By: Lauren Cohen, The Campus Movie Guru (University of Miami)
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I think its safe to say that the majority of people out there reading this have yet to see Piranha 3D. I have come to this conclusion based off the fact that it came in 6th place its opening weekend, and mainly because of the reaction I got from most people upon telling them how badly I want to see this movie. “You’re actually going to go see Piranha 3D?! And you call yourself a movie buff!” “It looks SO stupid!”
The funny thing about this is most people who used the “it looks stupid” excuse are the same people who live for Will Ferrell’s movies. Now I love some of those comedies as much as the next person, but lets face it, they’re not exactly Annie Hall. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But, one must admit that they are (now say it with me) stupid, ridiculous movies…and they’re all the more hysterical because of that. Piranha 3D is just that, except it acknowledges its stupidity to a much greater degree. “B” movies are often the most fun time at the movies…think Wild Things and Snakes on a Plane. The key to a B movie being great is for it to KNOW that it’s a B movie. Now if you’ve seen the trailer, you know that it doesn’t take itself seriously. The piranhas don’t look the least bit real, with those beady red eyes and teeth that could rival those of Jaws. But that is totally the basis of its appeal! There’s gratuitous blood and just as much nudity…all in super cheesy looking 3D! I don’t get what is not awesome about that. Plus if that’s not incentive enough for you to see it, Christopher Lloyd (Doc from Back to the Future) has a small role. You know that super distinctive voice of his? Well all these years later its almost exactly the same, making every single thing he says sound like it’s a super big deal…but instead of saying “Great Scott!!!”, he’s saying “Piranhas!!!” Gotta love it!
Lets not be like the critics that many people cant stand, those who take movies too seriously and seem to measure every movie’s greatness next to the likes of The Godfather. Lets accept it for what it is. And what it is is an actually scary (I embarrassed myself by screaming out loud a few times) hysterical, absurd, fun, deliciously trashy time at the movies. If you pass on my plea for you to see it before it soon leaves theaters, you’re the one missing out. I’ve already gotten to see a man get his penis severed by a piranha (yes, you read that correctly). Oh, and did I mention that it was in 3D?
Rating: A-/B+
