1978’s “Piranha” was one of many low budget B-movies that happily rode the massive success of Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws”. Released only one month after “Jaws 2”, the Joe Dante directed and co-edited “Piranha” did well at the box office despite its mixed reception from critics (the legendary Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were notoriously brutal in their critiques). Yet over time the film has grown into a genuine cult classic.

“Piranha” is best described as a horror-black comedy with a small dash of satire thrown in for good measure. Dante directs John Sayles’ script with his tongue firmly in cheek. But it’s not so glaringly obvious as to make this a full-blown spoof. There’s just enough seriousness to add some genuine tension to what is a pretty silly story. Better yet, Dante shows a real love for genre filmmaking and there’s some impressive B-movie craftsmanship in this undeniable yet wildly entertaining “Jaws” knockoff.

The movie begins with two teen hikers sneaking into an old abandoned fish hatchery. After slipping through a fence with a big No Trespassing sign the two geniuses decide to go skinny-dipping in a treated pond. Unfortunately for them this isn’t an abandoned hatchery. It’s actually an unmarked secret test site ran by the U.S. military. And in the pond are schools of ravenous genetically-altered piranha who make a quick lunch out of the dimwitted divers.

Soon after, a scatterbrained skiptracer named Maggie McKeown (Heather Menzies) is sent to locate the missing teens who were last seen near Lost River Lake. Her first stop is at the house of the down-on-his-luck and hard-drinking Paul Grogan (Bradford Dillman) who reluctantly agrees to guide her around the area. While investigating the old hatchery they find evidence that the teens had been there. In a hilarious mishap, they attempt to drain the pond to look for bodies but inadvertently let the piranha loose in the nearby river. Oops.

Maggie and Paul are confronted by a skittery scientist named Dr. Robert Hoak (Kevin McCarthy) who warns them of what they’ve unleashed. He tells them about “Operation Razor-Teeth” (I still laugh every time I say it), a government sanctioned secret program that genetically enhanced the piranha, turning them into ferocious man-eating weapons. And now they’re loose in the river heading downstream towards a children’s summer camp and the bustling Lost River Resort.

As our two protagonists race to warn the potential human fish food of what’s coming, we’re treated to several fun nods, especially to Spielberg’s classic. We also get countless funny lines and some even funnier characters (Paul Bartel’s pompous camp counselor Mr. Dumont instantly comes to mind). Then you have these amusing little Dante touches scattered throughout the movie. Like the crudely animated stop-motion lizard creature that’s hiding in Dr. Hoskins lab. We see it in one scene and then never again. It’s weird, but I love that Dante takes those crazy swings.

But what’s most surprising are the unexpected flashes of humanity that often come at the most unexpected times and from the most unexpected people. Several specific scenes showing the real human depth of emotion have stuck with me. I don’t want to oversell it – “Piranha” is still very much a genre film with a keen awareness of what it is. But you may be surprised at its human pulse.

“Piranha” has its flaws, many of which are related to its minimal budget and resources. But that also highlights another of the film’s strengths – Joe Dante’s ability to do much with little, whether its in his storytelling or the special effects (his brilliantly edited piranha attacks are delightfully fierce and at times bloody terrifying). Ultimately Dante is the star and his personality seeps from ever pore of the movie. From his snarky jabs at the military and political apparatuses to silly flourishes that seem to come from out of the blue, Dante’s fingerprints are everywhere.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS