Review of Jaws 2

I will say this, Jaws 2 is much better than the abomination that is Jaws:The Revenge, but at the same time it lacks the qualities the original did have. The original film is a masterpiece and one of Steven Spielberg's best movies. Not only was it brilliantly directed and wonderfully scored, but it was genuinely atmospheric too. In fact, Jaws was the film that made me afraid to go into the sea.

What let Jaws 2 down pacifically was the narrative and story, too predictable and sedate for my tastes. The dialogue also lacks polish, with some of the more tense moments not quite coming across as believable and the more humorous moments feel forced. The direction is lacking in tension too, which is disappointing considering that was one of the main reasons why the original worked so brilliantly, while the film is not as efficient pacing-wise with one or two scenes feeling rather overlong.

However, the production values are far from cheap, in fact with the crisp enough cinematography and editing and authentic locations it is quite striking. John Williams' score is still as thrilling as ever, another component that made the original so genuinely atmospheric, the shark attacks are well done with enough suspense (though it could have perhaps been a little more) and the shark is adequately menacing. The acting is fairly good, all the characters are likable enough, and the actors seem to be having fun in alternative to looking and sounding bored.

All in all, acceptable while lacking. 6/10 Bethany Cox