Review: Jaws 2

Written by: Tony Lazlo, CC2K Staff Writer

I’ve been trying to put my finger on why I like certain movies and not others. There are countless movies I don’t like that are still competently shot and adequately written.

JAWS 2 falls into that cohort. This script never would’ve been made unless part one was a hit, but alas, we lose the incredible core three characters in favor of an adrift Roy Scheider and a gaggle of shrieking teenagers straight out of a FRIDAY THE 13th movie. Lorraine Gary remains a strong presence but is given nothing to do.

The director, Jeannot Szwarc, has a good visual style, and he matches the tone and texture of the original, but this just isn’t a formula that lends itself to sequels. It’s funny how the special effects for this volume—the shark—are far better than the original, and yet with the exception of one scene, it’s not scary at all.

That one scene follows a young couple out boating; I found it legitimately gripping, but then the movie slid back into FRIDAY THE 13th territory. It’s also puzzling how one movie can depict a victim’s trauma with care and empathy, but in another, it just feels exploitative.