Movie Review: Jaws

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Acting, most of the effects, some scenes build tension well

Cons: Overall, tension and pacing are uneven

The Bottom Line:

A very big shark

In famous monster movie

Uneven tension

“If You’re Looking for a Shark, You’re Not Going to Find Him on the Land.”

I remember hearing about Jaws from a young age.  It’s a movie that people talk about all the time for its place in cinema history.  I remember getting a chance to watch it on TV not too long after I got out of college and being excited to finally watch it only to be disappointed.  But with all the talk about the movie’s 50th Anniversary, I decided to give it another chance.  I still wasn’t super impressed.

For those who don’t know, the movie takes us to the island of Amity.  The local community thrives on summer tourists, so the upcoming 4th of July weekend is very important.  When the new sherif, Brody (Roy Scheider), thinks there’s a man-eating shark in the waters around the island, the news isn’t welcome.  The mayor (Murray Hamilton) is insisting that everything is going to keep going as normal.  The only way that Brody appears able to end things is to go out in a boat with shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) and a scientist who studies sharks, Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss).  Will they be able to kill the shark?

This is Stephen Spielberg’s second movie as director.  Rather crazy to think about, isn’t it?  Even though I don’t find this one of his best films, it is easy to see why he became the beloved and celebrated director he is today.

I think most of my issues with the film are due to its age.  Movies from 50 years ago are just different than they are now.  For better or worse.  In this case, some of the scenes that people praise, the scenes that give us character development, are some of the scenes that bother me.  They slow down the pacing.  Not to mention that when we get on the boat for the second half, that still feels too long.  I think there’s also the issue that, for a movie about a menacing shark, we spend so much time on land in the first half where you know everyone is safe.

Much has been made over the years about Bruce, the mechanical shark, and all the issues they had with it during production, changing how some of the scenes were shot, especially the opening.  I realize I’m in the minority here as well, but I think a few more shots of the shark would have helped.

That is one aspect that definitely has aged well.  Yes, a few times we can tell he’s a special effect, but most of the time, I buy him as a real shark when I see him.

Yes, the movie did give me one jump scare (even though I knew it was coming), and the adrenalin does get going a few times, especially at the climax, but it’s not a consistent build up.

As much as the pacing feels off to me, the acting is good.  The actors bring their characters to life wonderfully, and the three leads have such great chemistry, which is important since they have to carry the second half of the film.

This is one of those cases where the movie isn’t bad.  It’s just not good either.

But here’s the crazy thing.  Most people agree the sequels aren’t good at all.  But I’m curious about them, so I’ll probably wind up watching them even though I wasn’t impressed with this movie.

Do remember that there was no PG-13 rating when this movie came out.  I feel like it should be rated that.  While most of the violence is implied, we do get a few shots of the aftermath of the shark attacks.  And the tension does build in certain scenes.

I’m glad I gave Jaws a second chance.  I might not be a fan, but it is nice to have that confirmed.  If you haven’t seen it yet and are curious, I definitely recommend you give it a shot since most people seem to enjoy it.