Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3.5/4
Near-perfect
Gabe - wrote on 01/13/2017
The second-half of the film is unforgettable. I felt like it was 10 minutes too long. But, we needed that time to build up to the climatic fishing trip. Now, for as good as this film is, it also ruined the film industry, or at least started the decline. This film broke all the rules, such as you can't release a film that does not have a bonafide star and you can't release a film in the summer. Spielberg did, and he won. But, with this film, and then with Star Wars 2 years later, the American film industry only wanted to release summer blockbusters, with the occasional Oscar bait thrown in, now we've gotten to the point that the summer has basically become the dumping ground for bloated CGI-ed crap.
John Williams' score is also near-perfect and he won the Academy Award for it.
Rating of
4/4
Maybe the Shark Did Work?
Brandon - wrote on 08/16/2014
This film in particular may be the perfect example of how the limitations of making a movie during a specific time period can enhance a film tenfold. Steven Spielberg did not need any extravagant special effects for a film that may very well have been the first summer blockbuster. All Spielberg needed was every single problem that a director can experience on a set and a shark that could not work. The film looks fantastic with it's beautiful point of view shots of the ocean and the fictional community of Amity Island. It makes me wonder whether or not this film would have been as good if the shark worked. Many people tend to side with the negative half of the argument. All I know is that this film is well shot, well acted, and well paced....not to mention this film has what may very well …
Rating of
4/4
Dun dun dun dun dun dudududu....
Indyfreak - wrote on 07/23/2014
Few creature features are as thrilling and suspenseful as Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws. He knew what he was doing when he adapted Peter Benchley's bestseller for the big screen.
The backdoor production problems were infamous but as history showed, it was all worth it as Jaws became the first true blockbuster of the modern Hollywood era and it remains among the best. This is doubtlessly the result of the combined talents of Steven Spielberg, the trio of talented actors (Scheider, Shaw, and Dreyfus), and John Williams for his famously chilling score.
Sure it may have spawned a slew of imitators and a series of mediocre-to-terrible sequels, but the original film itself has not lost its touch. It's amazing how well it's aged and how it remains so effectively suspenseful.
Rating of
4/4
Another classic from the master
memento_mori - wrote on 06/25/2013
Possible Spoilers
Jaws was the first major blockbuster in cinema history, and received extremely positive critical response, as well as mainstream acclaim. Some movie lovers regard it as a classic, and so do I.
Steven Spielberg really got noticed after making this movie, and for good reason: it's phenomenal.
The direction, the cinematography and camera work (especially underwater), the acting, the music and the screenplay stand out as bright pros in this film, because they all work together excellently.
The characters are relatable and have their fair share of development. Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfus were very charismatic.
The music is definitely the strongest attribute. There John Williams' score is simple, but menacing and enthralling (DADADADADA DAAH-DUN).
I have heard …
Rating of
4/4
"Jaws" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 04/30/2012
Steven Spielberg's classic monster movie is a supremely accomplished slice of popular entertainment and one of my enduring favourites. His directorial expertise shines as he perfectly manipulates the mood of the film aided by John Williams frankly perfect score. He contrasts the ferocious attacks with their broiling red stained surf and hysterical screaming with the serene peacefulness of the lapping moonlit waves from the very first scene, and uses misdirection and comic asides to engineer a tangible sense of tension as you wait for the shark to appear. Of course, the clunkily mechanical beast that completely fails to recreate the grace of the real animals is easy to criticise, but for the most part Jaws' presence is hinted at through a clever combination of first person camera work, …
Rating of
4/4
Jaws review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 08/07/2011
Amity Island encounters a threat on the innocent beach since a voluptuous woman and a young boy has been attacked by an unknown entity. After discovering it was a shark, the islands chief police Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), biologist Matt Hooper and a professional shark hunter named Quint (Robert Shaw) delves into an adventure to stop this menace from feeding. One Steven Spielberg’s earlier creations, the story is fast and continuous. Character development is likewise impeccable since you get to know the characters history and sometimes eclectic personalities. Brody is the serious, reflective and dedicated competent family man; Hooper is the rich geek who loves discovering marine life and the cocky but calculated calmness of Quint. A few memorable lines: Martin Brody – …
Rating of
3.5/4
We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat
Somap4 - wrote on 08/03/2010
Jaws is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. The police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach, only to be overruled by the town council, which wants the beach to remain open to draw a profit from tourists during the summer season. After several attacks, the police chief enlists the help of a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter. Roy Scheider stars as police chief Martin Brody, Richard Dreyfuss as marine biologist Matt Hooper, Robert Shaw as shark hunter Quint, Murray Hamilton as the Mayor of Amity Island, and Lorraine Gary as Brody's wife, Ellen.
1st Time I watched it-Good, but kinda …
Rating of
3.5/4
You're gonna need a bigger boat.
gideon43 - wrote on 05/20/2010
Without question, one of the most important films in history, Jaws is a watershed event establishing itself as the first "summer blockbuster", defining the career of Steven Spielberg and becoming the first movie ever to go on "wide release" across America. All of this attributes to the massive legend of Jaws the movie but the main underlying fact behind its massive success is that it is absolutely bloody terrifying.
What a number of so-called Horror directors fail to realise is that however unlikely the scenario, a good chiller has to make you afraid of something. Jaws made you afraid to go in the water and to an highly impressionable 10yr old holidaying on the Isle Of Wight, the sea suddenly became the most terrifying place in the world and although I'm no marine biologist, I don`t …
Rating of
4/4
Jaws is one hell of a film.
Sebman - wrote on 10/12/2009
Jaws is one of the best movie that is directed by Steven Spielberg (favorite director). This film is what horror should be which is not seeing the monster almost the whole movie. This film Roy schider who awesome in this movie as the chief Martin Brody. Then we have Robert Shaw who has one of the most creepiest but amazing acting from him, I especially love his speech about the one scar he had recieved and also him talking about the shark in the meeting. Richard Dreyfess is also awesome and is really enjoyable in this film. One thing I already enjoy is that when the theme music hits you know the shark is coming and is great because they don't show the shark becoming which is almost like psychological horror but much different and also there are two really scary scenes that don't use the …
Rating of
3.5/4
Don't go into the water!! They bite! They bite BIG
mdtinney - wrote on 09/22/2009
Simple and rewarding story, based on Peter Benchley's best-selling novel, of rogue great white shark that feeds on the swimmers in the water off Amity Island. A masterpiece indeed by the masterful Steven Spielberg.The island's police chief (Roy Scheider), a young shark expert (Richard Dreyfuss) and ultra-crusty fisherman (Robert Shaw) unite to combat the beast.The very film whose success helped to coin the phrase "summer blockbuster", and a film that continues to be a major success to this day. It hasn't even lost its appeal to me after repeated viewings, and that's truly saying something. It's exciting and entertaining and has some very quotable dialog. Performances excellent as well, with Shaw in the role that I will always most identify him with; although Lee Marvin was originally …
