UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Ian (Flash Review)Yep, Jaws strikes again. How many oblivious people will he gobble up this time? While bringing nothing new to the table such as a bunch of expected shark attacks, it did achieve its goal of generating nerve-racking scenes. They were still tense but without the fresh magic of the original. Credit where credit is due. The forgettable plot was to kill Jaws again and of course rescue a group of people on the water. Will the sheriff succeed again this time and will the locals not trust him once again? Only Jaws fans need to view this one. But wow, I've never seen a shark attack a helicopter! Cool. Ha! And those late 70's styles are terrible.

Carlos King Jaws 2 does not get an "A" for effort, but it definitely earns a "B" or "B-" for effort. To be fair to Gottlieb, Szwarc, et al., they attempt to build characters, flesh out ones we already knew (sorta), and try to still tell a story while ramping up the shark mayhem from the first movie. And to their credit, I was surprised by the movie's insistence to get to know a wider range of side characters on top of Roy Scheider's world-weary Brody, anchoring it all.That being said, just because the movie tries does not mean it particularly succeeds. Jaws, aside from the shark, really focused around the fine performances of three very talented character actors, playing believable, well-written, and likable characters. Brody, Quint, and Hooper were clearly-defined personalities that played well off one another, with their own motivations, backstories, and skills.While it's unfair to judge the sequel *solely* in relation to its predecessor, it is only to temper your expectations. Suffice to say: the characters introduced in Jaws 2 are not compelling, have believable reactions and motivations, and are not particularly interesting. You have a parade of one-notes: the sleazy real-estate developer, the incredulous doctor ("Sharks don't take things personally, Mr. Brody!"), and a gaggle of annoying teeny-boppers who were put in because the producers knew which audience to cash in on. In a cynical display of movie-making, you have every archetype of teen present - someone for every baby boomer to relate to!More effective are the returning cast. Cashing in on the nostalgia of the first was somewhat successful, as it is nice to see characters like the Deputy, the Brody's, and Mayor Vaughan again - as well as the town of Amity itself (counting it as a character). The best moments are between returning cast members/veteran actors - the world-weariness on display is either an appealing way of establishing the story, or an authentic reaction to being dragged on to do a sequel to a giant shark movie! I likewise saw myself enjoying the return and to "see how things were going." It is depressing to learn that more interesting ideas - such as Amity being ruined because of the shark attack and resorting to mob financing - were scuttled in favor of a rehash of the first story, complete with "we can't close the beaches its tourism season!" beats. I don't know how the producers/writers can be so dismissive of the billion Jaws rip-offs when they themselves are guilty of the same crime. Hypocrisy of the rich/famous I suppose!It seems as if half the movie is dedicated following around the lives of Amity's teens, as they try to go through the pangs of growing up: going to dances, asking each other out, sailing, and avoiding a gigantic rubber shark mounted on a motorized platform. I can understand, and on a conceptual level, appreciate the attempt to make the adolescents more than mere shark fodder. However, none of their stories or personalities are interesting, and their scenes slow the pacing down to a crawl - to the point where you start to think of them *as* mere shark fodder, hoping, hoping, hoping that that damn thing shows u p and eats one of them (particularly Donna Wilkes, who spends the back half of the movie screaming non-stop) to pick the movie up. If you have been wondering this whole review "When is he gunna start talking about the shark?" then I've given you a taste of what you will feel watching Jaws 2. Whereas Jaws saved its payoff for the end, and allowed strong writing to propel the movie, Jaws 2 lacks those strong moments and thus makes you yearn for the shark. Szwarc decided, against the opinions of his crew, to show off more of the shark. On the downside, it means more chances to see how fake the thing looks (you will see its rubber mouth crease and fold inwards in one bad shot). On the upside, it gives the movie a means of punctuating the doldrums with some shark action! In an inverse of its predecessor, the shark is the best thing about Jaws 2. It does more silly stunts, well shot by the talented crewmen. It rams many more boats, it generally acts like a dick, grabbing teens and launching them into the hulls of their own craft, and even gets involved in a incredibly stupefying scene in which a lady, attempting to kill the shark, pours gasoline on herself and lights herself (and the shark) on fire. From that point on it sports some cool, wicked scars. If Szwarc cannot be praised for his job at adapting a screenplay, he nonetheless made sure that the real breadwinner - the action scenes - were well done, and entertaining. It has the unfortunate side effect of making the movie incredibly stupid, though, especially as teens start behaving as slasher victims would and destroy their own attempts at survival (the boat version of tripping over one's self, ha ha). Oh, and helicopters too. Lots of fun to be had with these moments!You only wish there were more. Between the over-extended focus on unimportant side-characters, and the lack of interesting things for Scheider to do, the movie quickly starts to rub you the wrong way - with the exception of the shark sequences. As a movie, and a monster movie, it is still an above-average effort from a competent crew, but it is brought down by an overly commercial approach to its setup and payoff. Reading further into the making-of, it was said that Arthur C Clarke and Peter Benchley each had sequel scripts that were turned down. Otto Preminger at one point was even a choice for director. Weep for what could have been bold, weird, or idiosyncratic choices and direction - for what we were left with was Jaws 2: an ok, so-so movie that takes few chances and doesn't give us the goods nearly enough.

gab-14712 Jaws. The movie that is often given the notion of starting the summer blockbuster season. It was a magnificent achievement that Steven Spielberg's film became a critical and monetary success. It was a tense thriller that relied upon hiding the shark until the end and its three main leads in Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw. So naturally a sequel would have to be made. Understandably so, I scratch my head at the thought of a sequel. But it doesn't matter because Jaws 2 does exist. I'll say this. It's the best sequel you could hope to make……but that is not saying much. The movie is sometimes enjoyable, but there are several critical mistakes in the movie.But let's start with the positives. The shark has returned, and it came back bigger and stronger than ever. The shark even has an evil-looking scar to it. I really liked the look of the shark. The performances weren't too bad, either. Out of the original cast, only Scheider, Lorraine Gary, and Murray Hamilton returned. Scheider had problems on set, but he tried his best to give a convincing performance as Chief Martin Brody. Once again, he succeeds. After all, he is now the human heart of the franchise. Next, I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the film. The buildup and tension to the reappearance of the shark is as good as ever. You really know that the shark is there to kill. John Williams returned with another amazing score. He used the original themes to great extent, and he added darker, more complex music to enhance those themes. I don't think this movie would work half as well without his powerful score.Now, the negatives. I mentioned that I liked the look of the shark. I do not like how and when the shark fully emerged, which was practically right away. The whole point of the first Jaws was to keep the shark in the shadows, to build tension. Now tension was effective here, but it could have been way better if they followed the formula of the first film. So the first film was mainly a psychological thriller. While that is retained for the first half, the second half becomes a dumbed down slasher film. Essentially, the second half was the kids (including Brody's son) versus the shark, and it played out like a worn-out teen horror flick. That is something I did not want to see. Finally, I missed the direction of Spielberg. He decided not to return, and Universal decided to attain the services of Jeannot Szwarc. He did an okay job, but he is no Steven Spielberg. You can tell there is a big difference in the directing style, and I'm not sure if I liked that change. I do miss what Shaw and Dreyfuss brought to the table, but Scheider managed to deliver a strong performance.Now let's talk some plot. This sequel takes place four years after the original horrors of Amity. One day, the town suddenly receives mysterious disappearances and boating accidents. Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) knows better than to call them accidents. He believes another killer shark has come to town. Just like before, he is ignored by the townsfolk and Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton). But once a group of teenagers, including Brody's son, sets out to sea, Brody goes after them. Will he reach them before its too late? So I had apprehensions for a long time watching this film because I fear it would not live up to the original classic. While it certainly does not, I won't deny it's a fun ride at times and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Let's put it this way. Jaws 2 is a decidedly inferior sequel to the original, but can be called a masterpiece compared to the two pile of dung sequels that followed (and I refuse to see). There are elements of the film I dislike, but this is good escapist cinema…..if you don't compare it to Jaws.My Grade: C+/B-

GL84 As Amity prepares to open a new resort complex, a series of boating accidents in the local waters prompts suspicion another shark is in the area and when it's confirmed the local police chief mounts a rescue attempt on a group of teens trapped by the creature.There is actually a lot to like in this one. One of the best features in here is that the shark is featured prominently and gets a chance to show off how great it looks due to the enhanced screen time. It's more believable and there's some really good suspense from its deformed and scarred face as the burn marks go the extra mile giving this beast a little more menace to it. Since it really looks more demonic being as mangled as this is and with the personality demonstrated, it makes for a more effective threat. There are a couple of great early attacks, starting with the divers being ambushed while discovering the shipwreck and a later scene where the fin surfaces behind an oblivious water-skier and trails them underwater. All of these attacks lead to the film's one truly imaginative scene, the debacle at the beach when what he thinks is the shark turns out to be nothing more threatening than a school of bluefish. The suspense apparent at the beginning is obvious, as the approaching figure does vaguely look like a shark at the spot from which it's spotted at, and the ending resolution is a nice twist. The film's main feat is the sailboat massacre which is a long, drawn out affair that really serves for quite a great time. from the moment the fin breaks the surface causing general pandemonium to the continued assaults and breakthroughs of the defense barriers that follow, this sequence never stops. Throwing in the fear of devourment with a couple of really well-done stalk-and-bite scenes that really hold up quite well and a few clever touches in their struggles helps this out. The helicopter downing is handled nicely, having an obstacle thrown at them that hammers home the hopelessness of the situation really clearly. The method for dispatching the creature isn't new, but it's nicely handled and really gets some suspense going, especially the shot of the massive creature bearing down on it. All in all, this wasn't all that terrible for a sequel. There really isn't a lot here that this doesn't do right, and most of that is the fact that film feels too padded out at times. It takes forever to get to the assault on the sailboats, and the wait to get there is filled with certain scenes that really don't need to be as long as they are. One of the most annoying things, though, about this film is the repetition of the we-can't-close the-beaches plot thread from the original. This attitude is inane for anyone who lived through Amity's previous nightmare summer, and even more so in a man whose son spends all of his free time out on the water. The repetition of this useless and really irritating subplot really takes most of the film's energy from it, but beyond these, the film isn't that bad.Rated PG: Graphic Violence and Language.