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Summary: Big Fish, Little Boat...
Review: JAWS was not just another summer release in 1975. It was a phenomenon! I remember the absolute mania surrounding this Spielberg classic. People were suddenly terrified to swim in the ocean or even in lakes. You couldn't go anywhere without getting into a conversation about this movie. I saw it at the theater and was mesmerized. Here was Moby Dick for the modern age. A monster shark, intent on feasting on the inhabitants of tiny Amity island has begun snacking on swimmers. A local sherrif named Brody (Roy Scheider) slowly realizes that it's a much bigger problem than just a few random shark attacks. Enter Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) the marine expert, who first shows the seriousness of what they are dealing with. Meanwhile, the mayor has decided that there's nothing to worry about. He's more concerned with the thousands of tourists who will be arriving at the beaches for Labor Day weekend, and the money they will spend. Several deaths later, a local fisherman named Quint (Robert Shaw) offers to hunt down and kill the beast for a price. This brings Brody, Hooper, and Quint together for the greatest water adventure filmed to that point. It's man vs. Great white in a struggle for survival and supremacy. Not to mention the battle of wills between our three unlikely heroes. JAWS is a genuine masterpiece of suspense and horror. Please, steer clear of the godawful sequels, as they stinketh like so much chum...
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Summary: THE BEST SHARK MOVIE EVER!
Review: I like to say "Jaws" is a personal film to me. As a kid I rented this film so many times I suddenly realized i could haved bought it. But now I do. "Jaws" is a classic movie. Packed with sheer terror, suspense, and the best score films could ever have. Who can forget it? It's 50% percent of the film's success. This blockbuster film adapted from Peter Benchley's novel has a huge killer shark terrorizing a New England summer resort. We know that. The people who are trying to stop is Chief Brody (Roy schiender, great performance), shark specialist Hooper (Richard dreyfuss, in fine and humerous form) and "crazy" shark hunter (Robert Shaw, I love this actor, he gives the best performance in this film, who can forget his USS Indianapolis speech?)How can I count the many infamous scenes in this film? But first I got to give nod to Steven Speilberg, he's the master of suspense (after Alfred Hitchcock).Back to my favorite scenes. I love the opening scenes with a pretty girl being chewed up by the shark. I also love the ending with Quint(Shaw) also being chewed up. Chief Brody also blowing up the shark is unforgetable. Luckily Spielberg didn't show the shark until half way into this film, it's pretty fake. But I'm not dissing the shark, it's the reason why this film was a blockbuster. In summary, it's one of the greatest movies of all time and should be in everyone's film library. Go "Jaws"!
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Summary: The Terror Classic on DVD
Review: Let's see where to begin. Allright, Jaws was an instant classic. It still scares home viewers today.The Basic Plot:
Chief Brody is in his first Summer in Amity, a small town by the beach. But when a girl gets eaten by a shark in the first few minutes, things start to get a little creepy. The shark keeps on attaking, and the people still go swimming. The mayer wants the beaches open for "summer dollars." Then when his son is in shock from a near death experiance, Brody knows he has to go after the beast. The Good Points: You don't see the shark until the movie is half over which builds up the tension. The Bad Points: The uses of profanity. The DVD's Good Points: The Making of Jaws was so much more interesting than the
Making of Jurassic Park. The trailers show us what we would have seen in a preview when the movie was first out. The DVD's Bad Points: The Production Photographs are very interesting but if you don't skip to move on to the next picture it runs about 45 minutes. Overall: The best in the series. A timeless classic by Steven Speilberg that will never be forgotten.
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Summary: The horror classic returns - better than ever!
Review: In the early seventies, a novel by Peter Benchley about shark attacks was fast becoming a best seller. Because of the book's success, it seemed only natural to turn it into a movie. And who better to direct it than legendary director Steven Spielberg? In 1975, after nearly two years of filming, the film version of the novel hit theaters - only to become the highest-grossing motion picture of all time (that is, until Star Wars beat the record in 1977.) Read on for my review of the horror classic - Jaws. BASIC PLOT:
The plot here is simple enough - shark attacks continue occuring off the coast of a New England resort town, and needless to say, this doesn't help tourism any. After a number of attacks occur, the chief of police (Roy Schieder) decides something needs to be done. He, an expert marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss), and a veteran fisherman (Robert Shaw), set out to put an end to this shark's life once and for all. Basically, the first half of the film involves the shark hunting humans, and the second half involves the threesome hunting the shark. FILM OPINIONS:
Can anyone say "great movie"? I never would have thought a film that is nearly thirty years old could have held together this well. Even to this day, the film remains a favorite of many. Despite a number of hardships, Spielberg succeeded excellently in making Benchley's novel a movie. As other reviewes have stated, there are some differences between the film and the novel (the film lacks the novel's romantic subplot, Hooper survives the attack in the shark cage, Quint is eaten alive rather than dying the "Captain Ahab" death he dies in the book, the shark is blown up rather than dying from its wounds, etc.) Although many shots were shot with a fake shark, just about EVERY scene the film offers is believable. Perhaps the true attraction of this film is John Williams' score. Whenever this guy does the music for the movie, he does the job right (he also did the Star Wars films.) And, of course, his classic "shark theme" from this film became an instant classic. Combine this with some top-notch acting (especially on Shaw's part) and you've got one hell of a movie. DVD:
The guys at Universal really outdid themselves this time. In addition to tons of storyboard and production photographs, we also get production notes, a trivia game, shark facts, a "making of" featurette, hillarious outtakes, and the holy grail of all DVD extras - deleted scenes. One of the deleted scenes hints at the romantic subplot that the final version of the film omitted, and one of them features a battle amongst humans on the water to get the shark - and the reward money. A little message to all the companies out there who transfer films to DVD - THESE ARE THE KIND OF BONUS FEATURES PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE! OVERALL:
I can't stress enough how excellent (and horrifying) this film is. Spielberg succeeded beautifully with this film - and it certainly serves as a premonition to his future successes. Regardless of who you are, Jaws is a film you need to see at least once. If you're not afraid of the water, this is the film that's likely to change your mind!
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Summary: Scared me then, scares me now
Review: I was literally afraid a shark would come out of the bath drain for YEARS. Yes, stupid, I know... but I was young whenthis flick debuted. It still scares me, man. A good movie. Just flawless and well done. NO ifs and ands or buts.
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Summary: One of the Best!!
Review: What can I say about "Jaws" except that it's a classic!! It was such a huge success that it spawned three sequels and load of cheesy knock-offs. Not only that but it actually scared people right out of the water! The story concerns the small resort town of Amity. All is well there until one night a monstrous Great White Shark shows and begins snacking on the swimmers. After three gruesome deaths, Amity's Sheriff Martin Brody and a visiting marine biologist, Matt Hooper, team up with a crusty old fisherman named Quint to hunt down the beast and save Amity. One of things that makes "Jaws" such a great film is the excellent direction it got from Steven Spielberg. He kept the pace of the film at a very high clip but more importantly, created a very high level of suspense (aided a lot by the shark POV shots, and the ever-famous "Jaws" theme). When I first saw "Jaws", the suspense almost had me by the throat at times! And the scenes when the shark attacked people? Well they were shocking and scary. The acting was great and each of the main characters were quite well drawn out, which is impressive considering a story like the one here isn't the most human-centered. Roy Scheider fit the character of Sheriff Brody perfectly while Richard Dreyfuss (as the biologist Matt Hooper) and Robert Shaw (playing the grizzled old Quint) were in top form in their roles. One of the best human elements of the movie is seeing the tension that goes on between Hooper and Quint. Hooper thinks he's the know-it-all on their quest because he's got all the head knowledge about the beast and Quint thinks he's the authority because of his experience on the sea. I'm sure if it weren't for the good human story, "Jaws" would have been less successful. There are some complaints about "Jaws", mostly the shark which many people say looks too fake. But can you honestly expect to see a realistic looking shark in a film that is almost thirty years old? Besides, the shark doesn't look that bad. The finale was somewhat unbelievable (how can you throw an oxygen cylinder into shark's mouth without the beast either biting into it and killing himself or just spiting it out?) but by this point in the movie it hardly mattered. If you haven't seen "Jaws" then do so when you can. Believe me, you won't be disappointed. But just be warned-you might think twice about going back into the water after this one!
Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: A classic thriller/suspense/horror movie that kept many out of the beaches for some time. Expertly directed, acted, and paced, this movie won't soon leave your memory. Very highly recommended.
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Summary: Nature's perfect killing machine brought to cinematic life
Review: Jaws is not only the first blockbuster to gross over one hundred million dollars, a visceral thriller that showcases the art and craft of moviemaking at its finest, and a film that probably made millions of families rethink their summer vacation plans over the past quarter of a century plus, it is a cultural phenomenon that has become a permanent part of pop culture. John Williams' theme to Jaws is immediately recognizable on both an intellectual and emotional level, whether you've seen the movie or not. Major and minor problems alike are still met with the words, "You're [or we're] going to need a bigger boat." This twenty-fifth anniversary DVD release only furthers and adds to the legend, tossing extra features into the waters of our consciousness like so much delectable chum, and we are drawn to this aromatic feast of bloody entertainment the same way the star of this movie (which isn't Dreyfus, Scheider, or Shaw) is drawn to the smell of blood and the necessity of constant feeding as it slips through the oceans of our planet and, thanks to Peter Benchley, Stephen Spielberg, and others, the oceans of our very thoughts and fears. This movie works on so many levels. First, we have Amity police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), a New York City transplantee who now polices an island despite his fear of water. When a young lady is killed in the movie's memorable opening scene, pretty obviously by a shark, he allows himself to be dissuaded from closing the beaches by a slimy mayor who cares more for the holiday tourist season than the lives of the men, women, and children vacationing there. When a boy is killed soon thereafter in front of basically everyone, Brody is rightly racked with a guilt that the mayor still doesn't understand. A bounty on the shark brings all kinds of crazy people to the harbor, fighting each other in piddling little boats in a race to catch the killer. It also brings shark expert Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and self-proclaimed shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) to town. A shark is captured, but it soon becomes clear that this tiger shark is not the rogue killer terrorizing the island; Brody's son is in fact lucky to survive the ultimate proof of this fact. Eventually, Hooper and Brody go out on the Orca with the eccentric, roguish Quint determined to find and kill the great white shark whom we finally get a close-up view of well over halfway through the movie. This first real look at the mammoth twenty-six footer is brilliantly shot; having been conditioned to expect the shark only after Williams' incredible theme song begins, Jaws decides to make his first close-up a memorable surprise to the audience and, most especially, Brody. The hunters soon become the hunted, leading to an increasingly suspenseful, riveting conclusion. Many would view the shark as a monster, but if there is a monster in this film it is the mayor and local businessmen who sacrifice lives in the name of money. The shark is just doing what he does naturally, feeding, and I cannot do anything but respect this remarkable creature. The shark is nature's perfect killing machine, perhaps the most magnificent and certainly the most efficient animal on this planet. This particular shark is as smart as he is huge, making him the most formidable of opponents for the Ahab-like Quint. Certainly, such a rogue killer has to be either starved out or killed in the interest of human life, but I mourn the eventual defeat of this magnificent animal. This film was released in 1975, and the great white shark does not look terribly real today, but this takes nothing away from its magnificence and visceral impact on the viewer. Spielberg shows his genius early on in his directing career by holding back our first look at the shark for so long; the early deaths are quite memorable and pack quite a punch as it is, with levels of blood and panic that make this a film that probably haunted the dreams of many younger viewers and a fair share of adults for many a night. The final leg of the film is particularly extreme, making me wonder how this film got a PG rating. One of the most compelling scenes of the film, however, does not involve the shark at all; Quint's absorbing account of his experience after the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis stands as one of the most emotionally enthralling scenes ever filmed. The anniversary DVD edition of Jaws is simply loaded with extras, featuring 75 minutes of bonus footage, including several deleted scenes and outtakes. The main attraction, though, is the feature Spotlight on Location: The Making of Jaws, which delivers incredible insight on the making of the film. After watching these interviews with important cast and crew members and behind-the-scenes looks at the grueling, exceedingly challenging making of the film, this viewer's respect for the cinematic wonder that was created here grew by leaps and bounds.
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Summary: Jaws DAH ...!!!...
Review: Jaws,Jaws 2 and Jaws 3 are good . Jaws The Revenge is a BAD FILM!!!...I love the cast in this movie,like the plot,loooooooooove the music same with Jaws 2.I reccomend Jaws,Jaws 3 and Jaws 2. AAAAAnd Jaws The Revenge the worst movie E...V...E...R... IF YOU DARE!!!...
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Summary: The Sea, a Shark, Death
Review: Simplicity. That's what makes this Steven Spielberg's best movie. Just four years earlier, he had made his mark with the TV movie, Duel, which consists of automobile driver Dennis Weaver being terrorized by the unseen driver of a diesel truck. For over half of Jaws, the viewer similarly does not see "Bruce, the shark." But he gets to see increasing evidence of the works of Bruce's ... jaws. "It's a short season." That's what my old man, a retired contractor, always says of summer in the tourist trap Martha's Vineyard, where he has lived for over forty years (and where I used to spend my summers). Jaws was filmed on the Vineyard (specifically, the cheesier, nouveau riche, Edgartown end), which is called "Amity" in the movie. Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb's script, adapting Benchley's novel, perfectly uses the attitude my father expressed: When a series of early season swimmers disappear, the town worthies (led by its mayor, played by Murray Hamilton) fear a business disaster. For business' sake, rather than the public safety, a price is put on the shark's head. Sounds like the Vineyard to me. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw play the odd trio that seeks to kill the shark: The local police chief, a university shark expert, and a veteran fisherman. What juices the story, is that the shark has something else in mind. John Williams' visceral, Oscar-winning score is the sound of the hunt, the sound of fear. Bill Butler's cinematography is so unobtrusive, as is Verna Fields and Spielberg's editing, that you're unaware of them -- at least for the first few viewings. You lose yourself in the story. (Fields won an Oscar for her work; Spielberg did not credit himself, and thus went unrewarded.) The acting, particularly by Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss, is similarly naturalistic. The most understated performance is by Roy Scheider, who is perfect as Police Chief Martin Brody, an uprooted New Yorker whose facade of restraint belies a nervous nature. But it is the late Robert Shaw who steals the show as Mr. Quint, an Ahab-like fisherman whose obsession with sharks goes back to his experience as a seaman on -- and "off" -- the USS Indianapolis at the end of The War. Shaw's soliloquy -- which he co-wrote with screenwriter John Milius (Patton) and playwright Howard Sackler (The Great White Hope) -- on the fate of the Indianapolis' crew is spellbinding. (In addition to being one of the most powerful character actors of his day, Robert Shaw was a novelist, screenwriter, and the author of the acclaimed play, The Man in the Glass Booth.) As good as some of Spielberg's recent work -- most notably Saving Private Ryan -- has been, none is as good as Jaws, because he now strives for "importance," "significance," and "symbolism," and for satisfying various constituencies (think Schindler's List), rather than for telling a great yarn. Let us hope that he can someday recapture his early simplicity, and wed it to the technical savvy he's since learned.
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