Reviews (29)

Women will like this movie, too, and not just gearhead girls
As someone who was friends with people who actually DID the real Cannonball Run, I have to say that Gumball Rally does more to capture the spirit of these amazing people that do the Cannonball Run movies. Michael Sarazzan, Tim McIntire, and Gary Busey are the Cannonball types that cover the range from corporate executives to folks for whom automobiles are a passion.

But why a women's film? Unlike other movies (like brand X that the Joker sedulously warns us to avoid) the film is repecectful of women -- there is even a women's team in a "little motorboat." And Raul Julia, in one of his early films, is irresistable as the Italian champion. The women in the Porsche (I identified with the older of the two) have to enlist the help of two young "Good Old Boys" to help with with a mechhanical problem and wind up having to show their "appreciation," but even this small aside is only to prove that racing girls still love guys -- and itsn't it the truth, as they say in 200 Motels.

The "in" jokes about cars are classics. And speaking of classics, I am laughing my head off about the Jag and the starter. I wonder if the two guys in the XKE are still there in the garage. Years later I laugh at that one and a score of classic one-liners from this movie just keep on coming (see the other reviews below, for they have it covered.)

This isn't only great cars, it has a neat plot, and one which I could, as a feminist, relate too and join in on the laughter.

As a small victory for the women, if you notice, they nearly carried the day -- but alas, the boys win -- but that's okey because this movie is a winner.

To Internal Combustion and Wind in the Face!
By far the best "car" flick made. Nowhere else canyou hear the unbridled song of a 427 Ford Cobra and a 12-cylenderFerrari boxer engine without the choking restrictions of modern day emission controls. The open road calls and a great adventure is afoot with some classic charactors who may or may not have anything to do with Hollywood. The cameo appearance of Linda Vaughn at the end of the film is worth the price of admission. Now that I've had the video for so many years, I love to just let it run to fill the room with the great sounds of performance engines while I work on other things - heck, I know the script by heart. I recommend this film to anyone whose looking for a well done, just plain fun movie with no political agenda or moral message to get in the way. END

Forget "Cannonball Run" -- this was first and best
Of the "let's break the law and have some fun while we do it" genre, this is one of the best. The writing, the acting and the production was witty, funny, and still holds up nearly 30 years later.

So where, oh where, oh WHERE, is the DVD? Another reviewer said it for all of us when he quoted Raul Julia's character-defining line from the early part of the film: "What is behind me...is not important." And so it goes with VHS...over, behind us, end of story...Bring ON the DVD!

Customers are standing by...

When is this coming out on DVD
The best road race movie ever. Much better than The Cannonball Run. When is this coming out on DVD. It's a classic.

Where's the DVD? My VHS is wearing out!
This is my favourite film of all time - no contest! I've watched it more times than I can remember as it is funny, action packed and with excellent characters. I must have been about 12 years old when I first watched it (I remember missing the very beginning because I had to go to the toilet and my mum told me what had happened and she said 'some man has just jumped into a swimming pool shouting "Gumball!"'). I am now 36 years old and there was so much that as a young kid I didn't appreciate that I now do and so the film just keeps getting better. An absolute classic... ... Read more

Reviews (16)

James Cameron's first movie...Like who cares?
If I can be just a bit skeptical here for a moment, I have never thought much of Jim Cameron as both a writer and director. I find all his movies to be weakly written, somewhat mis directed, and often relying on some pretty second rate production values to tell a story. This movie was his first effort, and it's not much to talk about. It's a Roger Corman movie, so the budget was low. The effects are rather plainly put into the movie and they look fake. When the people get chopped by the pirana, it takes forever for them to either die or someone pulls them out of the water at the last moment. I think all his movies have been like that. He took it from the business as he learned from Corman films and just appiled them to movies that had bigger budgets, but the script writing was not better and the charecters were just words on paper. You see this in the Terminator movies, the Titanic, and True Lies, and The Abysess. Aliens only worked because it was a world that had been established by film makers working at Pinewood Studios in England. People who know how to make movies, a craft that Cameron has never had.

Flying killer fish? Hey, why not?
"The greatest film about flying Piranha ever made". Well, Jim Cameron definetly called it right on this one. About as "guilty" as guilty pleasures get, this stubborn but very watchable "mother nature run amok" B-movie will probably best be known as the directorial debut of James Cameron who would later go on to make a couple of small unknown indie films called Terminator 2 and Titanic.

This name-only sequel to the Roger Corman cult classic has a rather silly premise involving a strand of mutated killer piranha with the ability to fly who are terrorizing an island resort. Of course, the resort's driving instructor (Tricia O'Neil) wants to close down the water activities but her boss isn't having it. Her estranged husband, the island's law enforcement (a young Lance Henriksen) is skeptical at first but when dead bodies keep piling up, he starts thinking otherwise.

"Piranha II" is no Jaws in any way but it gets the job done as far as "late night creature features" are concerned. The special effects leave a lot to be desired as we get to see actors battle with fish on a string but it's all in good fun. The DVD has no added special features and is only available in its full-frame format.

Appalling
Really bad. Piranhas cross with flying fish so now they fly onto the beach to eat people? Who thought this thing up? I never thought much of James Cameron as a director (The Abyss? Titanic??) and this just sealed my opinion. This movie would be prime fodder for MST 3K.

They're Back...
At the end of Roger Corman's film Piranha, there is the implication that some of the deadly fish could get to and survive in the ocean.

Well, this is sort of the follow-up to that idea, but in this one the fish can fly! I kid you not. They are also much bigger than their predecessors (probably to make it easier for the cast to interact with the wind-up props).

Lacking from this film is the original's complex plot. No secret military lab. No secret investments. No summer camp with the hero's daughter. None of it. It does have star power however. Lance Henricksen stars (and does a reasonable job) and James Cameron directs.

I have to say that the original is better and has more tension. The addition of flying just went too far and pulled the plug on this one. People are scared of sharks. They are scared of piranha. They are real. Giant flying piranha are not and therefore can not build the same scare factor.

Still, B-Film and creature film fans will want to watch this one.

thank god this is finally on dvd!
the legendary JAWS was speilberg's 2nd effort, & in his footsteps is cameron's masterpiece softmore work. starring lance henriksen(aka bishop of aliens) in his best role. brilliant screenplay, grossly under-rated acting & full of unpredictable twists & turns--this film is better than terminator, aliens, jaws, & the godfather pt2 combined. buy this dvd! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

do you shock easily?
The first time I viewed this movie, frankly I was sickened. It is not a pretty picture. There is not one person protrayed that I would actually like to meet. However it haunted me, I couldn't forget it. I tried to tell myself it was silly, dated, couldn't decide if it was a comedy or just a mix of whatever. I ended up watching it again, and the second veiwing was very different. I found that I saw a definate "courage" in the acting and directing of Bud Cort. This is a man that is not afraid to put himself out there, in the worse possible light i.e. a mentally unstable stalker. There is one scene where he is running away from the court ordered mental hospital, running down a hill, if you look closely, you will see the attention to detail that Bud Cort used. Ted's fly is open. There is scene after scene of this detail and attention to charater in this film. I began to look differently at all the people protrayed, since this was a true story and set in the time period that the film was made. Some people are not pretty, and are unstable, but have depth and talent, while others are pretty and shallow, or self-centered, or angry, or stoned and living by whole different set of rules. The poetry and language are skocking even by todays standards, and powerful. The whole movie shows the contradictions in people,and in life. And while Ted is clearly wrong..he was clearly wronged also. And his "Venus", bless her clueless little heart was in all honesty more fearful of the passion, and repulision of that same passion that Ted brought out in her than she was ever fearful of Ted personally. Bud Cort doesn't let either of his stars off easily in this film,(He plays Ted) they both are flawed, and in major denial, Ted's flaws are just not socially exceptable. The final scene is heart wrenching, and horrible to watch. The whole of the film is a vision in horror. Bud Cort makes his points here beautifully with one of the ugliest movies I have ever seen. I would personally watch anything with Bud Corts name on it now. I have ended up watching Ted and Venus several times, and each time I find something new. not for everyone!

Little man, what now?
I don't know how or why anyone ever gave washed up cult star wonderboy Bud Cort the opportunity to Write, Star In , AND Direct an entire film! The life and career of Mr. Cort has always been a somewhat morbid fascination of mine (we've all heard the analogy of the train wreck... so horrible, yet strangely intriguing, and I just can't look away). Plot is extremely weak. No meaningful character development in any fashion. Ted (Cort) was mentally devoid, greasy, and creepy as hell... In the movie, too! His object of desire was a pretty girl (the basic object of anyone's desire physically), however she was immature, very unintelligent, and was dating a totally gross, ugly guy whom I refer to as (the human foot), for reasons that will be obvious if you are ever so unfortunate as to be forced to sit through the whole thing. The number of cameos is disgusting.( a sort of charity work for people who co-starred in faerie tale theatre productions with bud, and an attempt to reunite the cast of Cheers). If a kind word were to be forced out of me regarding this movie, I guess I'd have to say it was the gratuitous nudity. It ordinarily brings down a movie's integrity, but in the case of "TED AND VENUS" it actually added at least 30 seconds of base-level entertainment. Vomit. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Baxter Is Breathtaking
Meredith Baxter is nothing short of stunning in her gripping portrayal of Betty Broderick. She dazzles the viewer with her on-the-money replication of the rage, madness and vindictiveness with a capital V displayed by the real Betty Broderick. I felt no sympathy whatsoever for Betty Broderick even knowing her husband had an affair. Many of us have had husbands stray and we experienced divorce while still guarding our precious childrens welfare as the priority, not using them as pawns as Betty Broderick did.
I hope they never release this woman from prison. There is no justification for the hell she put everyone through, let alone the calculated, premeditated double murder she committed.
I'm not surprised Dan Broderick strayed from his loveless marriage to this narcissistic, extravagantly spoiled, vicious woman. I only wonder........what took him so long!

Nail-Biting Drama/Thiller
The fact that this movie was a true story makes it more thrilling than fictional dramas and thrillers. Betty Broderick (Meredith Baxter) had the perfect life. A wonderful family, a successful buisnessman husband, a humorous personality, and many friends. But she is pushed over the edge when her selfish husband divorced her for a much younger woman. Betty's enjoyable personality suddenly turns into a borderline personality as she repeatedly tries to get back at him in destructive ways. But this only results in restraining orders, charges, and Betty losing custody of her kids. But this dosen't stop Betty from terrorizing him and his new wife. Her extreme anger and jealousy turns violent as she watches her once perfect life being taken by another woman. It has a very progressive plot and shocking ending.

Till Murder Do Us Part.
I thought Meredith Baxter's acting in this true-life story film was exceptional ! Baxter had to take on all of Betty's moods and her behavioral changes and then display them realistically . I certainly do not agree with the murderous actions Betty took and she diffinately developed a stalker/O.C.D. mentality just for revenge . The whole story was sad . The children were left without a father and basically without a mother because of her unbalanced reaction. I would have given Meredith Baxter an Emmy for this one ... It was a very good drama .M.A.Fiske. pfiske1@bellsouth.net

Betty Broderick- A Woman for Our Times
Perhaps this will FINALLY teach men that women are not merely ornaments, chefs, maids and caregivers and to treat us with the respect that we are due! Liar, liar, pants on fire! Go Betty!

Cheesey Divorce Story
This movie was pretty good. It seems to have been based on A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story--which is a television network edition. This is a condensed story mostly based on the lives of the Brodericks leading up to the divorce and murder. I wished it was the full-length story since an hour and a half wasn't long enough for me. Stephen Collins and Meredith Baxter did a wonderful job of playing Dan and Betty Broderick as well as numerous actors and actresses that have now gone on to bigger and better roles. Well worth the money. Especially if you are a true crime fanatic. ... Read more

Amazon.com

While the series pilot Babylon 5: The Gathering establishes the characters and introduces the conflicts that will become central to the series, it also draws upon a rich history that is continually alluded to but never fully explained. Babylon 5: In the Beginning, produced in the hiatus between the fourth and fifth seasons of the series, packs all that history--and more--into a prequel stuffed to the hatches with the epic doings of Earth, Minbar, Narn, and Centauri in the days before the Babylon stations were built. Told in almost fairy-tale fashion by Londo Molari to a pair of children, the movie explicates the ill-fated first meeting between representatives of Earth and Minbar, the devastating war, the sudden surrender, and the universe-altering secret of Jeffrey Sinclair. It also gives the early histories of characters who will become central to the series, in particular Londo and G'Kar. Ostensibly created to catch recent converts up with the series as it made its transition to a new network, the movie is infused with the epic sweep and storytelling confidence producer-writer Michael J. Straczynski and his cast and crew had developed by the fourth season. It's an elegant, compelling addition to the Babylon 5 universe and a dramatic highlight of the series. As an introduction, though, it gives away the mystery that pervades the shadowy history slowly revealed through the first three seasons--it's actually better seen from the vantage point of the fifth season. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (20)

The official "prequel" to the saga of "Babylon 5"
I just started watching "Babylon 5" from the beginning, which means that I get to watch this 1998 television movie prequel from a different vantage point from those fans who watched the science fiction series from the beginning. Which means that what little I had heard or seen about the series distorted my perceptions a bit since I and did not understand the relative importance of Jeffrey Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) versus John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) during the first couple of seasons of the show. The primary purpose of this prequel is to tell the story of the Earth-Minbari War that took place about a decade before "The Gathering," the two-part "movie" that starts off the series.

"In the Beginning" starts off on Centauri Prime, where outside the royal palace the city is burning. A young boy and girl intrude upon Emperor Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik), who gives the boy an opportunity to issue one order. "Make it good," the old man advises, and the boy does, saying, "Tell me a story!" The Emperor does, going back to the start of the Third Age. This would be the year 2243, when a young Londo arrived at the Earth Dome as liaison to the Centauri delegation. Earth had recently won the Dilgar War and the government of Earth is now expanding its sphere of influence. Earth is having some success in its attempt to make treaties with the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, and now Earth is sending an expedition to make contact with the mysterious Minbari. Londo advises General Lefcourt to send only one ship and to be wary of the Minbari, but, of course, the military of Earth is nothing if not arrogant. Even not knowing the "history" of the series, it was clear that when Londo mumbles something about Earth not waking up the dragon it foreshadows hard times for Earth. Any and all doubts disappear when Lt. Cmdr. John Sheridan (Boxleitner) shows up and calls Captain Jankowski, the leader of the expedition, "a loose canon."

Before the Earth ships reach Mindari space we learn something about the warrior caste of these people and Lenonn, the leader of the Anla'shok (the Rangers). Lenonn is worried about the prophecies of Balen, which indicate that a time of crisis is coming during which the Anla'shok will play an important role. We also hear about the Vorlons for the first time. Then Captain Jankowski shows up and despite having been warned not to make first contact (which begs all sorts of questions about why this particular captain was sent with a fleet on an intelligence gathering mission) gets close enough for the Mindari to engage their senses. This begins a chain of events with tragic consequences, as both Jankowski and the Mindari prove equally adept at having no understanding of cross-cultural communication.

The importance of this exchange is that this little encounter is the spark that ignites the Earth-Mindari war, and the importance of that war is that the forces of Earth are no match for the Mindari. It is ironic to watch "In the Beginning" today, a year after the war with Iraq, because it is hard not to see strong parallels between the one sided wars. The great strength of this story is the idea that there is nothing Earth can do to stop the Mindari from destroying the Earth and ending the human race, a far cry from the superiority of the species that is a constant in the vast majority of science fiction (e.g., the "Star Trek" universe.

The problem is that just as the cause for the war was a bit far fetched (one of the first things you learn in encountering another culture is that symbols do not mean the same thing; e.g., do not hitch hike in central Africa because that gesture is their version of flipping somebody off), so is the end of the war, where a convenient bit of information pretty much pops out of nowhere. Still, on balance, there is a clear sense that in the universe of "Babylon 5" that humanity is occupying one of the lower rungs on the intergalactic totem pole, which is a decidedly different premise from what we are used to in the realm of science fiction series. Those of us who start the "Babylon 5" experience at this point also get to watch those first season episodes knowing all about the "hole" in Commander Sinclair's mind.

Ironically, while "In the Beginning" does a nice job of filling in the back story of the Earth-Mindari war, it also raises a new series of questions with regards to how we get from the end of this prequel to the start of the official "Babylon 5" series. It might be just me but I think the Minbari should be a bit more proactive in their relationship with the humans given the big surprise of this storyline. If it is big enougth to suddenly bring a war to a screeching halt, then it should lead to something more substantial in the diplomatic realm as well.

Not a stand-alone.
You can see it as a pilot to the Babylon 5 series, or as a sidekick during the watch of the entire series, at the least - after the end of season III. Avoid seeing it as a stand-alone. I stress this advise because I had seen it two years after seeing the complete saga, a fact that caused this TV-movie to lose impact. It's a pity, remembering how much I had waited for this to come, watching the series for the first time. At last, when I saw it, everything was 'know this, know that...' like seeing something the was taken out of context, when the content itself is old news.

As to the plot itself, the film deals with the Earth-Minbari war, that its consequences resonated for years afterwards, deep into the series. As you've probably imagined, we're dealing with the main cast of B-5, that are 10 years younger ( an antithesis to the episode "Sleeping in Light", which I reviewed in the past).

Some of the curiosity of the enthusiastic fans is satisfied regarding the past of part of the main cast of 'Babylon 5': Lando, G'kar, Susan Ivanova, Sinclair, and of course John J. Sheridan, as a promising young lieutenant, and the way he got his infamous nickname "StarKiller". The whole setting is advancing toward the dreadful "Battle On The Line", which does not let down in presentation, but due to time limits is shorter than it should have been.

Last word, remember that in order to completely enjoy the whole thing, you'd want to be 'inside', really live the events - and that is best achieved by watching the series - for the first time, or all over again.

A Perfect B5 Fix
This movie is everything a tv movie should be. All our favorite characters appear and answer many questions raised during the series while raising still more that the series later tackles. Beautifully done as always with B5, with realistic characters, gorgeous CGI, and an engrossing plot. Whenever I pine for the series, I can pop this video in the VCR and indulge.

An Extraordinary Look at the Earth-Minbari War
Without a doubt, "Babylon 5: In The Beginning" is a great prequel to the "Babylon 5" saga, replete with great acting, cinematography and special effects. I have yet to see anything on "Star Trek" which remotely comes close to the grandeur and broad canvass of J. Michael Straczynski's epic tale. Although I recommend viewing this film after seeing the first three seasons of "Babylon 5", newcomers to "Babylon 5" will not be left in the dark, watching this drama of miss opportunities, tragic errors, and the unrelenting, brutal war which ensues between the Minbari and humanity. Theodore Bikel is splendid as Lenonn, the leader of the Rangers. Ditto for Raynor Scheine as Dukhat, the Minbari leader of its Grey Council. And so are series regulars Bruce Boxleitner (Sheridan), Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin), Mira Furlan (Delenn), Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar), and of course, Peter Jurasik (Mollari), in their respective roles. And in his few brief moments on screen, Michael O'Hare is quite good as Sinclair, revealing how his character will play a momentuous role in the subsequent history of Babylon 5. I am stunned by how well Straczynski, his actors, and crew, were able to tell the story of the Earth-Minbari war in the short span of 93 minutes. But then again, I shouldn't be surprised; especially this is what I came to expect after watching countless episodes of "Babylon 5". Hopefully Warner Brothers will release a DVD version of this splendid film soon.

Babylon 5's version of the apocalypse!
Babylon 5 is easily one of the best sci-fi series ever made. Unlike Star Trek, where the "good guys" almost invariably win, no matter what the odds (as with the Borg), one of the strengths of B5 is that the humans don't always defeat the odds or find some miraculous "technobabble" way to stop a superior alien race. This B5 film, "In the Beginning" shows the events of the great and bloody Earth/Minbari War, which happened about ten years before the timeline of the "Babylon 5" TV series. The makers of this film have done a great job of showing most of the familiar (and even less-familiar) characters of the B5 universe. Without giving away too much of the plot, the war begins when an arrogant human starship captain opens fire on a warship from a (then) mysterious and little-known alien race called the Minbari. As it turns out, this is a fatal mistake, not only for the starship captain but for the entire human race. The Minbari are centuries ahead of Earth in weapons and technology, and in revenge for what they see as a sneaky, "Pearl Harbor"-style attack they start a war to exterminate humanity. The people of Earth and her colonies fight bravely, and they do manage to slow down the Minbari offensive, but the Minbari are so advanced in terms of technology and firepower that nothing can permanently stop them, and by the end of the film it looks as if the Earth is doomed to total destruction. How the story plays out is wonderfully done, and this film shows the answers to many of the questions and stories which are often discussed on the television series but never shown: How did Captain Sheridan destroy the Minbari's flagship, the "Black Star" (one of Earth's few victories in the war)? How did Commander Ivanova's beloved older brother die in the war? What role did G'Kar, the Narn Ambassador to Earth, and Londo, the Centauri Ambassador to Earth, play in the war? If you're not a fan of Babylon 5 then this movie may well get you hooked, but if you are a fan and you haven't seen this film, then by all means you should buy it, as it's one of the best sci-fi "TV" movies ever put on film. Watch it! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

James Cameron's first movie...Like who cares?
If I can be just a bit skeptical here for a moment, I have never thought much of Jim Cameron as both a writer and director. I find all his movies to be weakly written, somewhat mis directed, and often relying on some pretty second rate production values to tell a story. This movie was his first effort, and it's not much to talk about. It's a Roger Corman movie, so the budget was low. The effects are rather plainly put into the movie and they look fake. When the people get chopped by the pirana, it takes forever for them to either die or someone pulls them out of the water at the last moment. I think all his movies have been like that. He took it from the business as he learned from Corman films and just appiled them to movies that had bigger budgets, but the script writing was not better and the charecters were just words on paper. You see this in the Terminator movies, the Titanic, and True Lies, and The Abysess. Aliens only worked because it was a world that had been established by film makers working at Pinewood Studios in England. People who know how to make movies, a craft that Cameron has never had.

Flying killer fish? Hey, why not?
"The greatest film about flying Piranha ever made". Well, Jim Cameron definetly called it right on this one. About as "guilty" as guilty pleasures get, this stubborn but very watchable "mother nature run amok" B-movie will probably best be known as the directorial debut of James Cameron who would later go on to make a couple of small unknown indie films called Terminator 2 and Titanic.

This name-only sequel to the Roger Corman cult classic has a rather silly premise involving a strand of mutated killer piranha with the ability to fly who are terrorizing an island resort. Of course, the resort's driving instructor (Tricia O'Neil) wants to close down the water activities but her boss isn't having it. Her estranged husband, the island's law enforcement (a young Lance Henriksen) is skeptical at first but when dead bodies keep piling up, he starts thinking otherwise.

"Piranha II" is no Jaws in any way but it gets the job done as far as "late night creature features" are concerned. The special effects leave a lot to be desired as we get to see actors battle with fish on a string but it's all in good fun. The DVD has no added special features and is only available in its full-frame format.

Appalling
Really bad. Piranhas cross with flying fish so now they fly onto the beach to eat people? Who thought this thing up? I never thought much of James Cameron as a director (The Abyss? Titanic??) and this just sealed my opinion. This movie would be prime fodder for MST 3K.

They're Back...
At the end of Roger Corman's film Piranha, there is the implication that some of the deadly fish could get to and survive in the ocean.

Well, this is sort of the follow-up to that idea, but in this one the fish can fly! I kid you not. They are also much bigger than their predecessors (probably to make it easier for the cast to interact with the wind-up props).

Lacking from this film is the original's complex plot. No secret military lab. No secret investments. No summer camp with the hero's daughter. None of it. It does have star power however. Lance Henricksen stars (and does a reasonable job) and James Cameron directs.

I have to say that the original is better and has more tension. The addition of flying just went too far and pulled the plug on this one. People are scared of sharks. They are scared of piranha. They are real. Giant flying piranha are not and therefore can not build the same scare factor.

Still, B-Film and creature film fans will want to watch this one.

thank god this is finally on dvd!
the legendary JAWS was speilberg's 2nd effort, & in his footsteps is cameron's masterpiece softmore work. starring lance henriksen(aka bishop of aliens) in his best role. brilliant screenplay, grossly under-rated acting & full of unpredictable twists & turns--this film is better than terminator, aliens, jaws, & the godfather pt2 combined. buy this dvd! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

James Cameron's first movie...Like who cares?
If I can be just a bit skeptical here for a moment, I have never thought much of Jim Cameron as both a writer and director. I find all his movies to be weakly written, somewhat mis directed, and often relying on some pretty second rate production values to tell a story. This movie was his first effort, and it's not much to talk about. It's a Roger Corman movie, so the budget was low. The effects are rather plainly put into the movie and they look fake. When the people get chopped by the pirana, it takes forever for them to either die or someone pulls them out of the water at the last moment. I think all his movies have been like that. He took it from the business as he learned from Corman films and just appiled them to movies that had bigger budgets, but the script writing was not better and the charecters were just words on paper. You see this in the Terminator movies, the Titanic, and True Lies, and The Abysess. Aliens only worked because it was a world that had been established by film makers working at Pinewood Studios in England. People who know how to make movies, a craft that Cameron has never had.

Flying killer fish? Hey, why not?
"The greatest film about flying Piranha ever made". Well, Jim Cameron definetly called it right on this one. About as "guilty" as guilty pleasures get, this stubborn but very watchable "mother nature run amok" B-movie will probably best be known as the directorial debut of James Cameron who would later go on to make a couple of small unknown indie films called Terminator 2 and Titanic.

This name-only sequel to the Roger Corman cult classic has a rather silly premise involving a strand of mutated killer piranha with the ability to fly who are terrorizing an island resort. Of course, the resort's driving instructor (Tricia O'Neil) wants to close down the water activities but her boss isn't having it. Her estranged husband, the island's law enforcement (a young Lance Henriksen) is skeptical at first but when dead bodies keep piling up, he starts thinking otherwise.

"Piranha II" is no Jaws in any way but it gets the job done as far as "late night creature features" are concerned. The special effects leave a lot to be desired as we get to see actors battle with fish on a string but it's all in good fun. The DVD has no added special features and is only available in its full-frame format.

Appalling
Really bad. Piranhas cross with flying fish so now they fly onto the beach to eat people? Who thought this thing up? I never thought much of James Cameron as a director (The Abyss? Titanic??) and this just sealed my opinion. This movie would be prime fodder for MST 3K.

They're Back...
At the end of Roger Corman's film Piranha, there is the implication that some of the deadly fish could get to and survive in the ocean.

Well, this is sort of the follow-up to that idea, but in this one the fish can fly! I kid you not. They are also much bigger than their predecessors (probably to make it easier for the cast to interact with the wind-up props).

Lacking from this film is the original's complex plot. No secret military lab. No secret investments. No summer camp with the hero's daughter. None of it. It does have star power however. Lance Henricksen stars (and does a reasonable job) and James Cameron directs.

I have to say that the original is better and has more tension. The addition of flying just went too far and pulled the plug on this one. People are scared of sharks. They are scared of piranha. They are real. Giant flying piranha are not and therefore can not build the same scare factor.

Still, B-Film and creature film fans will want to watch this one.

thank god this is finally on dvd!
the legendary JAWS was speilberg's 2nd effort, & in his footsteps is cameron's masterpiece softmore work. starring lance henriksen(aka bishop of aliens) in his best role. brilliant screenplay, grossly under-rated acting & full of unpredictable twists & turns--this film is better than terminator, aliens, jaws, & the godfather pt2 combined. buy this dvd! ... Read more