Jaws Series

Now that summer is upon us, it’s the perfect time to watch the Jaws films…at least the first two. Unfortunately, this is a series where each sequel decreases in quality. Here are my thoughts (potential spoilers ahead):

Jaws (1975)

It remains the best killer shark film after 40 years and the release of countless other killer shark films. Despite the trouble production, it ended up being a commercial and critical success and is often considered to be the first summer blockbuster. It’s flawless and remains Steven Spielberg’s best film to date as well. The basic premise: A killer shark terrorizes the beachfront of Amity Island and a trio of men set out to stop it. It’s s the kind of premise that provides a lot of fun and thrills. The use of John Williams’s suspenseful score and keeping the appearance of the shark to a minimum is what makes the film work. For instance: That opening scene with the girl being pulled underwater by the shark, talk about bone chilling. The three principal actors, Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss are all excellent. Scheider plays the town’s police chief, Chief Brody, who’s the common man type we can all relate to. We sympathize with his struggle to do the right thing and close the beach, only to be told to do the opposite by the Amity Island’s mayor (Murray Hamilton) because it will hurt the “tourism”. Only when Brody’s son narrowly avoids becoming lunch for the shark does the mayor come to his senses. Dreyfuss is great as Hooper, the marine biologist who specializes in the study of sharks. He’s smart, snarky and very convincing in the role. Shaw is the standout as Quint, the deranged but oddly alluring shark hunter. The contrast between him and Hooper is amusing and gives them an interesting relationship character wise. The whole last act with the trio hunting the shark is just perfect. They’re out matched and we’re left at the edge of our seats the entire time wondering if they’re going to succeed. Quint telling the war story about the killer sharks that attacked his unit when they were trapped at sea also sets an eerie and bleak tone for the shark’s final attack. While Brody doesn’t dispose of the shark in the most realistic way possible at the end, it’s still awesome and that one liner is classic!

Jaws II (1978)

Sure Jaws wasn’t in need of a sequel, but this is better than a lot are willing to give it credit for. Is it on the same level as the first? No, but it has the fun factor going for it and also features an intense and awesome climax. Roy Scheider also returns as Chief Brody and doesn’t just phone it in; he gives it his all. They don’t really explain how the shark survived what was a clear death at the end of the first film, but at least it’s made to appear like it’s been through quite a scuffle by giving the shark model scars. It basically does what it does in the first film and kills off various Amity Island folks. Brody is the only one who believes the shark is back and struggles to get the city council to believe him. There’s proper screen time given to develop his son, Mike (Mark Gruner), and we can sympathize with the conflict he faces: He wants to live it up during the summer, but his dad insists that he get a job, which means he will not be able to live it up. Mike defying his father’s words and going out sailing with his friends makes for a believable and high tense finale. The method Brody uses to dispose of the shark once against seems implausible, but it’s just so awesome that you can give it a pass.

Jaws 3-D (1983)

Yep, this is in 3D like the title suggests because was released during the height of the craze in the 80’s. Unfortunately, the 3D hasn’t aged well (or just wasn’t good in the first place) and it looks terrible on the DVD release. That aside, the film is rather lackluster. It’s not horrible, but is lacking none the less. In this sequel, a great white shark gets trapped in a Sea World theme park and Mike Brody (Dennis Quad) must do what he can to stop it. The main problem with the film is that it’s missing the fun factor and tension that the previous two Jaws films had. A shark terrorizing a water theme park like Sea World could’ve made for a fun film, but it just wasn’t executed well. Instead, it’s cheesy and for the most part, dull.

Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

This one has quite the reputation. It’s often considered to be one of the worst sequels of all time. While I think that claim is exaggerated, I can’t say I’m a fan either. It’s still bad and watching it, it’s pretty obvious they had run out of ideas (good ideas, anyway). This time around, a killer shark that’s related to the shark from the first two Jaws films seeks revenge against the Brody family and manages to follow them all the way down to the Bahamas. That’s totally believable, right? Also, Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gray) has a psychic connection with the shark for reasons unknown and unexplained. At the request of her son, Michael (Lance Guest), she comes down to the Bahamas with him and his family where he is conducting some kind of research in the ocean. She also finds a new love interest, Hoagie (Michael Caine), an airplane pilot. Caine’s a great actor and I’ve always been a big fan, but he feels out of place in the film. You just feel like you’re missing Roy Scheider all the more. The worst part of the film is easily the ending where the shark effects are terrible, the shark roars (no joke, it does), and the shark is killed off in a ridiculous manner. It’s for the best that they didn’t make any further sequels after this film feeling forced and devoid of creativity.