Piranha 3DD appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1 on this Blu-Ray Disc. This was a generally solid presentation.
Overall sharpness was fine. Underwater shots could be a little soft, but those weren’t a significant issue – and they were almost unavoidable given the setting. Most of the time, the image was concise and accurate. Outside of some fake TV footage at the start – with added “scan lines” – I saw no signs of jaggies or shimmering, and print flaws remained absent.
Like the first film, the hues tended toward either a bit of a bluish or amber tint. These didn’t look great, but that was due to the stylistic/photographic choices, not because of the transfer. The colors were fine for what they attempted. Blacks seemed dense and dark, and shadows showed good delineation. Nothing here dazzled, but this was a more than competent Blu-ray presentation.
I also felt pretty pleased with the generally active DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of 3DD. As expected, the many action scenes offered the highest level of information. The fish swarmed around the room in a convincing manner, and these scenes added punch to the package. The mix showed a good sense of natural environment and created a solid auditory setting.
Sound quality was also positive. Speech seemed distinctive and accurate, without edginess or other concerns. Music was vivid and full, while effects demonstrated nice dimensionality and power. As with the visuals, this ended up as a strong presentation.
When we shift to extras, we launch with an audio commentary from director John Gulager, producer Joel Soisson and co-writer Marcus Dunstan. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story areas, photography and effects, cast and performances, sets and locations, music, effects, and a few other topics.
Though it starts a bit slowly, the commentary picks up steam before long and turns into a pretty peppy chat. The guys keep things moving at a good rate and deliver facts with humor. This becomes a satisfying chat.
Three Deleted Scenes fill a total of two minutes, 34 seconds. All three focus on the comedic “Big Dave” character and mostly give us extensions of existing scenes. None of them add much, so they’re forgettable.
A few short featurettes follow. We find The Story Behind DD (7:49), The Hofftastic World of David Hasselhoff (2:09), Busey’s Bloopers (2:04) and Wet and Wild with David Koechner (1:37). Across these, we hear from Gulager, and actors Danielle Panabaker, David Hasselhoff, Gary Busey, and David Koechner. “Story” gives us some basics about plot, characters, and cast, while the other three offer comedic chats with the actors. None of these add up to much, as they’re all silly and forgettable.
Finally, we get a short film entitled A Lesson with John McEnroe. It goes for three minutes, 53 seconds and shows a match between McEnroe and a spoiled brat named Dexter Johnson (Michael Ratner). Why does this comedy short show up here? Because Ratner – who also wrote/directed “Lesson” – was the creator of the disc’s “making of” piece. “Lesson” offers minor entertainment at best.
The disc opens with ads for Scream 4, The Zombie Diaries 2: World of the Dead, and Piranha 3DD: The Game. No trailer for 3DD appears here.
In addition, we get two extra discs. One provides a standard retail DVD copy of 3DD, while the other offers a Blu-ray 3D version of the film.
If you liked 2010’s Piranha, will you enjoy 2012’s Piranha 3DD? Probably not, as it tones down the original’s gore and nudity. If you disliked Piranha, will the sequel appeal to you? Also probably not, as this one seems too slow and boring to attract an audience. The Blu-ray comes with very good picture and audio as well as a mix of supplements highlighted by a fun commentary. The movie doesn’t work but this is a good release.