Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" (10/10)

[notchreturns]

Jaws
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb
Starring: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gray, Murray Hamilton and Robert Shaw
Rated PG 1975



Living in Florida has many advantages. Hot girls, nice weather, shopping malls and the Miami Dolphins.If you were paying attention you might have noticed I left out the beach.I'll admit it I'm not a big fan.It smells like fish, the people are annoying, the sun melts your skin off, the seaweed is annoying as hell and I'm completely terrifyed of sharks.The big ones, the small ones, the manhunters, the bottomfeeders. I hate them all.I have "Jaws" to thank for this phobia.I reme,ber seeing this one of many Spielberg masterpieces in the days of my youth and every since I have been captivated by it's story, the characters, the music and the that dreaded Great White Shark.Now allow me to indulge you to enter the world of Notch's favorite film.

Martin Brody(Roy Schieder)is the new police chief of Amity, a island resort somewhere of the coast of New England. He has seemingly the perfect life. A nice little house right on the beach, a quiet, summer town to look after and a loving, supportive wife named Helen(Lorraine Gray) and two son's named Sean and Michael. On a summer morning, Brody is called to the beach, where the body of a summer vactioner has floated ashore. The medical examiner teels Brody it very well could have been a shark that did this, but he wouldn't put his money on it. Mayor Larry Vaughn(Murray Hamilton), who is desperated to rake in the bucks over the fourth of july vacation insists that Brody calls it a boating accident instead of a shark attack. It appears already that Mayor Vughn is willing to put money ahead of people's lives.Just into town shark expert Matt Hooper(Richard Dreyfuss), insists on seeing the dead body. After doing so he firmly believe this was no accident, it was a shark. He is later proved right when a young boy is killed in public by this force of the ocean. Vaughn, looking for the quickiest solution sets up 5,000 dollar reward if the shark is killed. A shark hunter named Quint(Robert Shaw)offer to find the shark and kill it, but Vaughn believe's Quint's 10,000 price tag is to high. When a tiger shark is killed and hauled in by a couple of boaters, Vaughn hastily says the shark crisis is over, but Hooper believes other wise. This shark has diffrent teeth marks then the one's that killed the victim. Vaughn, afriad of the vactioners leaving lies to the public and the Fourth of July massacre is on. Local police take post ready to take out the shark, but a distraction from some local kids lead the way to a local fishermanman dying and Brody's own children close to death.Brody insists that Vaughn hires Quint to put an end the killing. Vaughn agree's and hires Quint to find and kill the Great White. Quint, Hooper and Brody are ent out in Quints boat, the Orca, ready to do whatever it takes to find what's out there under the ocean.

Direction
It simply doesn't get any better. The use of lighting and shadows are out to full affect. The underwater scenes are filled with great suspense. There are many memorable shots that will be lodged in your head years to come. The opening scene is violent and aggressive. Great use of lighting and sound help advance the affect. Many scenes are filled with awesome suspense. The time spent on each character is perfect. We learn many details of the characters past. Overall it's one of the better directoral job's of the 70's and maybe ever.

Acting
Roy Schieder is perfect as the conservativem protective father. He actually cares for his children and wife. His dishes out many memorable lines. Richard Dreyfuss is great as Hooper. His ranting back and forth is very realistic and funny. Maybe because they were fueding in real life. Robert Shaw is brillant as Quint. He's plays tough, drunk and mean great. He spits out his lines with such ease I wonder if he is human. The Uss Indianpolis speech is one of the great scsnes in movie history. Murray Hamilton and Lorraine Gray are very good as well. Hamilton is great at playing the selfish mayor and Gray plays the supportive wife better than most. Great acting all around.

The Score
Da dan da dan da dan dan. It's very powerful. Ain't it? To say it made the suspense is one thing, but I perfer to say it added to it. The cello's added to the suspense with the infamous POV shots. Who didn't get the chill's when the shark was coming closer and closer and closer and bamm!!Look out!! Some good stuff.

Favorite Scene
I love the Indianopolis speech.Quint's voice and intensity are great. The kittner death is also very good, as is the aftermath with Borody and the mother. The chase scenes are fun and exciting. The beggning scene is great.Amazing cinematography. The dinner table scene with Brody's one mimicing him is really nice. I also loved the scene where the beachgoer's are running along the baech trying to get the attention of the people that re about to be attacked. Amazing stuff.

The Writing
So many memorable lines, so little time. The great dialouge. The awesome one-liners. Many good, quiet moments. Quint's indianpolis speech is brillant written, or maybe performed, I don't know. The script was ale to add in suspense, adventure, action, comedy and everything else and make it a fun ride. Kudos to all that wrote Jaws you have filled my young life with many memorable quotes and scenes.

Overall
Jaws is a flat out brillant film. It's work's on all levels.Action, adventure, horror, comedy, suspense. The acting is some of the best put on screen.Spielberg's direction is flawless. Not one bad thing I can say about it. The score is memorable and heartpounding. Maybe the most memorable score ever. The script is fun and serious. Many memorable quotes you can toss around with your friends and family. Overall, "Jaws" is a 10/10 or ****. It's my favorite film of all time and if you haven't seen it, shame on you.Go rent it right now!

PS:Was this review long enough, Fergus?



[This message has been edited by notchreturns (edited 06-26-2002).]

[Fergus]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by notchreturns:
PS:Was this review long enough, Fergus? </font>

They just keep getting better and better, don't they? Well done Notch, you went into much detail, very nice!

I've nothing left to say other than acknowledge this film as a classic, which it rightly deserves its status. Although, I'd need to see it again, as my rating stands at a 9/10. Its been awhile.

[urbanlegend23]

"Jaws" is a good movie and it has some great scares. The terrifying opening sequence is a classic. The shark FX are terrifically done. This movie is enjoyable also due to the comedy in the movie. The scene where the guys hunting for the great white get drunk is funny in the best awkward way. The movie is good but it isn't the masterpiece its hailed to be. I thought it was a little bit overrated. It got a little boring and dragged in some scenes. But most of it is just a fun and entertaining film that really brought in the summer blockbuster! But I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing considering the run of bad summer blockbusters lately?

JAWS: 8/10

[psycho path]

If I could grant this 1000 stars,it still wouldnt do the films justice. This has gotta be the greatest underwater/beast flick I have ever seen!! The performances were amazing,the shark was welldone,the scares were abundant,the adventure/action/suspense was nonstop! 10/10

[James Logan]

This movie is a masterpiece, I think one of Spielberg's best without a doubt. It doesn't show much but suggests a lot, and that's why it scares you so much. Usually I don't easily get frightened by a movie, but I swear to you that if I check out JAWS this evening, I won't swim in the sea for the next three weeks without feeling uncomfortable. That's all there is to need: this - movie - scares - the - shit - out - of - anybody. Period.

10/10

P.S: Yes, that meant it's a good flick...even very good. Great. Near perfect. Magnifico!

[CeMeTaRy_GaTeS]

I just watched an E! True Hollywood story on Jaws. Spielberg said that if he new that it would be better to film in a tank at universal's studio it wouldn't have been as good a film.
I agree, with him there. The ocean setting there feels real and helps with the mood. The directing is exceptional, loved the POV shots and the acting is great.

****/4

[adidas12185]

Jaws is a classic, the only "animal attacks" film that comes close to it is the Ghost and the Darkness- 1996, man-eating lions.

Jaws- 8/10, B

[XCoRyX]

one of the few raved movies called classic that i agree with and indeed do call a classic,the reviews and critics involved who loved this and raved about it are right,this is a classic,9/10