Piranha II: The Spawning (1982)

Sick Product of a Sick System

one of my absolute favorites!

Just what I expected

best movie i've ever seen.

A piranha with a twist that's more terrifying, as now our killer fish are airborne. Yes, I know it ludicrous, but it's fun none the less, and as an added bonus, we have James Cameron behind the camera in his first feature, prefore to his '84 blockbuster, The Terminator. We have plenty of suspense, and some teasing shots of our man eaters, small bits of gore here and there, to hold us off, until the horrid realization is made, and the real hell breaks loose. That neck sucking scene in the mortuary by one of the killer fish, always stays in my mind, since first viewing it in '84. You should see the rest of the guy. Aside from this and all it's terrifying fun, so much scarier than the original, and bloodier, this isn't a badly made feature, a good starting point for Cameron, who was to later on, be one of those masters for creating hit after hit like the Scott's or Bruckheimer's. One openly candid shot, I liked, features a girl with big hooters, sunbaking on the beautiful Caribbean. There are of course some hotties in this too, one very young, a standout. Piranha does maintain it's suspense throughout, you want to run for cover from these blood sucking fish, and that's what makes a horror movie, and don't underestimate the violence in this either. For Piranha fans especially, or ones let down by the original.

Sitting down to watch this movie in 2011, I was quite surprised to see James Cameron was involved in this movie, and I was also surprised to find Lance Henriksen on the cast list.I have seen the first part of these movies and it wasn't too bad. Then this movie came along, and it all fell apart. The piranha themselves, weren't' too badly made, considering this is back from 1981. But the fact that they suddenly had wings and were flying about? Come on, seriously? That was just too much, and it totally made the movie turn from horror to comedy in a bad, bad way.The movie also suffered from horrendous acting and really dull dialogue. The only one worth watching in the movie, in my opinion, was Lance Henriksen. There were just too many performances where you didn't buy into the performance for a second."Piranha 2: The Spawning" is a terrible sequel and is not really worth the time, unless you are desperately in need of finding something to watch and can't find anything else. I managed to sit through the entire movie, and I can honestly say that I will never pop this back into the DVD player again.And also, I was sitting with a gnawing sensation that this entire movie was just a spin off of the "Jaws" movies, only with the lead "bad fish" changed from a shark to large, flying piranha. It took place on an island. There was a police officer (Lance Henriksen). Gee, didn't we see this in "Jaws" already?All in all, "Piranha 2" is boring and uneventful. I wish it would just grow wings like the fish did and then fly away.

Piranha 2 is not the best horror movie you will ever see. Its very tongue in cheek with several characters who appear very over the top or silly and the direction of key horror moments is poor. On the plus side I found the characters and acting quite good, unfortunately the special effects were not there to support the story so the action or horror moments don't really hit you as they should. As a fan of the original or horrors from the late 70s and early 80s i would recommend to add to your collection. Its has the synth music, cheesy gore and of course naked 80s chicks which is always a bonus. A vague follow up to the Joe Dante original in 1978 stars a solid Tricia O'Neal who finds herself in the middle of a series of horrible events as some of the guests and workers at an idyllic island resort are being eaten by something in the water. We get a recognisable face in Lance Henriksen who plays her ex husband and the Chief of Police - along with the ride there is her pointless son (who spends most of the movie completely away from what is going on in a dingy with a large breasted girl with no lines - mm nice) and a charming bloke who chats old Tricia up (she is tasty mind) It also has a decent ending which is nice. :) Anyway like I said it isn't a classic, but its a film of its time and anyone who enjoys the kind of cheesy 70s and 80s no budget movies like Galaxy of Terror or Forbidden World will appreciate it more than say someone who thinks the Scream movies are the ultimate in horror.

I seldomly bash films, and usually I am able to find enjoyment in any film I watch. But this film was plain and simple garbage! There are no other words to describe it. This poor quality film and ridiculous concept which is so far out there its ludicrous. Genetically altered fish that not only have the ability to fly, but to breathe out of water. They're also pretty smart with good vision too, because they know where the people are at and almost never miss their target. To say a sequel to Joe Dante's 1978 cult classic film 'Piranha' would have potential, is probably wrong to say. The first film was a classic, with humour and unnerving moments which actually make you ask the question "What lies under the water?" Dante was able to create fear of the unknown in his film, and although many if not most films bend the branches of reality, Cameron's Piranha II: The Spawning completely mangles and breaks those branches which attempts to form any type of realism. A personal opinion is only a personal opinion, and if you still decide to waste your money on this film that is your choice. Maybe you'll find some enjoyment in this film that I could not, and if so kudos to you because you have a greater tolerance for films then I do. 0 Stars Out of ****