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Unlike numerous other lucrative blockbusters of the 1970s (Star Wars, Superman, etc), Steven Spielberg's Jaws did not lend itself particularly well to a sequel. After all, it was about a killer great white shark terrorising a small island community, and the shark was defeated during the picture's explosive climax. With the titular monster dead and the main story arc closed, little room was left for a continuing saga. However, money is money, and with Jaws earning big bucks at the box office (over $400 million worldwide from an estimated $8.5 million budget), the studio ordered a sequel. Shouldering the intimidating weight of its acclaimed predecessor and burdened with high audience expectations, 1978's Jaws 2 could've been a slapdash catastrophe made for a fast buck, but it is instead surprisingly serviceable, suspenseful fun. Rather than simply remaking Jaws, this follow-up plays out like an old-school slasher movie set in the middle of the ocean, with teenagers being hunted by a killer that, in this case, is a man-eating shark.
Jaws 2 takes place a few years after the events of Jaws, and the narrative unfolds in the same calm island community of Amity, where Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) patrols with diligence. After a string of mysterious boating accidents and disappearances, Brody grows suspicious that another great white shark is lurking just offshore. However, Amity's mayor (Murray Hamilton) and city council again refuse to listen, believing that Brody is losing his mind. Unfortunately for the inhabitants of Amity, Brody is correct. The chief persists until he loses his job, but he is promptly compelled into action when he finds out that his two young sons and their friends are stranded in the middle of the ocean, being stalked by the monster white shark.
When placed against Spielberg's original masterpiece, Jaws 2 looks as pale as shark-eaten bodies. For those of you rolling your eyes in wonderment at the remarkable coincidence of another unnaturally huge white pointer swimming to Amity to terrorise the same group of people... Your pain is shared. It's a long shot, and the plot device seems manufactured for the sake of a sequel. But once you suspend your disbelief and accept the film on its own merits (of which there are many), Jaws 2 is a lot of fun. For starters, the main characters are a bunch of teenagers, and though it can be difficult keeping tabs on who's who, you can grow to care about them. The script portrays these teens as resourceful, bright people who react realistically to the situation, and it's for this reason that tension is felt when they are placed in peril. However, at nearly two hours in length, Jaws 2 could've benefitted from some trimming, as there are uneventful stretches that lack both the economy and the zippiness of the original Jaws. Another sorely missed asset is Spielberg's brand of visual panache, as Jaws 2 is more aesthetically dull. Added to this, the filmmakers continually attempt to up the ante, leading to scenes of pure absurdity, such as a moment involving a shark attacking a helicopter and managing to drag it underwater.
As competent as he may be, director Jeannot Szwarc is still no Steven Spielberg. Szwarc and director of photography Michael Butler adopt a similar shooting style to the original Jaws but cannot generate the same brand of unbearable tension. The shark is seen far too often this time, and consequently, it's less terrifying. Like the original Jaws, the mechanical sharks here often look phoney, sometimes distractingly so. In actual fact, the shark effects here are often less convincing than those in the first film. It would be unreasonable to expect perfect shark effects in a '70s production, but it's a tremendous issue that the mechanical sharks have declined in quality rather than improved. That said, Szwarc nevertheless manages to orchestrate a number of chilling, tautly-edited shark attack sequences, and there is a degree of tension here, especially during the film's latter half when the teens are always vulnerable to an attack as they float on a jumbled mass of broken, half-sunk sailboats and catamarans. John Williams's score is terrific, and though it is reminiscent of the first film, some original compositions lend welcome gravitas to the production.
Unfortunately, there's no Richard Dreyfuss or Robert Shaw here, and none of the characters are as interesting as those played by the pair in the original film. What we're left with is an engaging Scheider as Chief Brody, a less interested Hamilton as Mayor Vaughn (who rushed the filming of his scenes so he could be with his cancer-stricken wife, hence the dull performance), Jeffrey Kramer, who reprises his role as Deputy Hendricks with endearing zeal, and Lorraine Gary who's perfectly adequate as Martin's wife, Ellen. The kids also submit convincing enough performances.
Jaws 2, naturally, will never be labelled as a masterpiece like its predecessor, and it's a step down from the landmark first film, but it's better than most of the knock-offs that plagued theatres in the post-Jaws era. Despite its flaws, it should prove worthwhile to those clamouring for a fun Jaws follow-up, especially as there are returning cast members and John Williams was responsible for the score again. It's unfortunate that the Jaws franchise is usually regarded as one good film followed by three abominations to mankind. Although a case can be made against the catastrophic Jaws 3 and Jaws the Revenge, this second film gets too much of an unfair bad rap by association.
6.5/10
