PROLOGUE: For the record, I somehow managed to have not seen Jaws (1975) in my 21 years of life until yesterday, and let me say, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. It was well- written, well-paced, and masterfully directed, somewhat sketchy in parts, but left open enough to remain believable. I was thoroughly engrossed in the movie from start to finish, and after viewing, could see how three sequels could stem from the lurking thriller, especially with Steven Spielberg in the chair. All I really knew about the movies was that the first was awesome, the 2nd was okay, the 3rd was lacking, and the 4th sucked. So from that, I'd somehow assumed that Steven did the first two and not the last two, and stupid me, I didn't check the listing before I watched the 2nd, so I went into it thinking that Steven could've made it reach newer heights with a better animatronic shark, better attack sequences, and a little more explanation. But I only proved that what they say about assumptions is right
Now, you'd like to think that if you make a movie about a killer shark, no matter how lacking the plot is, no matter how inexperienced the director, it would encompass *some* modicum of suspense ..you'd like to think.
So we're back in Amity, four years later I believe, and yet another monstrous Great White shark has appeared, eating people .except this time, instead of a shark, it's a giant gray piece of rubber popping up and opening and closing its mouth. I mean, seriously, if you can't fork out the cash for a better animatronic shark, then why bother? The shark is so blatantly fake, you never even view the people as being in danger. And what's worse, they show the shark a lot more this time around, which gives you plenty of opportunities for good, long looks at the over-sized piece of rubber.
And unlike the shark in the first which really seemed to possess some intelligence, this one seems to get his kicks by simply stalking people and biting boats. It actually kills like what two people? And when it finally did, there was no blood! Was this the director's vain attempt to keep the movie at a PG rating? Umm, newsflash Szwarc Spielberg had believable attacks with blood and still maintained a PG rating.
And silly me, I actually thought there might be some attempt at an explanation for how and why the shark exists and why another equally large one has come to the shores of the same small town four years later What was I thinking??
And to further aggravate matters, the mayor and townspeople are actually dumber in this one as they were in the first, refusing to believe Sheriff Brody (Roy Scheider) when he proclaims there's another killer shark in their midst, despite the fact that this actually did happen four years prior. But I guess we can chalk that one up to short-term memory loss. Oh wait that would be LONG-term memory loss so much for that theory.
The plot in general is very unstructured and choppy, following no clear direction. It's just a series of poorly put-together 'shark stalkings' as I'll call them, in the last half with the kids on their sailboats, always allowing them ample time to swim back to their boats so it can once again scare the girls into screaming for their lives before it once again brushes past the boat, knocking someone else into the water, and swimming around till they get almost back in the boat and then coming after them and just barely missing. Give me a break! By the end, I was so frustrated, I just wanted it to get *somebody*, even if it *was* Brody's son!!
In my opinion, there was no reason to make this movie this is exactly what Jaws (1975) would've been like with a different director (other than Spielberg).
VERDICT: Jaws reincarnate, minus the suspense, the intelligence, and the masterful direction nothing more than a cheap remake of the first. See the first and quit while you're ahead.
3.5 out of 10.0
P.S. I would like to take this time to applaud Steven Spielberg for saying no to money and yes to cinematic integrityhe saw there was no story to be told and turned it down. Kudos to you Steven.
Now, you'd like to think that if you make a movie about a killer shark, no matter how lacking the plot is, no matter how inexperienced the director, it would encompass *some* modicum of suspense ..you'd like to think.
So we're back in Amity, four years later I believe, and yet another monstrous Great White shark has appeared, eating people .except this time, instead of a shark, it's a giant gray piece of rubber popping up and opening and closing its mouth. I mean, seriously, if you can't fork out the cash for a better animatronic shark, then why bother? The shark is so blatantly fake, you never even view the people as being in danger. And what's worse, they show the shark a lot more this time around, which gives you plenty of opportunities for good, long looks at the over-sized piece of rubber.
And unlike the shark in the first which really seemed to possess some intelligence, this one seems to get his kicks by simply stalking people and biting boats. It actually kills like what two people? And when it finally did, there was no blood! Was this the director's vain attempt to keep the movie at a PG rating? Umm, newsflash Szwarc Spielberg had believable attacks with blood and still maintained a PG rating.
And silly me, I actually thought there might be some attempt at an explanation for how and why the shark exists and why another equally large one has come to the shores of the same small town four years later What was I thinking??
And to further aggravate matters, the mayor and townspeople are actually dumber in this one as they were in the first, refusing to believe Sheriff Brody (Roy Scheider) when he proclaims there's another killer shark in their midst, despite the fact that this actually did happen four years prior. But I guess we can chalk that one up to short-term memory loss. Oh wait that would be LONG-term memory loss so much for that theory.
The plot in general is very unstructured and choppy, following no clear direction. It's just a series of poorly put-together 'shark stalkings' as I'll call them, in the last half with the kids on their sailboats, always allowing them ample time to swim back to their boats so it can once again scare the girls into screaming for their lives before it once again brushes past the boat, knocking someone else into the water, and swimming around till they get almost back in the boat and then coming after them and just barely missing. Give me a break! By the end, I was so frustrated, I just wanted it to get *somebody*, even if it *was* Brody's son!!
In my opinion, there was no reason to make this movie this is exactly what Jaws (1975) would've been like with a different director (other than Spielberg).
VERDICT: Jaws reincarnate, minus the suspense, the intelligence, and the masterful direction nothing more than a cheap remake of the first. See the first and quit while you're ahead.
3.5 out of 10.0
P.S. I would like to take this time to applaud Steven Spielberg for saying no to money and yes to cinematic integrityhe saw there was no story to be told and turned it down. Kudos to you Steven.