Jaws (Dolby Digital) - 25th Anniversary
Collector's Edition
review by David G.
Rated PG
Running Time: 125 Minutes
Starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard
Dreyfuss
Studio: Universal
Screenplay : Carl Gottlieb and Peter Benchley from his
book
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Retail Price: $26.99
Features: Deleted Scenes, Theatrical Trailers,
Documentary, Outtakes, Photos, Storyboards, Production
Photos, Shark Documentary, Trivia Game, DVD-ROM: Screen
Saver, Weblinks
Specs: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, 5.1 Dolby Digital
English, French Subtitles, English Subtitles, Chapter
Search
The story begins on a summer night in Amity Island with a
beach party gathering some young peoples, a girl decides to
take a swim in the sea when she is attacked by something
very powerful swinging the poor girl like a toy, this
"thing" is of course a shark. The day after, the body cut to
bits is discovered on the beach and the new sheriff Martin
Brody (Roy Scheider) is in charge of the case. He believes
in a shark attack but the mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray
Hamilton), influenced by the economic disaster for the
island forbids Brody to close the beach. Obviously, the
shark comes back again to make a feast. The authorities
decides then to rent Quint (Robert Shaw), a tough shark
hunter in order to bring back the peace on beaches. Brody
decides to go with him accompanied by Matt Hooper (Richard
Dreyfuss) a shark specialist sent by the oceanographic
institute. The hunt begins but who are the hunters and who
are the hunted?
There is some films which print the collective
unconsciousness, Jaws is a part of them : who can say that
he never thought at the John Williams theme during a sea
bath ? if you do I don't believe you. With a simple plot,
Spielberg managed to make a real terrific movie because of
realistic characters, a directing without useless effects,
the unforgettable score of John Williams.The first scene
could be a model for every filmmakers : the night, a woman
the sea and an invisible but powerful monster : the woman
screams, is swung up and down, left and right with a
impressive strength then.nothing but the silence. In a word,
it's shocking!
This movie is one of the very masterpieces of Steven
Spielberg, it could be compared to his first movie "Duel" :
a simple plot, a powerful enemy, the road or the sea and men
with their fear and their intelligence : that is real cinema
and this needs a authentic director like Steven Spielberg
who also gave us "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and the powerful
"Schindler's List".
In a word: perfect, I saw nothing which could justify a
reproach. The movie is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic. At
no moment you can tell this movie is 25 years old
Some could regret the absence of the original mono track
which won the Academy Award. Don't expect a total surround
show but some discreet and efficient effects.
Wow! A documentary (very interesting), some deleted
scenes and outtakes (more and less interesting), a trivia
game (a bit useless since there is no prize when you answer
correctly to all questions), a documentary on sharks, a lot
of production photos, storyboards, the original theatrical
trailers and some DVD-ROM features such as a screen saver. A
little regret: no commentary by Spielberg.
At last, Spielberg seems to be interested in the
possibilities of DVD. Jaws is the perfect movie to star with
this great director. Don't miss it!
 (4.5/5, NOT included in
final score)
 (5/5)
(4.5/5)
 (3/5)
(4.5/5, NOT an average)
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