Piranha (1978)

Written by CinemaSerf on November 5, 2023

"People eat fish, fish don't eat people"! Well, that might be the theory but when a meddlesome couple accidentally release a swimming pool's worth of genetically modified fish into a river, we discover that that mantra isn't strictly true! It's only because "Dr. Hoak" (Kevin McCarthy) is at the facility that our interfering pair - "Maggie" (Heather Menzies-Ulrich) and "Paul" (Bradford Dillman) learn of the potential disaster scenario looming - especially when they realise that there is a water park down the river populated with loads of noisy, bitesized, tourists just perfect for their peckish predators. Can they get down the river in time to stop carnage ensuing? On that front - well, there's not a hint of jeopardy but along the way Joe Dante does manage to create a slight sense of menace. The photography and slightly "Psycho"-esque score at times do make this occasionally a little uncomfortable to watch. That said - the acting is pretty woeful, as is the rather pedestrian dialogue and the special effects are not going to keep Ray Harryhausen awake at night. It might work quite well in a cinema, though, at Halloween after a couple of bottles of Wild Turkey. It's a fun, throw-away, adventure that swipes a little at the military meddling in the affairs of science and is actually quite entertaining. Aim low and you won't be disappointed.