Jaws [1976]

On the DVD: For a Steven Spielberg movie and an all-time classic, this 25th Anniversary Edition release is impressive, but not all it could be. The anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 ratio picture is superb, as is the re-mixed Dolby Digital 5.1 sound (the film was originally released in mono). It is a joy to see the film's picture and sound quality rescued from years of television and VHS screenings, offering a reminder of what all the fuss was about in the first place. The deleted scenes are quite interesting, offering more background on Brody, Hooper and Quint, including the latter's bizarre vocal duel with a boy playing the recorder! The four photo galleries are good, but some captions would have helped enormously. Disappointingly, there's no director's commentary, the best extra being a 50-minute documentary, "The Making of Jaws". This is excellent, and quite different from the BBC television production, "In the Teeth of Jaws". Even if you've seen that, there's much more to learn here. --Gary S. Dalkin

One thing that did seriously disappoint me about this particular version on DVD, however, was the 'special' features included.

I am always fascinated in particular by deleted scenes and out-takes. So I was particularly looking forward to viewing these.

To my mind, however, 4 shots of Roy Scheider having problems firing a gun and 1 shot of Robert Shaw screaming (not very different from the actual shot used, except the crew laugh) do not constitute out-takes.

Equally, the deleted scenes were uninspired and often nonsensical, many of them being taken from very raw and shaky footage. The sound quality was often extremely poor.

I did find that I felt conned by this and it took the edge off my viewing. But in the grand scheme of things, the movie itself rises above the disappointment of poorly presented extras and I would certainly urge any fan of Jaws to buy this version.

Just buy it for the movie - not for the features - and you won't be left high and dry.

LabRat :)


Nature's perfect killing machine brought to cinematic life   November 9, 2003
Daniel Jolley (Shelby, North Carolina USA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

Jaws is not only the first blockbuster to gross over one hundred million dollars, a visceral thriller that showcases the art and craft of moviemaking at its finest, and a film that probably made millions of families rethink their summer vacation plans over the past quarter of a century plus, it is a cultural phenomenon that has become a permanent part of pop culture. John Williams' theme to Jaws is immediately recognizable on both an intellectual and emotional level, whether you've seen the movie or not. Major and minor problems alike are still met with the words, "You're [or we're] going to need a bigger boat." This twenty-fifth anniversary DVD release only furthers and adds to the legend, tossing extra features into the waters of our consciousness like so much delectable chum, and we are drawn to this aromatic feast of bloody entertainment the same way the star of this movie (which isn't Dreyfus, Scheider, or Shaw) is drawn to the smell of blood and the necessity of constant feeding as it slips through the oceans of our planet and, thanks to Peter Benchley, Steven Spielberg, and others, the oceans of our very thoughts and fears.

This movie works on so many levels. First, we have Amity police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), a New York City transplantee who now polices an island despite his fear of water. When a young lady is killed in the movie's memorable opening scene, pretty obviously by a shark, he allows himself to be dissuaded from closing the beaches by a slimy mayor who cares more for the holiday tourist season than the lives of the men, women, and children vacationing there. When a boy is killed soon thereafter in front of basically everyone, Brody is rightly racked with a guilt that the mayor still doesn't understand. A bounty on the shark brings all kinds of crazy people to the harbor, fighting each other in piddling little boats in a race to catch the killer. It also brings shark expert Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and self-proclaimed shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) to town. A shark is captured, but it soon becomes clear that this tiger shark is not the rogue killer terrorizing the island; Brody's son is in fact lucky to survive the ultimate proof of this fact. Eventually, Hooper and Brody go out on the Orca with the eccentric, roguish Quint determined to find and kill the great white shark whom we finally get a close-up view of well over halfway through the movie. This first real look at the mammoth twenty-six footer is brilliantly shot; having been conditioned to expect the shark only after Williams' incredible theme song begins, Jaws decides to make his first close-up a memorable surprise to the audience and, most especially, Brody. The hunters soon become the hunted, leading to an increasingly suspenseful, riveting conclusion.

Many would view the shark as a monster, but if there is a monster in this film it is the mayor and local businessmen who sacrifice lives in the name of money. The shark is just doing what he does naturally, feeding, and I cannot do anything but respect this remarkable creature. The shark is nature's perfect killing machine, perhaps the most magnificent and certainly the most efficient animal on this planet. This particular shark is as smart as he is huge, making him the most formidable of opponents for the Ahab-like Quint. Certainly, such a rogue killer has to be either starved out or killed in the interest of human life, but I mourn the eventual defeat of this magnificent animal.

This film was released in 1975, and the great white shark does not look terribly real today, but this takes nothing away from its magnificence and visceral impact on the viewer. Spielberg shows his genius early on in his directing career by holding back our first look at the shark for so long; the early deaths are quite memorable and pack quite a punch as it is, with levels of blood and panic that make this a film that probably haunted the dreams of many younger viewers and a fair share of adults for many a night. The final leg of the film is particularly extreme, making me wonder how this film got a PG rating. One of the most compelling scenes of the film, however, does not involve the shark at all; Quint's absorbing account of his experience after the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis stands as one of the most emotionally enthralling scenes ever filmed.

The anniversary DVD edition of Jaws is simply loaded with extras, featuring 75 minutes of bonus footage, including several deleted scenes and outtakes. The main attraction, though, is the feature Spotlight on Location: The Making of Jaws, which delivers incredible insight on the making of the film. After watching these interviews with important cast and crew members and behind-the-scenes looks at the grueling, exceedingly challenging making of the film, this viewer's respect for the cinematic wonder that was created here grew by leaps and bounds.


"Here's to swimmin' with bow-legged women!"   August 2, 2000
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Dum dum. Dum dum dum. Dum dum, dum dum, dum dum, dum dum. What else springs to mind but the sound of that foreboding cello when one talks of Jaws.

Spielberg's classic movie finally comes to DVD. The plot, just in case you didn't know, is simple. Three men, one working class, one middle class, and one upper class all go fishing! Sounds simple enough, in fact it sounds a bit boring, but the end result is far from the truth. Jaws is an all-time classic film.

The casting choice was superb, utilising extremely credible actors to portray the main roles of Chief Brody, Matt Hooper and Quint from Peter Benchley's book. The character development is fantastic, drawing the viewer ever closer to each of the three protagonists respectively.

The attention to detail too that Spielberg places in his movie is second to none. If an example is needed just look to the human element that Spielberg focuses on. One need only look to the scene with brody and his youngest son at the dinner table, or Quint relaying his story of the USS Indianapolis, and one will quickly see just how Spielberg uses these fine actors to good effect.

The film is a true masterpiece in every sense of the word. The fact that the "monster" in this thrilling epic is not seen for a considerable amount of time only adds to reinforce it's menacing effect and impact upon the audience. Indeed, the reality that the shark looks a tad dated by today's standards matters about as much now as it did then. You simply won't care. If the end doesn't have you cheering, then nothing will.

Classic imagery, outstanding music, memorable characters, unforgettable dialogue (We're gonna need a bigger boat!), and a great big mechanical rubber fish; this coupled with the added features and improved sound and picture quality that can be expected from DVD makes this a must for any serious film buff's home cinema collection. Buy it - it bites!


We're going to need a bigger boat   July 31, 2000
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I am of the firm opinion that Spielberg has only ever made three truly great films - Jaws being one of them. It may not sound much, the tale of a beach island community that is threatened by a giant shark but such is the storytelling and direction it quickly becomes more than just some monster flick.

Excellent performances from the three leads (Scheider, Shaw and Dreyfuss) guide us from a powerful beginning through to an adrenalin rush climax. Its not surprising to note that Spielberg's favourite scene from the film is not an effects moment nor an adrenalin rush sequence but a character scene as Quint (Shaw) talks about the USS Indianapolis incident. This scene, among others elevates the film to a height seldom equalled in other films.

As a previous reviewer remarked - ignore the sequels, don't even touch them. Watch this one.

The transfer is excellent with only one, insignificant flaw apparent at the start (blink and you'll miss it). The soundtrack is excellent and clear allowing the viewer to enjoy John Williams' memorable score.

The extra features are interesting, the documentary shows how Jaws nearly didn't make it and how so much of the pwer of the film was down to simple eleventh hour necessity.


An absolute classic   April 4, 2001
2 out of 5 found this review helpful

No matter how brave you are swimming in the ocean will never be the same after seeing this film. Everything is o.k until you're out of your depth and on your own and suddenly you start to hear the menacing music from the film JAWS. This is a Stephen Speilberg classic. The holiday town of Amity has a rather large hungry fish in its waters and a cop, an oceanographer and a an old salty sea dog fancy a spot of fishing in order to stop this aquatic menace from eating all the tourists. An action packed film through and through but spare a thought for the Great White Shark as it is now an endangered species as a result of over fishing. Not a film for those who are not a great fan of the water but if you like to be scared this is the film for you because like Hooper says "...weve got a fish out there with a mouth about this big!" Highlights must include the opening scene and the drunken singing on the Orca.