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Parents' Guide to

Piranha 3D

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Extreme gore, sex, teen drinking in fishy remake.

Movie R 2010 89 minutes
Piranha 3D Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 23 parent reviews

ScarlettO
ScarlettO Adult
July 8, 2012
age 18+

From Seasoned Horror Watcher to Terrified Insomniac

As a frequent gory movie watcher (Saw, Hostel, etc) I figured this would be just another horrifying yet entertaining film. I couldn't have been more wrong. The endless blood and gore is unmatched by any horror movie I've ever seen, and left me lying awake in bed until about 5 am when I decided to write this review. The disgusting killing and disturbing aftermath definitely will not leave your child's mind. I'm definitely up for a good bloody movie, but this is one I'd pay millions to unwatch. The terrible plot and excess of character stupidity only made the movie even harder to enjoy. Don't bother watching it, and by all means don't even mention the movie title to your children.
meydiana.rizki
meydiana.rizki Parent of 16-year-old
December 10, 2020
age 18+

WARNING SPOILERS !!!!!!!!!!

if you're looking for a good movie you wont find it here Yes There is loads of Gore yes there is loads of nudity...however thats about all there is to this steaming pile of crap.. No Story no good script no Character Development whatsoever also has one of the lame-est ending i have ever seen...This movie plays off as a big budget girls gone wild episode with some killer pirhanas thrown in almost as an afterthought...while some of the gore affects were nice and nasty looking..a lot of the Cgi stuff was utter crap..Even the so called 3d wasn't in 3d and it shows just like Clash of the Titans..There is a few good points to the film Elizabeth Shue who did a good job and the Richard Dryfuss Cameo was Clever..however other then that this movie sucks..If they had spent more time working on a good script and giving us Characters that were worth a damn and less time or even no time on nudity and gore the movie would have probably been better...Thank god for the Original being on DVD because i can go and watch that and see what a good film is all about...Again Gore and nudity do not make a movie
See all 23 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In a small town, an underwater tremor frees a school of prehistoric man-eating piranhas just as thousands of partying teens begin arriving for Spring Break on the lake. Sheriff Forester (Elisabeth Shue) heads out with a team of scientists (led by Adam Scott) to figure out what's going on. Meanwhile, her teenage son, Jake (Steven R. McQueen), is supposed to be watching his younger brother and sister. But instead, he's accepted a job working for a porn director (Jerry O'Connell). These characters and others find themselves stuck in the water as the vicious fish begin their relentless attacks. Can the sheriff find a way to stop the fish and save the town?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (23 ):
Kids say (51 ):

Directed by Alexandre Aja PIRANHA 3D has just the right tone of playfulness, even though it's not specifically a parody or a commentary on horror films, as the original Piranha was. It's more reminiscent of fun, B movies like Anaconda and Lake Placid. It has a sunny, summery feel with clear, sharp cinematography, strong visual effects, and fine use of 3D. The cast is an above-average bunch, including Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfuss (a veteran of Jaws, of course) in a strong opening scene.

The movie does veer into some very mature territory, killing the mood with a particularly horrifying post-carnage scene in which wounded, half-devoured teens limp out of the water, bones and blood and hanging flesh on display. It further crosses the line when one cowardly teen tries to escape and runs over several people with his motorboat. And then there are the two small children who get caught up in the fray... But aside from these moments, Piranha 3D is generally out for a good, gruesome time, and it mostly delivers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's extreme violence and gore. How did it affect you? Which parts were funny -- and which were squirm inducing? Why?

  • Was the movie scary? What makes the fish effective horror movie monsters?

  • How is teen drinking portrayed in the movie? What would the real-life consequences be for this kind of behavior?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: August 20, 2010
  • On DVD or streaming: January 11, 2011
  • Cast: Adam Scott , Elisabeth Shue , Jerry O'Connell , Ving Rhames
  • Director: Alexandre Aja
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors
  • Studio: Dimension
  • Genre: Horror
  • Run time: 89 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: sequences of strong bloody horror violence and gore, graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use
  • Last updated: October 2, 2023

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