moogyboy "Piranha 2: The Spawning" looks exactly like what it is: two different movies made by two different people, using the same story, actors, and crew. Unfortunately, the less talented of the two also happened to be the producer, and he got his way. The result is an occasionally interesting, intermittently gripping, and mostly ridiculous pot of glop.I'm just making assumptions here, but I'm going to guess that you can see James Cameron's involvement in the straight, dramatic portions of the movie, including the murky but eerily pretty underwater sequences. Definitely the casting of a strong, resourceful, reasonably complex woman in the lead is a Cameron trademark. Producer Ovidio d'Assontis, I reckon, is responsible for most of the more slapstick, broad, typically B-movie material, of which there is a lamentable mountain. The movie's mixture of horror and comedy does not work *at all*. It's not even good comedy--stupid one-liners coming out of the mouths of third-rate Central Casting rejects and would-be Penthouse models. Next minute, it's Tricia O'Neil, Steve Marachuk, and Lance Henriksen playing it dead serious. Like downshifting to second gear from fifth at 80 mph.O'Neil is a quite good actress and gorgeous in a world-weary, edge-of-fortysomething way to boot, and Lance as the gaunt, stressed-out police chief/heroine's husband is a true professional as always, but Steve's wisecracking scientist/playboy gets really annoying really fast...and he's supposed to be the co-hero. The rest of the cast is just downhill (or is that rapidly sinking?) from there, mostly a tiresome assortment of cardboard goofballs, although Gabby the dynamite fisherman is a likable representative of movie-Caribbeana and probably the most interesting character of the lot. The romance between the two teens is interesting when you consider that Leslie Graves was actually close to ten years older than her 15-year-old paramour, Ricky Paull.I almost forgot about the fish, the reason all these people were assembled in the first place.Do you blame me, though? You don't really see them much, to be honest, as much as you hear them, making that sort of wooga-wooga-wooga warbling noise as they swim in for the krill...er, kill. And when you do seen them, you don't for very long because your eyes get all scrunched up from you laughing. They really are ridiculous looking things, or at least the special effects shots in which they star are so badly done that you can't take them seriously. Granted, it's a cheap movie and I have seen worse ("Up From The Depths", anyone?), but I would think that if a visionary like James Cameron had had his way he would have approached the task a little differently. In fact, from what I read he had been originally hired as the Effects Supervisor when d'Assontis snatched him to replace the original director. If only he'd been left in his original post...but then the good parts of the movie wouldn't have happened at all, probably.What's the final verdict, then? It's an interesting, modest footnote to the early career of one of our towering cinematic giants, a typical Italian-flavored horror B-movie of the period. Largely dumb, but not a complete waste. Of definite interest to underwater fans.

PeterMitchell-506-564364 A piranha with a twist that's more terrifying, as now our killer fish are airborne. Yes, I know it ludicrous, but it's fun none the less, and as an added bonus, we have James Cameron behind the camera in his first feature, prefore to his '84 blockbuster, The Terminator. We have plenty of suspense, and some teasing shots of our man eaters, small bits of gore here and there, to hold us off, until the horrid realization is made, and the real hell breaks loose. That neck sucking scene in the mortuary by one of the killer fish, always stays in my mind, since first viewing it in '84. You should see the rest of the guy. Aside from this and all it's terrifying fun, so much scarier than the original, and bloodier, this isn't a badly made feature, a good starting point for Cameron, who was to later on, be one of those masters for creating hit after hit like the Scott's or Bruckheimer's. One openly candid shot, I liked, features a girl with big hooters, sunbaking on the beautiful Caribbean. There are of course some hotties in this too, one very young, a standout. Piranha does maintain it's suspense throughout, you want to run for cover from these blood sucking fish, and that's what makes a horror movie, and don't underestimate the violence in this either. For Piranha fans especially, or ones let down by the original.

MovieCritic33-6 I seldomly bash films, and usually I am able to find enjoyment in any film I watch. But this film was plain and simple garbage! There are no other words to describe it. This poor quality film and ridiculous concept which is so far out there its ludicrous. Genetically altered fish that not only have the ability to fly, but to breathe out of water. They're also pretty smart with good vision too, because they know where the people are at and almost never miss their target. To say a sequel to Joe Dante's 1978 cult classic film 'Piranha' would have potential, is probably wrong to say. The first film was a classic, with humour and unnerving moments which actually make you ask the question "What lies under the water?" Dante was able to create fear of the unknown in his film, and although many if not most films bend the branches of reality, Cameron's Piranha II: The Spawning completely mangles and breaks those branches which attempts to form any type of realism. A personal opinion is only a personal opinion, and if you still decide to waste your money on this film that is your choice. Maybe you'll find some enjoyment in this film that I could not, and if so kudos to you because you have a greater tolerance for films then I do. 0 Stars Out of ****

BA_Harrison By genetically splicing together DNA from piranha with that of the harmless grunion and the flying fish, biochemists working for the military have created a strain of flesh-eating fish not only capable of living in the sea, but also of launching itself out of the water to attack on land. Doh!When will people understand that not every film-maker wants their work to be the next Citizen Kane? Believe it or not, some directors deliberately cater for movie fans who enjoy schlock entertainment. Piranha II: Flying Killers, for example, is a film that has received an awful lot of flak here on IMDb for being cheap and trashy, when as far as I can see, that was exactly how it was intended. The silly concept, camp performances, and iffy effects are precisely what makes this film such a blast, and the fact that it was directed by the man who eventually gave us Avatar is just the icing on the cake.I'm just glad that I'm one of those able to enjoy Piranha II for what it is—an unashamedly silly, tongue in cheek B-movie featuring some effective gore (courtesy of Gianetto De Rossi), quality T&A (in the form of MILF diving teacher Anne, a pair of sexy topless babes on a yacht, and busty jail-bait Allison) a cool soundtrack (love those opening credits), lots of flying fish suspended on wires or stuck on the end of poles, and quality underwater action from a director whose confidence working 'in the drink' would serve him well in years to come.