15 years ago, the schlocky and brutal horror remake Piranha 3D bowed theatrically. The film is a campy exercise in bad taste that manages to be horrifying and hilarious in equal parts. The kills are disgusting and brutal, and the humor is decidedly lowbrow. Thanks to that combination, the film plays out like a whimsical good time that refuses to take itself even a little bit seriously. If you’re willing to turn off your brain and roll with the inherently nonsensical setup, you’re all but guaranteed to have a great time with this one.
Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg assumed screenwriting duties on this gruesome effort. The scribes capture the campy spirit of the 1978 original, while ultimately telling their own story. They frame the proceedings around young Jake (Steven R. McQueen), a high school student who lives in the Arizona tourist town of Lake Victoria. With spring break in full swing, Jake’s sheriff mother (Elisabeth Shue) leaves him with explicit orders to stay home and babysit his brother (Sage Ryan) and sister (Brooklynn Proulx) while she reports to work.
But thanks to a random encounter with porn mogul Derrick (Jerry O’Connell), Jake neglects his duties, leaving his siblings unattended while he helps Derrick scout a shoot location for his latest video. Further complicating matters, Jake’s brother and sister take advantage of their newfound independence and make a break for it before anyone realizes that a gang of bloodthirsty piranhas has been unleashed.
Also Read: ‘Child’s Play’ (2019) Is Good, Actually
Stolberg and Goldfinger inject the film with clever wit and humor throughout. This is apparent from the get-go when Richard Dreyfus good-naturedly kicks off the action in an opening sequence that nods to his iconic turn in Jaws. We even see him dressed similarly to his Jaws character (Matt Hooper) as he fishes in Lake Victoria. When he accidentally drops a beer off the boat, the bottle hits the lake floor, causing an earthquake that sets the carnivorous chaos that follows in motion. This makes for a rather clever setup, seeing as the unprecedented success of Jaws paved the way for numerous aquatic horror films (including Joe Dante’s Piranha). So, for the reboot to feature an inciting event that explicitly nods to Jaws seems like the perfect meta reference to kick things off.
Aside from Dreyfuss in the opening, we also see appearances by several other familiar faces. Amongst the most memorable is O’Connell, who seems to be having an absolute blast playing the sleazy porn mogul. His eventual fate stands out as one of the most memorable send-offs within. It’s a perfect ending based on what we know of his character. Not to mention, filmmaker Eli Roth also appears in a brief cameo as the host of a wet T-shirt contest. The character he plays is even sleazier than O’Connell’s and personifies some of the same toxic traits that many say make the central trio in his 2005 film Hostel hard to stomach. With that said, that distinction makes the grisly nature of his eventual demise all the more enjoyable.
Also Read: They Called it ‘Hell House’: A Retrospective On The Iconic Found Footage Series
In addition to several epic cameos and supporting turns, the flick delivers a number of comical send-ups that unfold throughout the duration. There is plenty of taboo humor along with laugh-inducing one-liners peppered throughout. The comedy certainly isn’t high-brow, though. It’s very much pandering to the lowest common denominator, but it often does so rather effectively. In one memorable setup, Jake’s little sister compliments an adult film star on her breasts, telling the performer that her brother is also likely to enjoy the view. The flick goes all in on this type of sex-based comedy, which pairs quite well with the film’s admittedly crude nature and spring break setting.
Director Alexandre Aja complements the persistent crude humor with gory visuals that are guaranteed to satiate your appetite for viscera. The massacre that unfolds around the start of the third act is nothing less than epic, going on for quite some time and producing a body count of grandiose proportions. We see corpses piling up as scantily clad spring breakers succumb to the predatory piranhas. There is no shortage of bloodshed, with a mixture of CGI and practical effects tinting the water red as it fills up with an ever-growing collection of severed limbs.
Also Read: In ‘Sinners’ and ’28 Years Later’, Growing Up Means Going Down
It is amidst the chaos of the previously mentioned massacre sequence that my personal favorite kill transpires. The scene in question sees a vacationer getting her hair caught in an outboard motor. When the captain of the vessel fires up the engine, the young woman’s hair tenses up so tightly that it rips her scalp off. 15 years later, this remains a gruesome and inventive kill that stands out from the pack in a film full of gruesome and inventive kills.
One of the picture’s greatest strengths is the way it walks the line between two seemingly opposed genres. It melds clever, inventive, gory kills with low-brow comedy, executing both conceits with efficacy. The flick may not be high art, but it is nonetheless a gruesome ride capable of making you laugh out loud before making you sick to your stomach.
Also Read: ‘Freddy vs. Jason’ Is a Perfectly Imperfect Crossover
Despite its pervasive use of carnage and adult humor, Piranha 3D still makes a little space for an emotional core. The family at the heart of the action gives some added weight to what might otherwise be a completely disposable film. Watching Jake, his siblings, and their mother navigate the piranha-infested waters raises the stakes and gives us a reason to invest. It’s an odd juxtaposition to see the youngsters palling around on a piranha-infested porn shoot, but it works. That dynamic actually adds to the inherent comedy while also keeping the viewer invested.
So, there you have it, dear reader. Piranha 3D is a silly film that refuses to take itself even a little bit seriously. Despite that, the flick excels remarkably well at both gory send-offs and low-brow comedy. Not to mention, the picture manages to be more relatable than it ought to be thanks to the close-knit family at the core of the narrative. If you’re feeling nostalgic for a repeat visit to Lake Victoria in honor of the film’s release date anniversary, you’re in luck. The picture is presently available to stream on Tubi, Pluto, Plex, and Prime Video.
https://ift.tt/pMUzrkV https://ift.tt/T9jLKpN
No comments:
Post a Comment