Finally saw this for the first time tonight (I know, I'm very late), and it was pretty fantastic. Very effective, well-directed and thrilling. Despite its age it didn't feel dated, and many scenes had a genuine tension that just isn't present in most films of this sort anymore. The score is brilliant and adds so much to the film overall, and I enjoyed the performances as well. I thought it started dragging a bit in the third act on the boat, but the finale was awesome and made up for it. One of Spielberg's best. A

Ahead of its time, one of the few Spielberg films where we can say that.

So I finally saw Jaws last night and colour me unimpressed.

What I cannot get over is the lack of humanity or empathy present in the movie. It doesn't hit the extremes very much despite being about an abnormally large great white shark, maybe understandable for the time, but it's complete lack of concern or care for victims is disturbing.

Characterization is also pretty poor across the board and Brody seems to be half heartedly centred as the protagonist when he is merely a bystander for much of the movie. Cannot believe the praise it has gotten. Sorely disappointed.

B-

pretty much the above, except a lower grade.

C- (40)

meh, worst bump of all time

Jaws is amazing

Havent seen this is ages but WOW.

If anybody ever doubts Spielbergs genius, damn the guys for near 40 year old films puts on a fucking clinic.

Still a good film, but nowhere near the greatness I imagine it was in the 70s. I can easily sit through it, though.

B+

So, I went and saw it at a special screening tonight, and here are some scattered thoughts:

- It was about 60% full in a 300-seater.
- The crowd wasn't as rowdy as I'd hoped for, but one guy singlehandedly compensated for the lack of rowdiness by smuggling in a can of Narragansett (the very same regional beer in the movie, and even the same can design thanks to the throwback campaign they have right now) and then opening it, shotgunning it, and crushing it on cue with Quint.
- However, even though the crowd wasn't exactly rowdy, many of the big jump scares did get reactions.
- Fathom Events can suck my balls. A $4.50 event surcharge for 25 minutes of the same pre-movie notices and four trivia cards playing on loop, and then nothing more than a post-credits trivia fact from Ben Manckiewicz? Seriously?!

And because I haven't posted a grade here, I'll throw in an A. I must say, though, that because of the setting, it feels completely different watching it now than it did before I moved to New England.

The movie in many ways was a massive ad for Cape & Islands. A remake would cause real estate prices to go bonkers as this movie did back in the 1970s.

The scares got reactions? Had nobody seen it before?

Most of the crowd appeared to be under 40, and it makes a difference seeing the film in a theatre as opposed to at home. Nevertheless, though, I did overhear a few viewers say that it was their first time seeing the film all the way through.

Would you remind me where the scares are exactly? I only remember, like, one genuine potential scare and that is the head coming out of the hole in the ship. All the others don't seem like jump scares to me at all. Or are there more?

This movie isn't amazing, and despite what others have said, I think it is very dated. The special effects are good, yes, but the plot is pretty meh and the characters; are they even characters? Besides the shark, I cannot recall a single name. The parts with the shark are entertaining sure; I appreciate what they did with not showing it too much, and there are several good lines; but this movie is too full of unbelievably dumb people and impossible circumstances. It's not bad, and I'm sure it was amazing in its time, but I just don't believe it holds up as well as some other classics.

B

Good one.

Brody Hopper and Quint don't ring any bells?

Nope.

Excel, you're tackling this from the wrong angle. Hey zwackerm, how about Bruce the shark, does that a bell?

I said I remembered the shark. He was cute!

The girl dying in the beginning is intense, the dead body when scuba diving, jumping Up and attacking Quint. They aren't major jump scares but the way Spielberg builds suspense to them is crazy compared to your horror movie of the week hack.

The Brody one is hands down probably the best jump scare of all time, only because it's a funny scene, followed by the first shot of the shark. One of the best shots ever in film.

Didn't say they weren't good or intense, but scary? Puh-lease.

Different timing, you can't compare a film the first time vs seeing a film hundreds of times on TV and commercials kill it as well.

I remember the first time and I had trouble swimming In pool. I remember people thinking even showers/ baths they thought about it. Same with Psycho, anytime I take a shower anywhere I always think about that movie, door is always locked

Agreed. But also film-making wears off, no matter how good it is. What is scary in the 70s is no longer scary now.

This was intense fishing experience specially the second half, I wonder why none of the recent (blockbuster shark) movies have tried the formula of catching a shark throughout the whole movie. The build-up while slow in the first half is what gives the movie emotional heft though its not used in the end as the movie finishes unexpectedly without them returning to the town. For me this was a great experience and much better than most of shark movies nowadays.

I watched it a few months ago for the first time and I wasn't too impressed. It's enjoyable but having seen multiple other shark films before I don't think Jaws has any particular edge. The build up is quite good, Spielberg is good at setting the mood and creating an atmosphere, but I find that the second hour drags a bit and it just didn't excite me that much as a whole.

B-

I rewatched this today in IMAX and it was incredible. Must have been in a bad mood 7 years ago haha. Everything is top notch.