Initially a Roger Corman knock-off of Jaws, the film starts off well with an effective opening scene into the dangers of these carnivorous fish, but the pace slows to a halt as two particularly dull main characters are introduced. Their flat personalities and tepid attempt at a romance partly hinder the plot. As they attempt to warn people of their impending doom, we're treated to a number of performances from genre favorites (Barbara Steele, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Bartel). Corman regular Dick Miller is especially a highlight in the second half as a corrupt park owner. The piranhas themselves are given a unique tell which alerts us to their presence, but their onscreen and rubbery appearance fails to instill many thrills. Unfortunately the sfx are a little sparse for such a film with only a few really satisfying bloody moments in the climax. Despite these flaws, Piranha creates enough of its own waves to become a B-movie classic.
3 feeding frenzies out of 5
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