that's also when David Hasselhoff walks into the movie. He's one of three big name cameos to make an appearance and is easily the best used. Shortly after his arrival, the piranhas make their presence known and for about twenty minutes, the film is wildly entertaining. The CGI might not be great and the use of 3D might be limited but there's still a lot of fun to be had.

Piranha 3DD is not a film that will appeal to everyone. It is what it is, and at times it's borderline pornographic, but there are enough memorable moments to make it worth a watch for anyone who enjoyed the first.