Jaws 2 (1978, PG)

Directed by: Jeannot Szwarc

Grade: C

I thought that the first Jaws was a good movie, but never thought it more as being a straightforward thriller flick.  So after Jaws turned out as becoming the biggest box-office success in movie history, it was inevitable at that the filmmakers would see great potential in a sequel.  Or, as it turned out, sequels. 

Steven Spielberg did a fairly good job with Jaws, and he was offered the position in the director’s chair again for Jaws 2.  Spielberg, recognizing that a sequel was rather pointless, backed out.  The project was then given Jeannot Szwarc, who led the film out of its troubled production.  Jaws 2 proved to be a fine money maker at the box-office, but not near to the whopping success of the original.  

Plain and simple, there are the facts, but I will now cut into into the meat of my review of this film.  Referring back to the original film, I felt like I was watching a true thriller.  While watching Jaws 2, I felt like I was watching a drama, at least until the final twenty minutes which offer nice, chilling thrills.  The acting is so lazy and reluctant, the direction by Szwarc is withholding any suspense, and the plot itself only delivers the real goods in the last act.  For the duration of it’s nearly two hour running length, Jaws 2 moves along with far too slow a running length for a thriller (which may be why I felt like I was watching a drama!). 

I think Spielberg was wise to back out of Jaws 2 in the first place, but even so, Jaws 2 proved to be popular enough with audiences to spawn two further sequels, both of which are considered to be among the worst motion pictures ever made, and both of which I have yet to watch while typing out this review.  In short, Jaws 2 knows what to do to piece together a summer popcorn flick, but it only gets as far as sequels to big time hits go. 

Just when you thought it was safe to get into the water...