Piranha II - Fliegende Killer

Nein, es ist nicht so ein Dreck, wie es die hiesigen Benutzer versuchen aussehen zu lassen. Obwohl Piranha II: Fliegende Killer ein Film ist, der in der reinsten kreativen Hölle gelandet ist und unabänderlich von dem Kampf zwischen dem Produzenten Assonitis und den rein engagierten Schöpfern Miller Drake und vor allem James Cameron geprägt ist, unter dessen Namen der Film schließlich veröffentlicht wurde, ist er größtenteils vergleichbar mit vielen italienischen Horrorfilmen der 80er Jahre, in denen die Logik völlig auf der Strecke blieb, aber der Film selbst bot eine Menge Spaß, Action und niedliche praktische Spezialeffekte. Die kreativen Entscheidungen sind hier ziemlich seltsam und einige Nebenhandlungen könnten aus dem Film perfekt herausgeschnitten werden, aber was soll's - es ist trotzdem unterhaltsam. Und in welchem anderen Teil werden sonst noch Piranhas durch die Luft fliegen? In James Camerons Filmografie ist es vielleicht einer der weniger denkwürdigen Nachfolger, aber Liebhaber von Trash-Filmen werden hier definitiv auf ihre Kosten kommen. (19.11.2022)

To write a "proper B-movie/Cameron can do it" review for this film would be hideous bias. Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish. Proper rubbish. (05.11.2009)

When you watch Piranha II: The Spawning you have to want to watch a film that doesn't take itself seriously, that isn't a big spectacle, but is simply a small B-movie that impresses mainly with underwater scenes that are well shot. And also pleasant, sexy nudity, where I was captivated by beautiful, natural women who were not yet burdened by plastic surgery. I’ve been into that in recent times. (20.12.2018)

Everybody has to start out somewhere, but you won't believe this film is directed by Cameron. Pathetic, amateurish, stupid, cheap, terribly boring. The scene of the piranhas attacking the resort is like the cheapest Ed Wood work, but unfortunately not as funny. But I know what the truth is. After this movie, the director of this monstrosity was abducted by aliens and replaced by a human with the appearance of Cameron. There’s no other possible explanation. (25.04.2003)

Good old Cameron, you’d like to say, but honestly – I think I quite believe the traumatic stories from the shoot, because the way Assonitis treated him is strikingly reminiscent of the attitudes of other Italian producers at the time (see Dino De Laurentiis, for example) towards cheap labor, whose only purpose for them was to secure financing from American studios. Cameron is reportedly only behind the morgue scene and the funny helicopter explosion (during which he even accidentally drowned the camera). He is also said to be responsible for the design of the piranha, and out of frustration he also took on the production design, as he had found out during pre-production that no one was doing anything there, so he at least started scouting locations and hiring local guides. I find it endearing that despite originally wanting to erase his name from the film entirely, he eventually embraced it years later, even taking the liberty of making his own re-cut (which is not hard to come by) and he has no problem looking back on it. The film itself is pure garbage complete with virtually every ingredient of guilty fun – a buffet of practices from more famous films, boobs, obscene performances, boobs, completely unnecessary exposition by a bunch of poorly acted characters who just disappear somewhere during the course of the film and don't reappear, boobs, terrible special effects, blood, and boobs. Too bad for the traditional Achilles heel of beach genre flicks where they so often progress to underwater scenes, which unfortunately by their very nature are slow and dilute the rhythm of the film. Which, to be fair, also happens in far more deserving works. (08.10.2022)