Jaws 2
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Movie Reviews of Jaws 2
Movie Review: Jaws 2
Summary: 4 Stars
When two divers disappear off of the coast, the pictures from their underwater camera reveal police chief Martin Brody's greatest fear: another Great White shark has begun prowling the waters around Amity Island! JAWS 2 suffered countless problems in production, which caused for the removal of the original director (John D. Hancock) in place of longtime television director Jeannot Szwarc. The resulting film serves as a continuation of the events that occurred four years earlier, bringing back many familiar faces including Roy Scheider and Lorraine Gary as Martin and Ellen Brody, as well as Murray Hamilton and other returning members of Amity's city council. We are also introduced to the town's teens, whose day sailing adventures set the menu for the new shark. The once stern Chief Brody is reduced to a delusional mess when faced with another summer of blood, let alone the disbelieving council members that want to avoid another public humiliation. Unlike in the original, the shark emerges quite early on in this sequel, which relies on the viciousness of the attacks to earn its scares rather than the implied terror of the first. In doing so, the tension and suspense have both been dramatically reduced. John Williams plays a slight variation on his earlier themes, injecting them with a frenetic energy and creating a sense of immediacy in each strike. Outside of the slower pacing, the major flaw with this first sequel is that it attempts to mirror the structure of the original, but with less interesting characters found in the teenagers and a far less epic finale. Where Szwarc does succeed is in establish a sense of continuity in the similar look and feel of the film, while bringing back much of the same humor and heart in the script. As sequels go, it is a valid followup, but one that lacks bite.
-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies
Movie Review: Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...
Summary: 4 Stars
Another great white shark terrorizes the summer resort of Amity, 4 years after the first film's events. JAWS 2 has a bigger plot, bigger body count and is more action-oriented than the original. I actually prefer this one more than the original classic. I think the perks of this film, like I have mentioned is the fact that it is more action oriented than the original film. As soon as 2 divers get attacked examining the wreck of the "Orca" (Quint's ship), the film goes into high gear. The shark in this one I think does have some sort of outrageous vendetta against Police Chief Brody and the Amity people because he does the most wicked things! I mean, he attacks the divers by where his "older brother" was killed, he kills a water-skier and punches a hole through the boat that was pulling her, trying to capsize it but instead blowing up the boat and the driver to smithereens, he manages to attack several teens sailing, ripping through their boats and eating one of them whole, and also capsizes a harbor patrol helicopter and eating the pilot(!) before being electrocuted and fried to death on an underwater cable by our hero Martin Brody. I wasn't sure that sharks were able to do this but more power to "Bruce II" if he can do that sort of stuff! It's not nearly as bloody but there is a bigger body count. Its a good flick people, as long as you watch it with an open mind and not making comparisons with the first film. Rent it!
Movie Review: Slow To Get Started, But Then Has Some Real Bite
Summary: 4 Stars
No, this wasn't as good as the original (first Jaws), but it wasn't bad, either. In fairness, the audiences knew what to expect in this one and had already been shocked by the killer Great White Shark. Thus, it was no way audiences were going to react to the sequel as they did the first Jaws movie.
It didn't have Steven Spielberg directing, but it did have the same locale with same principal characters on "Amity:" mainly Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), his wife Ellen (Lorraine Gary) and Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) so one didn't feel as if this was a completely new film. There was continuity to it, and we have the same problem (a big shark eating people). The main difference is that it is just a few years after the first horrifying incidents.
This story mainly involves Chief Brody's teenage kids and their friends. Overall, the film moves a little slowly the first hour, but picks up dramatically in the second half. In fact, it turns out quite intense, just like the first film. The main mistake the filmmakers made - which they wouldn't do today, was that it was too slow for too long. That, and the fact that the area residents apparently had a short memory; unrealistically short.
Anyway, the shark looks more realistic.....and if you can hang in there, you'll be rewarded with some good escapist entertainment in the second hour.
Movie Review: Inferior movie than the original, but better score, thanks to John Williams
Summary: 4 Stars
The original Jaws (see: Jaws (30th Anniversary Edition)) is an undisputed cinematic masterpiece. To compare Jaws 2 to that is almost not fair. However, John Williams outdid himself and improved upon his legendary soundtrack album (see: Jaws: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) and score to Jaws (see: Jaws: Anniversary Collector's Edition) with the sequel. The tension and action are -- if is even possible -- increased. Unfortunately, with the mono sound mix in this DVD, you can't truly appreciate the intensity and power of the score, and the soundtrack album is long out-of-print, but still available at Amazon at a price (see: Jaws 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). Well worth the money if you have it, as it is one of my all-time favorite scores, and the movie -- to me -- is almost like a music video to that great score. Hopefully, the first two Jaws movies will see a Blu-ray release with a remastered Dolby Digital soundtrack so that Williams' score can be truly appreciated.Movie Review: An solid Sequel.
Summary: 4 Stars
A few years later, Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) has another problem, when a great white Shark, has come to the oceans of the waters of a small town named Amity. Since it`s attacked on some of the people from the town. Brody has to deal again, once more with the killer shark.Directed by Jeannot Szwarc (Somewhere in Time, Supergirl, Santa Claus:The Movie) and Written by Carl Gottieb and Howard Sackler. This sequel was a success in Theaters but not as Big as in the Original. Orignally Steven Spielberg and Richard Dreyfuss wanted to be back in the Sequel but they were busy with another film projects. This sequel has less gore than the Original but a little more Violent than the Original. DVD`s has an fine anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and the Original 2-channel Mono Soundtrack. I wonder why Universal didn`t remastered the Sound in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD Extras are:A Documentary, Four Deleted Scenes:Including-A Extended Sniking Helicopter scene, a Featurette with now Filmmaker:Keith Gordon, a Featurette with Composer:John Williams, Trailers and more. This a well made respectable Sequel. Panavision. Grade:A-.