Club Elysium may seem like paradise, but just offshore a new breed of terror has been unleashed, and no one is safe from its savage, insatiable hunger. In the tradition of Anaconda comes a razor-sharp tale of mutant monste... more »rs from the deep, directed by James Cameron. While investigating the mysterious death of a diver, scuba instructor Anne Kimbrough (Tricia O'Neil) makes a horrific discovery: Piranha-like fish, with wings that enable them to fly, are responsible. As the body count rises, Anne desperately tries to convince the resort's manager to call off the annual fish fry on the beach - but he's determined to give his guests the ultimate "feeding frenzy." Packed with suspense, amazing special effects, and featuring a heroic performance by Lance Henriksen, Piranha II: The Spawning will drench you in waves of cold, biting fear.« less
Really dated but this movie was actually pretty descent for its period of time verses the unbelievable special effects CGI's movies that we see today that have no plots and are super confusing to watch. Definitely worth a watch. It has Lance Henriksen in it too and his acting style is sure different than it evolved into.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Keith A. (Keefer522) Reviewed on 3/28/2014...
This sequel to Joe Dante's killer fish classic ups the ante by giving the toothy suckers the ability to fly (the result of an ill advised government gene splicing experiment) and turns them loose on vacationers at a Caribbean resort. The result is unintentionally hilarious because the "flying fish" look like big, leathery handbags with wings. Unbelievably enough, this cheap, gory Italian made nonsense marks the directorial debut of James Cameron, who maintains that he was fired during the editing process so he doesn't consider it "his" movie.
1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Chad B. (abrnt1) from CABERY, IL Reviewed on 11/4/2012...
After seeing this film I now know why James Cameron considers it to be the worst movie he's ever done. This film is complete and utter garbage.
1 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Flying killer fish? Hey, why not?
Crazy Jim | Massachusetts | 02/15/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
""The greatest film about flying Piranha ever made". Well, Jim Cameron definetly called it right on this one. About as "guilty" as guilty pleasures get, this stubborn but very watchable "mother nature run amok" B-movie will probably best be known as the directorial debut of James Cameron who would later go on to make a couple of small unknown indie films called Terminator 2 and Titanic.
This name-only sequel to the Roger Corman cult classic has a rather silly premise involving a strand of mutated killer piranha with the ability to fly who are terrorizing an island resort. Of course, the resort's diving instructor (Tricia O'Neil) wants to close down the water activities but her boss isn't having it. Her estranged husband, the island's law enforcement (a young Lance Henriksen) is skeptical at first but when dead bodies keep piling up, he starts thinking otherwise.
"Piranha II" is no Jaws in any way but it gets the job done as far as "late night creature features" are concerned. The special effects leave a lot to be desired as we get to see actors battle with fish on a string but it's all in good fun. The DVD has no added special features and is only available in its full-frame format."
Thank god this is finally on dvd!
STEVE HIPPAKA | LA MESA, CA United States | 06/22/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"the legendary JAWS was speilberg's 2nd effort, & in his footsteps is cameron's masterpiece softmore work. starring lance henriksen(aka bishop of aliens) in his best role. brilliant screenplay, grossly under-rated acting & full of unpredictable twists & turns--this film is better than terminator, aliens, jaws, & the godfather pt2 combined. buy this dvd!"
Quite the surprise
Richard Ringeisen | MD USA | 04/01/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I rate this movie 5 stars for what it is, a silly horror film. It was also a very pleasant surprise.
When I first viewed this movie I wasn't expecting much, except an awful american horror movie... I was a bit off!
I had a good time watching Piranha 2, there were many times I had to laugh;
- The opening sequence where the viewer is treated some T&A and pirahna mayhem
- The "drowning" scene and the dialogue that followed("You're not a doctor!?!?!!" "I'm a Dentist".)
- The flying fish effects
- Portions of plot that are simply dropped and never revisited, etc.
If you like Horror films, with touches of comedy, and a "Euro" flavour, give Piranha 2 a go! I enjoyed this moreso than Tentacles!"
Flat out moronic, and that's being kind!
Brian | Hoffman Estates, Il United States | 07/06/2000
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Long before "The Terminator", "Aliens", and "Titanic" came along, James Cameron cranked out this unforgivably godawful turkey. A sequel to Joe Dante's far superior original, this one gives wings to the toothy little terrors as they launch an all out assault on dry land.What may have seemed a neat idea on paper just smolders onscreen like a cheap cigar. You'll find yourself laughing in a puddle of tears more often than not. At the very least, the script could have provided Lance Henriksen a stronger supporting role -- I still can't understand why he bothered with this movie. Oh well, live and learn."
The first one was good, but this one is horrible!
Amber | Georgia | 02/06/2010
(1 out of 5 stars)
"I enjoyed the original Piranha movie, so when I saw this one in the store, and that it was directed by James Cameron, I thought it would be good. I was wrong. Most of this movie was filled with sex, naked women, and people with major personality disorders. Normally I don't have a problem with the nude scenes in horror films, having decided that it is something the directors/producers feel they must do, but the frequency of these nude/sex scenes detracted from the rest of the film. I found myself spending most of the movie wishing the piranhas would eat everyone but the boy and his mom. It's really kind of pathetic when you find yourself cheering for the 'monsters'. The special effects (in a manner of speaking) were ok for the time, but nothing spectacular. Some of the actors were above average, but most were definitely C or D list. In short, this film has nothing going for it but the naked women, if that is what you like. I say skip this one and just watch the original. I know I will never watch this movie again. It had a fairly good concept that fell apart almost immediately."