Rating of
2.5/4
Indyfreak - wrote on 08/01/21
Joe Dante's riff on the Jaws formula reportedly received Spielberg's own seal of approval, avoiding a costly lawsuit accusing this horror-comedy of plagiarism. There are some similarities to JAWS (a community threatened by aquatic predators) but PIRANHA distinguishes itself thanks to a weirdly offbeat sensibility that Dante would later hone in for his later movies like Gremlins or Innerspace.
The poor special effects are a bit disappointing but the gore and Dante's willingness to let the title creatures attack and kill men, women, and children alike lends to a high body count. Dillman is serviceable as the everyman protagonist but Heather Menzies steals the movie as a brave if ditzy sidekick.
