First off i love the 1978 Joe Dante Directed "Piranha" & i have done since the 90's when i discovered it & got it on video, it's a Cult Classic.
I've just discovered this 1995 Horror Gem, it seems to me although it's a made for t.v production it's still very well made & with a much better polished script than the 70's original even if not as good.
The characters here are given better dialogue & more depth with some back story to them which was missing in the 1978 original, i love Director Joe Dante (Gremlins 1&2,The 'Burbs) always loved his films from young & loved his Piranha but even i gotta admit it that this Remake fixed a few things & polished it up 90's style.
Apart from his excellent casting of the B-movie legends Dick Miller & Kevin McCarthy, this 90's version is often just as much fun!!!! Here though in the cast we have a really good William Katt from the Horror-comedy Classic House (1985), as Paul Grogan & i did like his performance better than that of Bradford Dillman from the original.
Also i preferred the performance of Alexandra Paul (Dragnet 1987) as P. I Maggie McNamara, the cast all seems to be putting alot of Drama into their performances & it really works. Yes there's some pure 90's cheesiness & some boobs that's typical of it's time but it's fun & great at the same time.
The stakes seem higher here & the feel of Danger is strong, this was a very slick & polished production. The cinematography is actually abit better too with a real Summertime atmosphere & colourful look. This 1995 version of Piranha was a very pleasant surprise, yes it used some footage from the original but it fitted in fine & didn't ruin anything & atleast this version didn't copy it completely, not totally beat for beat as we have some other bits going on that pads it out more & makes it feel fresh & interesting. We get a wannabe movie director played by Leland Orser (The Bone Collector 1999) as he's down at the lake filming a commercial there & he has a little side-bit story where he's out on the lake at night with a sexy camp councillor & things get Nasty. The gore is more brutal here too & the attacks seem more frenzied & more dramatic, the tension is high & everything is done to feel more real i suppose & less fantastical.
I definitely noticed the dialogue was way better & definitely much more depth for our main stars.
A very Decent & well made 90's B-movie Remake of a 70's Cult Classic B-movie.
"PIRANHAS" is just as good as the original & definitely better than the dull "Piranha 2:Flying Killers" & still better than the fun but silly 2000's Remake & it's sequel!!!
Watch it as a double bill with the 1978 original as a good night of summertime thrills.
