Piranha

The original Piranha film directed by Joe Dante debuted in 1978, keeping moviegoers away from the lake. Alexandrea Aja released a remake of the film more recently, late in 2010.  It is questionable whether or not Aja’s film is a true remake because it stands on its own in terms of the story, because it doesn’t retell Dante’s story.

            Dante’s film begins with two hikers sneaking into a hidden government facility for a skinny dip and become fish food, literally.  The piranhas are leaked into the river and of course it is summer and all the kids are at the river.  The film travels alongside “bounty hunter” Maggie who is trying to figure out where the piranhas are coming from, and warn everyone about them.

The so-called “remake” of the film is about a spring break gone bad. All the college kids flock to the lake; little do they know they aren’t the only ones swimming in the lake. The film follows a mom who is a cop on the small island who discovers the piranhas then spends her time trying to warn her children, and everyone else. It does seem as though Aja’s film follows the story of Dante’s, but the film is centered on the spring breakers more than the piranhas.  Aja’s film focuses on nudity and other inappropriate spring break activities’. The overall theme of the movie is a spring break party, until people start dying.

            Neither Dante’s or Aja’s films are meant to be horror but more of knock off “mock-buster” flicks. Dante’s film shocked the audience when it came out just because of the confirmation of the fear everyone has. The fear of something being in the water and not knowing it is terrifying to everyone, and Dante’s film affirmed it. 

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