Disclaimer: This review isn't a part of storyline of movie review 2019. Readers discretion is advised.
Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review.
Today its Shark Week edition of my movie review, i mean there has been plenty of times that we can talk about the shark's appearance, the other sharks, the shark attack and even a lot of cheap knock off of shark movies. But instead of talking about plenty of crappy movies of sharks, i decided to going back in time for not only created the genre, but also considered one of the best film that we all know and horrified in the same time.
"Jaws" is a 1975 thriller film directed by the famous director Steven Spielberg, produced by Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown, then written by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb.
Over the years, there had been plenty of classic films from the 60's through 70's that most films that we're all familiar with, whether it was successful or others become a cult classic. But when Jaws came out, it changed everything in the movie industry, Not only it was made for the inspiration of thriller movies like Alfred Hitchcock movies, but it was beloved from the viewers and critics in the mid-70's, claiming it was the greatest and terrified when they're young, since it was ironically rated PG. It also considered one of the early example of summer blockbuster that it became a big deal over the years. Not only it was successful at the box-office, but also nominated various awards for Academy Award, including winning three awards from sound effects, editing and soundtrack. And for some reason, we had three movies of Jaws which im not sure why it became a franchise.
So, with all that said, how can this film was considered to be the greatest among the movie goers and critics?
Well, lets find out.
The Story
Even though its a typical story from shark attack to shark hunting, but this one is easily the best example for not the story, but also for the execution of writing. Since this is actually a movie based on the book with a same name one year before the movie came out.
It begins in party fire place with a group of teens hanging out together with smoking, drinking and makeout. One girl name Chrissie likes to go skinny dip at the ocean with a man tries join in, but passed out for drinking. While she swims alone, she was unexpectedly being dragging around from the ocean, which happens to be a night shark attack. Next mourning, we introduce a police chief named Martin Brody, where he discovered a severed hand on the beach with crabs that he believe it must be a shark attack, but when talked to the mayor Arse-Head name Larry Vaughn about a shark attack, but Larry denied about, thinking it was a fatal boat accident that he wants to be good weekend of 4th of July. But during the beach, one kid Alex was being dragged by a shark in a very bloody way and died, resulting into question whether the beach in Amity Island will be closed for 24 hours. Not before we introduce Quint, a shark hunter that he wants to offering $10k to get the shark. Its up to our heroes Brody and his bud Matt Hooper to examine about the shark then hunting down once and fore all before 4th of July.
The story itself is pretty good, since again, its one of early example of shark attack film that it became a mainstream in the mid-70's. The goes from first and second act that its about shark attack, while second in half, third to final act is about shark attack, its a nice use of plot elements where we rooting for our heroes to find out about the victims of shark attack and even hunting down the evil Great White. Speaking of shark, there's a subplot where we see various fishermen boating around to find the shark, which happens to be a Tiger Shark, which this thing has no connection for killing people, which is pretty obvious that it was a Great White, thanks Hooper. Speaking of elements, the movie also brought some reference of real life events like the infamous Jersey Shore shark attack in 1916 where several victims were killed and the other got lucky, but horribly injured. And even the U.S.S Indianapolis, a US Navy heavy cruiser for delivering "Little Boy" nuclear bomb at Hiroshima before got torpedoed by Japanese Navy submarine, where 890 crews where killed from poisons to shark attack and 316 (including Quint) others are survived. But of course, i can the movie has a well-written story and also the dialogues, i like what they building up about the shark for hunting to a suspenseful searching, but it also have some sense of humor for some characters that i did chuckle.
The story is well-written for building suspense, adding real life elements and from beginning to end of shark attack to hunting down. Even though its typical, but it what it makes it so special.
The Presentation
Before we made a lot of cheap shark films in low-budget CG, its no secret this film was done in practical and occasionally a real shark. But i can probably say that the presentation may look good, but have some flaws.
The filming location of fictional town "Amity Island" in New England was filmed in Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, which is a nice location pick, the place itself looks pretty nice in one island, perfectly fitting place for fictional town.
Speaking of filming, its no secret that it feels pretty good and disturbing what what's happening next from the beginning, likely the shark attack, it start of horror where Chrissie being dragging around to Alex being dragged with a lot of blood. The movie has a lot of blood and occasionally gore for the killings, which im always interest for the use of violence of killing a lot of blood, i know, im might be a sick person. And one more thing about the violence, did i forgot to tell that this movie was rated PG back in the mid-70's? Yeah, not the best rating pick from MPAA, which PG-13 wasn't introduced before 1984 from a parental problems of Joe Dante's Gremlins and Spielberg's "Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom". Plus, it also including some jumpscares from shark popping out of nowhere to Ben Gardner's body reveal in the ocean, which i have to admitted, my heart was jumoed out when it happened. Speaking of dead body on the ocean, this scene wasn't supposed to be included from Universal, but Spielberg paid 3,000$ for the reshoot in the swimming pool in Encino, California with a help of editor Verna Fields cut different version to make a perfect jumpscares. Though i forgot to mention ita the first time they filmed in the ocean, even if its too much that some cameras will be soaked.
Speaking editing, the editing of this movie good that i can say, especially with transition when Brody checking the beach while still sitting to hoping everything is safe before Alex got killed. Its well shot and well editing. Even if sometimes it had a rushed time from night time to day time. I know it common, but come guys, slow down. Or the most laughable of all is the scene where Brody is demanding for a bigger boat before faded to other shot where Quint whistles while waiting. Kinda clumsy idea, but at least some edits and the sounds of the movie is pretty good though. Also, gotta love the iconic theme song of Jaws that was composed by John Williams, it became iconic when it comes to build up the suspense when the shark is coming to hunting victim down bellow the ocean. Its no wonder why John Williams won the Oscar for the best soundtrack.
And finally, lets talk about the shark itself in this movie. The shark itself is more of a double-edged sword when it comes his appearance. First, its obvious that the shark was done in animatronic from fins, a half body for a head with teeth then the whole body, All of them are constructed by Bob Mattey and i gotta say, the shark itself maybe look creepy, but the way it moves is pretty cheap,it moves and swims awkwardly, which is no wonder that they tried so hard to make it perfect as possible, but ended up with a very difficulty execution what they move and filming. Even though they're filming with animatronic shark, they're also filming with a real shark in Australia, thanks for the help of trainers Ron and Valerie Taylor. Though sometimes it has an accident, there's a scene where a shark got tangled by a cable of an empty shark cage wasn't on the original script, which after the accidental filming and the real shark is ok at the end, they just shrugged off and put it unto the movie.
Here's my favorite fun fact in this movie, during the production when they inventing an animatronic shark, Spielberg likes to give a nickname of a shark as "Bruce", though it never called in the movie, but its just that he likes give it a name after the lawyer's name.
Since i mentioned before a difficulty work like the use of animatronic shark, this film had a lot of troublesome delays from mechanical problems, the mentioned soaked camera, a pneumatic from salt water and some actors had a seasick. This film's production took over 7 months completing the project.
Despite the production is pretty hard to developed the film perfectly as possible, but the presentation is pretty good at the time, with some well fitted location, the build up from the soundtrack, the effects of killing and some jumpscares. Though the shark maybe be scary, but he's pretty cheap and fake as an animatronic.
The Characters
It is no secret we have several characters are likable that we can feel for.
First is police chief Martin Brody (played by the late Roy Scheider), he's a main protagonist that he's aware about a shark attack to warn the mayor about it, but got denied. Though he's also claimed he has aquaphobia from his past, though he did build up to hunting a shark with his pals Quint and Hooper. Its no secret he's the most memorable character for his awareness and his delivery. Here's another fascinating fact about him, his famous like "You're gonna need a bigger boat" wasn't came from the original script, it was Roy Scheider's improvisation, impressive, eh? Brody is a nice character, but Roy did an amazing work of his role.
Next is the shark hunter Quint (played by the late Robert Shaw), he's also a likable character of this movie, thanks to his well written development and his personality. I find him to be another memorable character that he also have some interesting delivery, such as his phrase "Bluegills and Tommy Cods" that it was given from an real fisherman name Craig Kingsbury (who played as Ben Gardner) and similar look from Kingsbury himself. Another fascinated development about is the mentioned U.S.S. Indianapolis, where he survived from the sinking, but received a scar from multiple of shark attack. Even though he's a professional shark hunter, but other times he's more focused on the goal than call for help, which he's sorta being a D*** to Brody when it comes to backup. Aside from his flaws, he's memorable for his developments and a great acting from Shaw.
Second Brody's bud is Matt Hooper (played by Richard Dreyfuss), a consulting oceanographer that for a plot advice about the shark attack and also tell the different between Tiger Shark and Great White. But of course, he's Brody's best bud for not just a research about the shark, but also hanging out together, likely drinking. I find him also fascinated for not just being a BFF of Brody, but also one example that he teaching us about different sharks and even bite radius of shark's teeth size. But of course, Dreyfuss is also did a great work of his role. Not to mention for another interesting fact, Spielberg said that Hooper looks almost like himself as his alter-ego.
Then we have a sorta antagonist of the movie, Mayor Larry Vaughn (played by the late Murray Hamilton), its no secret that always love to hating him, he's pretty much being delusional and denial about shark attack, he believes "everything is all good" and made a bad rumors. He's one of great example for person for being denial about the news of poorly work as either a mayor, owners, corporate or even leader of the country. Though Murray did a great work of his role, but its no secret that he's a type of character that we hated for his denial.
While the rest is pretty not much else to say, like Meadows (played by the writer of this movie, Carl Gottlieb) who's Larry's assistant, Deputy Hendricks (played by Jeffrey Kramer) who's a silly policeman, Ellen Brody (played by Lorraine Gary), who's Martin's wife and Chrissie (played by stuntwoman Susan Backlinie), who's a first victim of the movie, similar to Hitchcock's Psycho.
Here's the final fact of this movie, there had been plenty of rumors that Susan was injured during the first victim scene, but in reality, she doesn't have broken legs or so. Instead, it was the ropes that she's been dragging around to pretend she gets killed by a shark.
The characters are enjoyable that we're rooting for (minus the mayor), but of course, the acting are enjoyable for some of our favorite legendary actors.
Spoiler Alert, for those you haven't seen this movie or if you don't care
The final act aren't as climatic, but it definitely ends with a bang,
Towards the end, after Matt Hooper was escaped from the shark cage that he lost his spear with poison and a knife fight at the shark, the shark jumps out of water and starts sinking at the damaged Orca and Quint got slipped down to the shark and gets eaten to death in the most bloodiest death ever. Brody is left alone in the sinking ship, as the shark attempts to eating him, but he defends himself by throwing an oxygen tank in his mouth, then climbs at the pool to stabbing with a spear, then finishes him of by shooting the tank in the smiling Son-of-a-B****'s mouth and it explodes with full of blood and gore. Brody was happy he killed the shark and Hooper pops out of surface that he glads that its all over as they're swimming Amity Island.
It doesn't have a conclusion for what happened after the shark blew up, but at lest it was a one helluva rollercoaster ride of shark hunting.
And now for my final opinion of this film.
Overall, Jaws is easily the best suspenseful film that we all know, love and feared us to this day. For me, i can see why we love this movie, with simply good story of shark attack and hunting, nice presentation, impressive plot elements, great characters and an A+ acting. Though it have some problems like some editing could be questionable at the time and the shark seems to be look cheap as an animatronic, since this was made in mid-70s.
This is the film that its highly recommend to watch if you to watching something suspenseful. Though its understandable that some viewers will be traumatized after seeing this movie, i mean my dad used to watch this when he was eleven and it scarred him when he young, but at least he's already refreshed. Though i admitted, i was disturbed while watching with some moment really jumped my heart out. Aw well, even though it may not be watchable for viewers with aquaphobia, but this is the film that it has to be seen a believed for it was considered the greatest film of all time by the great Steven Spielberg.
I give this movie 9.5/10. Im so close to give this one a perfect 10, but with some flaws, i toned down a bit to 9 in a half.
And one last thing, remembered that i mentioned that it became a franchise? Should i watch three sequels of Jaws? No, they're pretty bad that it has no reason to be made. Just stay away from them.
So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
It begins in party fire place with a group of teens hanging out together with smoking, drinking and makeout. One girl name Chrissie likes to go skinny dip at the ocean with a man tries join in, but passed out for drinking. While she swims alone, she was unexpectedly being dragging around from the ocean, which happens to be a night shark attack. Next mourning, we introduce a police chief named Martin Brody, where he discovered a severed hand on the beach with crabs that he believe it must be a shark attack, but when talked to the mayor Arse-Head name Larry Vaughn about a shark attack, but Larry denied about, thinking it was a fatal boat accident that he wants to be good weekend of 4th of July. But during the beach, one kid Alex was being dragged by a shark in a very bloody way and died, resulting into question whether the beach in Amity Island will be closed for 24 hours. Not before we introduce Quint, a shark hunter that he wants to offering $10k to get the shark. Its up to our heroes Brody and his bud Matt Hooper to examine about the shark then hunting down once and fore all before 4th of July.
The story itself is pretty good, since again, its one of early example of shark attack film that it became a mainstream in the mid-70's. The goes from first and second act that its about shark attack, while second in half, third to final act is about shark attack, its a nice use of plot elements where we rooting for our heroes to find out about the victims of shark attack and even hunting down the evil Great White. Speaking of shark, there's a subplot where we see various fishermen boating around to find the shark, which happens to be a Tiger Shark, which this thing has no connection for killing people, which is pretty obvious that it was a Great White, thanks Hooper. Speaking of elements, the movie also brought some reference of real life events like the infamous Jersey Shore shark attack in 1916 where several victims were killed and the other got lucky, but horribly injured. And even the U.S.S Indianapolis, a US Navy heavy cruiser for delivering "Little Boy" nuclear bomb at Hiroshima before got torpedoed by Japanese Navy submarine, where 890 crews where killed from poisons to shark attack and 316 (including Quint) others are survived. But of course, i can the movie has a well-written story and also the dialogues, i like what they building up about the shark for hunting to a suspenseful searching, but it also have some sense of humor for some characters that i did chuckle.
The story is well-written for building suspense, adding real life elements and from beginning to end of shark attack to hunting down. Even though its typical, but it what it makes it so special.
The Presentation
Before we made a lot of cheap shark films in low-budget CG, its no secret this film was done in practical and occasionally a real shark. But i can probably say that the presentation may look good, but have some flaws.
The filming location of fictional town "Amity Island" in New England was filmed in Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, which is a nice location pick, the place itself looks pretty nice in one island, perfectly fitting place for fictional town.
Speaking of filming, its no secret that it feels pretty good and disturbing what what's happening next from the beginning, likely the shark attack, it start of horror where Chrissie being dragging around to Alex being dragged with a lot of blood. The movie has a lot of blood and occasionally gore for the killings, which im always interest for the use of violence of killing a lot of blood, i know, im might be a sick person. And one more thing about the violence, did i forgot to tell that this movie was rated PG back in the mid-70's? Yeah, not the best rating pick from MPAA, which PG-13 wasn't introduced before 1984 from a parental problems of Joe Dante's Gremlins and Spielberg's "Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom". Plus, it also including some jumpscares from shark popping out of nowhere to Ben Gardner's body reveal in the ocean, which i have to admitted, my heart was jumoed out when it happened. Speaking of dead body on the ocean, this scene wasn't supposed to be included from Universal, but Spielberg paid 3,000$ for the reshoot in the swimming pool in Encino, California with a help of editor Verna Fields cut different version to make a perfect jumpscares. Though i forgot to mention ita the first time they filmed in the ocean, even if its too much that some cameras will be soaked.
Speaking editing, the editing of this movie good that i can say, especially with transition when Brody checking the beach while still sitting to hoping everything is safe before Alex got killed. Its well shot and well editing. Even if sometimes it had a rushed time from night time to day time. I know it common, but come guys, slow down. Or the most laughable of all is the scene where Brody is demanding for a bigger boat before faded to other shot where Quint whistles while waiting. Kinda clumsy idea, but at least some edits and the sounds of the movie is pretty good though. Also, gotta love the iconic theme song of Jaws that was composed by John Williams, it became iconic when it comes to build up the suspense when the shark is coming to hunting victim down bellow the ocean. Its no wonder why John Williams won the Oscar for the best soundtrack.
And finally, lets talk about the shark itself in this movie. The shark itself is more of a double-edged sword when it comes his appearance. First, its obvious that the shark was done in animatronic from fins, a half body for a head with teeth then the whole body, All of them are constructed by Bob Mattey and i gotta say, the shark itself maybe look creepy, but the way it moves is pretty cheap,it moves and swims awkwardly, which is no wonder that they tried so hard to make it perfect as possible, but ended up with a very difficulty execution what they move and filming. Even though they're filming with animatronic shark, they're also filming with a real shark in Australia, thanks for the help of trainers Ron and Valerie Taylor. Though sometimes it has an accident, there's a scene where a shark got tangled by a cable of an empty shark cage wasn't on the original script, which after the accidental filming and the real shark is ok at the end, they just shrugged off and put it unto the movie.
Here's my favorite fun fact in this movie, during the production when they inventing an animatronic shark, Spielberg likes to give a nickname of a shark as "Bruce", though it never called in the movie, but its just that he likes give it a name after the lawyer's name.
Since i mentioned before a difficulty work like the use of animatronic shark, this film had a lot of troublesome delays from mechanical problems, the mentioned soaked camera, a pneumatic from salt water and some actors had a seasick. This film's production took over 7 months completing the project.
Despite the production is pretty hard to developed the film perfectly as possible, but the presentation is pretty good at the time, with some well fitted location, the build up from the soundtrack, the effects of killing and some jumpscares. Though the shark maybe be scary, but he's pretty cheap and fake as an animatronic.
The Characters
It is no secret we have several characters are likable that we can feel for.
First is police chief Martin Brody (played by the late Roy Scheider), he's a main protagonist that he's aware about a shark attack to warn the mayor about it, but got denied. Though he's also claimed he has aquaphobia from his past, though he did build up to hunting a shark with his pals Quint and Hooper. Its no secret he's the most memorable character for his awareness and his delivery. Here's another fascinating fact about him, his famous like "You're gonna need a bigger boat" wasn't came from the original script, it was Roy Scheider's improvisation, impressive, eh? Brody is a nice character, but Roy did an amazing work of his role.
Next is the shark hunter Quint (played by the late Robert Shaw), he's also a likable character of this movie, thanks to his well written development and his personality. I find him to be another memorable character that he also have some interesting delivery, such as his phrase "Bluegills and Tommy Cods" that it was given from an real fisherman name Craig Kingsbury (who played as Ben Gardner) and similar look from Kingsbury himself. Another fascinated development about is the mentioned U.S.S. Indianapolis, where he survived from the sinking, but received a scar from multiple of shark attack. Even though he's a professional shark hunter, but other times he's more focused on the goal than call for help, which he's sorta being a D*** to Brody when it comes to backup. Aside from his flaws, he's memorable for his developments and a great acting from Shaw.
Second Brody's bud is Matt Hooper (played by Richard Dreyfuss), a consulting oceanographer that for a plot advice about the shark attack and also tell the different between Tiger Shark and Great White. But of course, he's Brody's best bud for not just a research about the shark, but also hanging out together, likely drinking. I find him also fascinated for not just being a BFF of Brody, but also one example that he teaching us about different sharks and even bite radius of shark's teeth size. But of course, Dreyfuss is also did a great work of his role. Not to mention for another interesting fact, Spielberg said that Hooper looks almost like himself as his alter-ego.
Then we have a sorta antagonist of the movie, Mayor Larry Vaughn (played by the late Murray Hamilton), its no secret that always love to hating him, he's pretty much being delusional and denial about shark attack, he believes "everything is all good" and made a bad rumors. He's one of great example for person for being denial about the news of poorly work as either a mayor, owners, corporate or even leader of the country. Though Murray did a great work of his role, but its no secret that he's a type of character that we hated for his denial.
While the rest is pretty not much else to say, like Meadows (played by the writer of this movie, Carl Gottlieb) who's Larry's assistant, Deputy Hendricks (played by Jeffrey Kramer) who's a silly policeman, Ellen Brody (played by Lorraine Gary), who's Martin's wife and Chrissie (played by stuntwoman Susan Backlinie), who's a first victim of the movie, similar to Hitchcock's Psycho.
Here's the final fact of this movie, there had been plenty of rumors that Susan was injured during the first victim scene, but in reality, she doesn't have broken legs or so. Instead, it was the ropes that she's been dragging around to pretend she gets killed by a shark.
The characters are enjoyable that we're rooting for (minus the mayor), but of course, the acting are enjoyable for some of our favorite legendary actors.
Spoiler Alert, for those you haven't seen this movie or if you don't care
The final act aren't as climatic, but it definitely ends with a bang,
Towards the end, after Matt Hooper was escaped from the shark cage that he lost his spear with poison and a knife fight at the shark, the shark jumps out of water and starts sinking at the damaged Orca and Quint got slipped down to the shark and gets eaten to death in the most bloodiest death ever. Brody is left alone in the sinking ship, as the shark attempts to eating him, but he defends himself by throwing an oxygen tank in his mouth, then climbs at the pool to stabbing with a spear, then finishes him of by shooting the tank in the smiling Son-of-a-B****'s mouth and it explodes with full of blood and gore. Brody was happy he killed the shark and Hooper pops out of surface that he glads that its all over as they're swimming Amity Island.
It doesn't have a conclusion for what happened after the shark blew up, but at lest it was a one helluva rollercoaster ride of shark hunting.
And now for my final opinion of this film.
Overall, Jaws is easily the best suspenseful film that we all know, love and feared us to this day. For me, i can see why we love this movie, with simply good story of shark attack and hunting, nice presentation, impressive plot elements, great characters and an A+ acting. Though it have some problems like some editing could be questionable at the time and the shark seems to be look cheap as an animatronic, since this was made in mid-70s.
This is the film that its highly recommend to watch if you to watching something suspenseful. Though its understandable that some viewers will be traumatized after seeing this movie, i mean my dad used to watch this when he was eleven and it scarred him when he young, but at least he's already refreshed. Though i admitted, i was disturbed while watching with some moment really jumped my heart out. Aw well, even though it may not be watchable for viewers with aquaphobia, but this is the film that it has to be seen a believed for it was considered the greatest film of all time by the great Steven Spielberg.
I give this movie 9.5/10. Im so close to give this one a perfect 10, but with some flaws, i toned down a bit to 9 in a half.
And one last thing, remembered that i mentioned that it became a franchise? Should i watch three sequels of Jaws? No, they're pretty bad that it has no reason to be made. Just stay away from them.
So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
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