Jaws II
This film was directed by the man who would later make "Supergirl," as opposed to the guy who would later make "Schindler's List." I could probably just stop here, but that would be lazy. Another shark is back in the waters around Amity Island and Sheriff Brody has to stop it again. Unfortunately, he is missing his marine expert friend and his helpful shark hunter, since one of them has left and the other was eaten by the eponymous jaws in the last film. On top of that, people are suspicious about believing him, creating an environment in which the shark can thrive. The climax of the film is built around Brody's kids being out in the water with their friends when the shark attacks. They are sitting ducks, leaving only our hero to put an end to the beast yet again. This movie is not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but there are problems. The shark is seen a lot more, acting less as a harbinger of doom and more like a beast. Some people who did not like that aspect of the original film may like this more. "Jaws II" is lacking for good actors, with Dreyfuss and Shaw not appearing this time around. It also lacks the subtle direction of Spielberg and stronger writing. Szwarc is not a bad director, merely a competent one that does not stand out. That is the biggest strike against it: the film does not stand out. To many people, it seems to be similar to a slasher film, being produced around the same time as "Halloween." "Jaws II" is more of a popcorn film than a classic one. Things do not get better from here.
Jaws 3-D
While they claim that the 'third dimension is fear,' it is actually disgust. Down in Florida,- thanks, movie- a new SeaWorld is being opened up and Sheriff Brody's eldest son is working there. His younger brother comes to town, but the visit coincides with a rash of shark attacks. A small great white is captured, but it soon becomes apparent that a larger one is to blame. The boss is trying to keep it secret- feel familiar- while our hero is trying to stop the beast. The climax of the film involves the new attraction- Undersea Kingdom, a tube-shaped walkway through water- being attacked by the titular shark and trying to eat the tourists. Well, at least he has the right idea. It later attacks the control room, leading to yet another explosion for an ending. This film is highlighted by its dated effects and questionable recasting. They take the film away from the famous setting and have no original cast members appear. It is sort of like taking a "Star Wars" and making it about Anakin and some stupid alien who is his buddy. The other thing of note is how the movie was released as part of the nineteen-eighty 3-D craze that included "Amityville 3-D" and "Friday the 13th: Part 3." To say that the effects look somewhat ridiculous is to say that the sky is somewhat blue. The two famous shots are of Jaws driving into the glass panel and his disembodied jaw bone flying into the screen. They are amazingly stupid looking and really make the film stand out in a bad way. By replacing Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw with Dennis Quaid, Lea Thompson and Louis Gossett Jr., they put the nail in the coffin. Unfortunately, this corpse would not stay dead!
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