Reviews of Jaws

Jaws review

Posted : 1 week, 4 days ago on 8 December 2009 07:43 (A review of Jaws)

Back in the 1970s, Jaws became the ultimate blockbuster and one of the biggest landmarks of cinema. Jaws changed cinema forever not only for thrillers but also for filmmaking itself. I think that people sort of underestimated Jaws at first until the trailer was released. I don't think I have ever seen a film that is filled with such unbelievable tension. Obviously, the shark looked fake but to be fair that wasn't exactly the main thing people were noticing when watching it. Also, despite people knew that the shark looked fake the audience watching it still felt so tense about it and the fear of not wanting to go deep into the sea grew and still grows more and more as a person watches it. I saw this film for the first time only 2 days before I went to a local beach and I still felt nervous about going into the sea because of it. That is something that I didn't like but loved at the same time because it is a very gripping film like Psycho is as well. Without the music and top-notch filmmaking from Spielberg, there would be no Jaws. This is probably a film that some children would watch to build confidence up of watching older films and also because nowadays there are a lot of children who watch horror films anyway. I think that people treated this film like they treated Star Wars back in the 70s.


Roy Scheiders performance as Chief Officer Martin Brody was really awesome! I really found his acting rather extraordinary. Obviously, he was the leading character within the film but it was more about what happens regarding the shark attacks. The film would obviously be crap without the human characters in it but the fact that it made the audience be more curious and more scared about where, when, how and who the shark is going to attack next. Robert Shaw was amazing as Quint! Quint was chosen to find and kill the shark alongside Brody and Hooper. Quint is like the arrogant character within the film who tries to do things his way but he has to be very careful catching and killing the shark until he gets himself eaten by the shark. Richard Dreyfuss was awesome as well as Matt Hooper. Dreyfuss appearance in this film led to another appearance in a Spielberg picture for Dreyfuss. That film was 2 years after Jaws which was Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.


Jaws is the film that started to make Steven Spielberg a legend for films. I cannot believe how brilliantly he managed to craft a very weak and simple story into a film that is so realistic and goes into great depth to think about and a lot of things to say and talk about. He was only 28-29 years old when he directed Jaws and that is something that not many directors at that age managed to create a landmark. The only other I can only think of is Orson Welles for Citizen Kane. Other Spielberg masterpieces like Schindler's List, E.T., Saving Private Ryan and Indiana Jones are brilliantly crafted but I think that Jaws is the Steven Spielberg film that people really got hyped up about and that first made Spielberg famous. I do prefer E.T., Saving Private Ryan and Raiders Of The Lost Ark more than Jaws but it is still a classic to be remembered!


Overall, Jaws is an absolute classic that has proven itself to be a landmark of cinema and a film that will never be forgotten. Jaws was the first ultimate blockbuster and nobody can take that away from it. Fact: Jaws and Psycho are the two most famous thrillers of all time which makes them my two favourite thrillers of all time. Lastly, thanks a lot, Steven, for making me afraid to go deep into the sea now.

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We are going to need a bigger boat!

Posted : 7 months, 3 weeks ago on 27 April 2009 03:25 (A review of Jaws)

Today Great White Sharks are on the endangered species list. We now know that even the humble toaster in your kitchen is far more dangerous to mankind than these wondrous creatures, which have changed so little since prehistoric times. But in 1975 the world was a different place and for anyone watching this movie the sea quickly became a fearful place with sharks the hidden killer of the deep.

‘Jaws’ tells the story of the Island town of Amity and its cheerful inhabitants, most of which rely heavily on the seasonal tourist trade and are hesitant to acknowledge anything that may tarnish the islands idyllic reputation. When a body is washed ashore, its down to Police Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) to do his duty to serve and protect, even if he does hate the water!

What makes this movie so special is that, just like its victims, you rarely see the killer shark. John Williams' memorable score also makes this film stand out, that ‘da dum, da dum’ gives you goosebumps when you hear it and really enhances the sense of impending terror. The absence of those notes can also lull you into relaxing at precisely the wrong moment, making you jump, a trick repeated by many subsequent horror movies. But this movie isn’t just about a single killer shark or the soundtrack, it’s also about Chief Brody and the men he brings in to hunt down the Great White Shark. Spoilt rich kid and shark expert Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) is the complete opposite of the Old Seadog and Survivor of an infamous shark attack Quint (Robert Shaw), one appreciates sharks, the other prefers them dead! Together the three disparate men bond, in a very masculine way, before finally chasing after and attempting to capture and kill the very smart beast.

Given the high standards of film making and tension, the end of this movie can be a little disappointing, with us seeing far too much of the killer shark and the obviously animatronic head (good for its time). But the pleasure that is the original Jaws movie will stay with you for quite some time.

This is a wonderful movie, just don’t watch it before going into the water!

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The Water's Not Safe.

Posted : 8 months, 1 week ago on 16 April 2009 12:26 (A review of Jaws)

Let's be honest here....
at some point in life,
we're ALL gonna need a bigger boat.

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Freaky

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 20 September 2007 03:41 (A review of Jaws)

I love it - its a perfect movie for its time. I enjoy watching this though it did keep me out of the water for a bit..

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