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Piranha II: Flying Killers
338 hits
1981 - USA / Italy
Directed By: James Cameron / Ovidio G. Asontis.
Starring: Tricia O'Neil, Lance Heniksen, Steve Marachuk, Ricky Paull Goldin, Leslie Graves, Carole Davis, Ted Richert and Arnie Ross.
Aka
Piranha II: The Spawning
The Spawning
Current Availability
At present the best available version is the UK R2 DVD from Columbia Tristar which boasts a decent looking OAR Widescreen print (albeit non-anamorphic) and features a small amount of restored footage absent from previous VHS releases. Both the US R1 Columbia Tristar DVD and the earlier, budget priced UK R2 release from MIA feature inferior fullscreen presentations.
Recommended
Mildly recommended. Whilst nothing special and not on a par with Joe Dante's original film, Piranha II: Flying Killers is nowhere near as bad as some would have you believe.
A combination of surprisingly gory plastic fish attacks, lots of gratuitous sleaze, some daft B-movie military conspiracy nonsense and good central performances ensure trash movie fans should find ample entertainment value in James Cameron's frequently mocked debut feature.
Directed By: James Cameron / Ovidio G. Asontis.
Starring: Tricia O'Neil, Lance Heniksen, Steve Marachuk, Ricky Paull Goldin, Leslie Graves, Carole Davis, Ted Richert and Arnie Ross.
Aka
Piranha II: The Spawning
The Spawning
Current Availability
At present the best available version is the UK R2 DVD from Columbia Tristar which boasts a decent looking OAR Widescreen print (albeit non-anamorphic) and features a small amount of restored footage absent from previous VHS releases. Both the US R1 Columbia Tristar DVD and the earlier, budget priced UK R2 release from MIA feature inferior fullscreen presentations.
Recommended
Mildly recommended. Whilst nothing special and not on a par with Joe Dante's original film, Piranha II: Flying Killers is nowhere near as bad as some would have you believe.
A combination of surprisingly gory plastic fish attacks, lots of gratuitous sleaze, some daft B-movie military conspiracy nonsense and good central performances ensure trash movie fans should find ample entertainment value in James Cameron's frequently mocked debut feature.
Review (Contains Spoilers)
Of the numerous aquatic themed shockers which followed in the wake of Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws (1975), Joe Dante's cult favourite Piranha (1978) stands as easily the most individually successful in its own right. Whilst obviously intended as a parody of Spielberg's blockbuster, a healthy injection of knowing, grisly black humour ensured Piranha was one of the unexpected hits of 1978 and quickly became a much loved cult item.
Whereas Piranha has become a minor classic, by contrast its sequel the 1981 American/Italian co-production Piranha II: Flying Killers (aka - Piranha II: The Spawning) has become little more than the answer to a trivia question. The reason for this of course is that it marked the feature film directorial debut of famed director James Cameron who shortly after wrote and directed The Terminator (1984) and has subsequently helmed a string of Hollywood blockbusters.
Shooting partially on a Rome sound stage with a predominantly Italian crew, Piranha II provided the then 27 year old Cameron with an ideal opportunity to earn his filmmaking spurs. Unfortunately for the young director he was to encounter an obstructive nemesis in the shape of the films executive producer Ovidio G. Assontis, a prolific, veteran Italian filmmaker and producer who remains best known to horror fans as the man behind the shameless Exorcist imitation (and surprise box-office smash) Beyond The Door (1974) and the star-studded yet inept Jaws knock-off Tentacles (1977). Seizing upon Cameron's comparative inexperience Assontis by all accounts essentially took over the film himself upon becoming dissatisfied with Cameron's performance in the directors chair. Cameron's creative decisions were largely overruled by the experienced Italian who reportedly directed much of the film himself uncredited and personally oversaw the editing of the finished cut without any involvement from Cameron.
In a desperate bid to reclaim the film as his own Cameron would secretly put together his own cut of the film behind the backs of the producers only to have his ruse exposed and his edits undone by Assontis. However, history shows that it was Cameron who had the last laugh in the long run. going on to strike gold with The Terminator the runaway success of which led to him directing a string of increasingly expensive (not to mention increasingly self-indulgent) blockbusters which included Aliens 1986), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), True Lies (1994) and Titanic (1997). Meanwhile to the surprise of no one Piranha II: The Spawning failed to reprise the success of its predecessor and promptly sank like a stone on release only to resurface on home video like an embarrassing high school photograph following Cameron's rise to prominence. While it is doubtful Cameron looks back on his dealings with the belligerent Assontis withy any particular fondness he at least seems able to smile about his involvement in Piranha II, commenting with tongue placed firmly in cheek that he believed it to be "the finest flying piranha movie ever made".
Piranha II takes place at a luxurious Caribbean tourist resort which is plunged into terror, beginning with the killing of two scuba divers by a shoal of ravenous, flesh-eating fish. Shortly after a male member of a group led by diving instructor Anne Kimbrough (O'Neil) also falls victim to the mysterious marine predators. When the resident Police Chief Steve Kimbrough (Henriksen), who also happens to be Anne's estranged husband, warns her that she could find herself charged with negligence she begins to make her own investigation into the mysterious events with assistance from her new suitor Tyler Sherman (Marachuk).
Anne soon makes the terrifying discovery that the deaths are the result of a covert military operation which saw scientists splice together the genetic make-up of several different fish species in order to create a deadly, living instrument of bio-warfare. The result of these secret experiments was an extremely aggressive strain of flying piranha fish, a shoal of which now occupy a sunken freighter off the coast of the resort and are responsible for the recent deaths. Despite Anne's desperate plea's the resorts money hungry manager Raoul (Richert) refuses to believe her story meaning that when the deadly flying piranha's descend upon the resort countless innocent revelers are horrifically killed. With their own son Chris (Goldin) stranded at sea Anne and Steve are forced to put aside their differences and launch a perilous attempt to destroy the deadly flying fish in order to ensure their sons survival.
Even almost three decades on from its original theatrical release a question mark hangs over just how much of Piranha II: Flying Killers James Cameron was actually responsible for. While I am not in a position to shed any light on that, speaking as an (I like to think) fairly knowledgeable fan I feel comfortable in stating that Piranha II more closely resembles one of Ovidio Assontis' jobbing attempts to emulate popular American genre films than it does any sort of direct sequel to the original Piranha despite the presence of some tenuous narrative links to Joe Dante's original. What Beyond The Door was to The Exorcist and Tentacles was to Jaws is more or less what Piranha II: Flying Killers is to Piranha. However, setting aside questions over its authorship and unfavourable links to its "predecessor", taken in its own right Piranha II still offers the would be viewer a good deal of trashy fun, signalling its intent from the outset with a bloody opening which sees two scuba divers engaged in a spot of underwater coitus being gorily eaten alive by the flesh-eating shoal.
From this point Piranha II sets about assembling a supporting cast of heavily stereotypical tourist types and nubile, bikini-clad babes who blatantly are only present in order to serve as flying piranha smorgasbord. Unfortunately the films opening half hour proceeds to get bogged down with the antics of its attractive yet bland or irritatingly eccentric supporting players. This leads to a fair amount of awkward, sex-obsessed comedy padding including two young beauties manipulating a stuttering cook with the promise of a threesome and a bored older woman clumsily attempting to seduce a much younger (and clearly rather perturbed) lifeguard. These inane goings on do eventually begin to grate a little, although in fairness healthy quantities of gratuitous nudity and sleaze does help to hold the attention. The camera very seldom misses an opportunity to focus upon the bear breasts or curvaceous rears of the numerous young model types who just happen to be wandering around.
Fortunately following this initial lull Piranha II livens up considerably, beginning with the films most memorable shock which sees one of the titular winged piranha's burst from the open wound of a victim and proceed to gorily tear at the throat of a hapless female mortuary attendant. From this point the film seldom looks back as several other heavily sign posted victims promptly meet with a similar demise. Meanwhile the films unfolding narrative which centres around the discovery of a covert military plot to engineer nature's ultimate killer, whilst undeniably pure B-Movie schlock proves surprisingly involving. This is thanks in no small part to the presence of a likeable, engaging female lead in the shape of Tricia O'Neil. A fairly prolific film and television character actress, O'Neil makes for an attractive and genuinely gutsy heroine despite being notably older than your average eighties scream queen. Additionally Lance Henriksen enters an enjoyably over the top supporting turn as the resorts resident police chief who also just happens to be Anne's estranged husband. Evidently the young Cameron was also taken with Henriksen's performance as he later cast him in prominent supporting roles in both The Terminator and Aliens.
The sudden proliferation of flying fish attacks sets the scene nicely for the films well executed, outrageous final set piece which sees many of the resorts revelers massacred in a mass onslaught by the titular flying fish. The fish themselves are clearly cheap, unconvincing and completely lifeless plastic models but wisely their limitations are seldom exposed, their attacks mostly conveyed via quick fire editing techniques which only show the rather sorry looking piranha's in brief. momentary flashes. However, in fairness Piranha II does compensate by offering plentiful gruesome shots of the piranha's gnawed upon victims which whilst not especially lingered upon are at least grisly enough to keep those seeking gory thrills satisfied.
In conclusion there is little disputing that Piranha II: Flying Killers never comes close the entering the same league occupied by Joe Dante's classic original. However, accepted purely upon its own terms Cameron's directorial debut is engagingly trashy entertainment in its own right and certainly nothing like as awful as many critics and uptight genre fans may have claimed over the years. Whilst a rather slow, grating comic relief orientated opening half hour tries the patience, those who stick with Piranha II are eventually treated to a mindlessly enjoyable blend of gory flying fish attacks, cheesecake nudity and B-movie military conspiracy hokum. The results are far from essential but nevertheless this reviewer can honestly state that Cameron was probably right when he referred to his debut as "the finest flying piranha movie ever made".
Also Try... Piranha (1978, Joe Dante) / Jaws / Barracuda / Tentacles / Up From The Depths / The Last Shark / Evil In The Deep / Beyond The Door.
Please place any comments or queries about this film / review on the message board below. Please note that the newest comment is always displayed first so if you wish to read the comments in order start from the bottom and work your way up. Thanks.
Of the numerous aquatic themed shockers which followed in the wake of Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws (1975), Joe Dante's cult favourite Piranha (1978) stands as easily the most individually successful in its own right. Whilst obviously intended as a parody of Spielberg's blockbuster, a healthy injection of knowing, grisly black humour ensured Piranha was one of the unexpected hits of 1978 and quickly became a much loved cult item.
Whereas Piranha has become a minor classic, by contrast its sequel the 1981 American/Italian co-production Piranha II: Flying Killers (aka - Piranha II: The Spawning) has become little more than the answer to a trivia question. The reason for this of course is that it marked the feature film directorial debut of famed director James Cameron who shortly after wrote and directed The Terminator (1984) and has subsequently helmed a string of Hollywood blockbusters.
Shooting partially on a Rome sound stage with a predominantly Italian crew, Piranha II provided the then 27 year old Cameron with an ideal opportunity to earn his filmmaking spurs. Unfortunately for the young director he was to encounter an obstructive nemesis in the shape of the films executive producer Ovidio G. Assontis, a prolific, veteran Italian filmmaker and producer who remains best known to horror fans as the man behind the shameless Exorcist imitation (and surprise box-office smash) Beyond The Door (1974) and the star-studded yet inept Jaws knock-off Tentacles (1977). Seizing upon Cameron's comparative inexperience Assontis by all accounts essentially took over the film himself upon becoming dissatisfied with Cameron's performance in the directors chair. Cameron's creative decisions were largely overruled by the experienced Italian who reportedly directed much of the film himself uncredited and personally oversaw the editing of the finished cut without any involvement from Cameron.
In a desperate bid to reclaim the film as his own Cameron would secretly put together his own cut of the film behind the backs of the producers only to have his ruse exposed and his edits undone by Assontis. However, history shows that it was Cameron who had the last laugh in the long run. going on to strike gold with The Terminator the runaway success of which led to him directing a string of increasingly expensive (not to mention increasingly self-indulgent) blockbusters which included Aliens 1986), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), True Lies (1994) and Titanic (1997). Meanwhile to the surprise of no one Piranha II: The Spawning failed to reprise the success of its predecessor and promptly sank like a stone on release only to resurface on home video like an embarrassing high school photograph following Cameron's rise to prominence. While it is doubtful Cameron looks back on his dealings with the belligerent Assontis withy any particular fondness he at least seems able to smile about his involvement in Piranha II, commenting with tongue placed firmly in cheek that he believed it to be "the finest flying piranha movie ever made".
Piranha II takes place at a luxurious Caribbean tourist resort which is plunged into terror, beginning with the killing of two scuba divers by a shoal of ravenous, flesh-eating fish. Shortly after a male member of a group led by diving instructor Anne Kimbrough (O'Neil) also falls victim to the mysterious marine predators. When the resident Police Chief Steve Kimbrough (Henriksen), who also happens to be Anne's estranged husband, warns her that she could find herself charged with negligence she begins to make her own investigation into the mysterious events with assistance from her new suitor Tyler Sherman (Marachuk).
Anne soon makes the terrifying discovery that the deaths are the result of a covert military operation which saw scientists splice together the genetic make-up of several different fish species in order to create a deadly, living instrument of bio-warfare. The result of these secret experiments was an extremely aggressive strain of flying piranha fish, a shoal of which now occupy a sunken freighter off the coast of the resort and are responsible for the recent deaths. Despite Anne's desperate plea's the resorts money hungry manager Raoul (Richert) refuses to believe her story meaning that when the deadly flying piranha's descend upon the resort countless innocent revelers are horrifically killed. With their own son Chris (Goldin) stranded at sea Anne and Steve are forced to put aside their differences and launch a perilous attempt to destroy the deadly flying fish in order to ensure their sons survival.
Even almost three decades on from its original theatrical release a question mark hangs over just how much of Piranha II: Flying Killers James Cameron was actually responsible for. While I am not in a position to shed any light on that, speaking as an (I like to think) fairly knowledgeable fan I feel comfortable in stating that Piranha II more closely resembles one of Ovidio Assontis' jobbing attempts to emulate popular American genre films than it does any sort of direct sequel to the original Piranha despite the presence of some tenuous narrative links to Joe Dante's original. What Beyond The Door was to The Exorcist and Tentacles was to Jaws is more or less what Piranha II: Flying Killers is to Piranha. However, setting aside questions over its authorship and unfavourable links to its "predecessor", taken in its own right Piranha II still offers the would be viewer a good deal of trashy fun, signalling its intent from the outset with a bloody opening which sees two scuba divers engaged in a spot of underwater coitus being gorily eaten alive by the flesh-eating shoal.
From this point Piranha II sets about assembling a supporting cast of heavily stereotypical tourist types and nubile, bikini-clad babes who blatantly are only present in order to serve as flying piranha smorgasbord. Unfortunately the films opening half hour proceeds to get bogged down with the antics of its attractive yet bland or irritatingly eccentric supporting players. This leads to a fair amount of awkward, sex-obsessed comedy padding including two young beauties manipulating a stuttering cook with the promise of a threesome and a bored older woman clumsily attempting to seduce a much younger (and clearly rather perturbed) lifeguard. These inane goings on do eventually begin to grate a little, although in fairness healthy quantities of gratuitous nudity and sleaze does help to hold the attention. The camera very seldom misses an opportunity to focus upon the bear breasts or curvaceous rears of the numerous young model types who just happen to be wandering around.
Fortunately following this initial lull Piranha II livens up considerably, beginning with the films most memorable shock which sees one of the titular winged piranha's burst from the open wound of a victim and proceed to gorily tear at the throat of a hapless female mortuary attendant. From this point the film seldom looks back as several other heavily sign posted victims promptly meet with a similar demise. Meanwhile the films unfolding narrative which centres around the discovery of a covert military plot to engineer nature's ultimate killer, whilst undeniably pure B-Movie schlock proves surprisingly involving. This is thanks in no small part to the presence of a likeable, engaging female lead in the shape of Tricia O'Neil. A fairly prolific film and television character actress, O'Neil makes for an attractive and genuinely gutsy heroine despite being notably older than your average eighties scream queen. Additionally Lance Henriksen enters an enjoyably over the top supporting turn as the resorts resident police chief who also just happens to be Anne's estranged husband. Evidently the young Cameron was also taken with Henriksen's performance as he later cast him in prominent supporting roles in both The Terminator and Aliens.
The sudden proliferation of flying fish attacks sets the scene nicely for the films well executed, outrageous final set piece which sees many of the resorts revelers massacred in a mass onslaught by the titular flying fish. The fish themselves are clearly cheap, unconvincing and completely lifeless plastic models but wisely their limitations are seldom exposed, their attacks mostly conveyed via quick fire editing techniques which only show the rather sorry looking piranha's in brief. momentary flashes. However, in fairness Piranha II does compensate by offering plentiful gruesome shots of the piranha's gnawed upon victims which whilst not especially lingered upon are at least grisly enough to keep those seeking gory thrills satisfied.
In conclusion there is little disputing that Piranha II: Flying Killers never comes close the entering the same league occupied by Joe Dante's classic original. However, accepted purely upon its own terms Cameron's directorial debut is engagingly trashy entertainment in its own right and certainly nothing like as awful as many critics and uptight genre fans may have claimed over the years. Whilst a rather slow, grating comic relief orientated opening half hour tries the patience, those who stick with Piranha II are eventually treated to a mindlessly enjoyable blend of gory flying fish attacks, cheesecake nudity and B-movie military conspiracy hokum. The results are far from essential but nevertheless this reviewer can honestly state that Cameron was probably right when he referred to his debut as "the finest flying piranha movie ever made".
Also Try... Piranha (1978, Joe Dante) / Jaws / Barracuda / Tentacles / Up From The Depths / The Last Shark / Evil In The Deep / Beyond The Door.
Please place any comments or queries about this film / review on the message board below. Please note that the newest comment is always displayed first so if you wish to read the comments in order start from the bottom and work your way up. Thanks.
