Review - Jaws (1975)

       Hey guys, Chuck here, and today marks the official fifty-year anniversary of the release of the Universal Pictures classic: Jaws. The movie that made audiences afraid to go into the water, this 1975 classic, often dubbed "the original blockbuster," was directed by Steven Spielberg, and stars Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gray, and Murray Hamilton. 

        The movie is set on Amity Island, which is preparing for it's annual Independence Day celebration, which means a lot of beachgoers. However, multiple individuals have been victims of a shark attack, prompting concern from Amity Island's police chief Martin Brody, who wants to hold off on any festivities and close the beaches until the matter is properly investigated. This doesn't sit well with Amity Island's mayor Larry Vaughn, who urges Brody to reconsider closing the beaches, as their closure could lead cause the summer economy to suffer. But, when a bounty is put out on the shark, many go out looking for the beast, including grizzled shark hunter Quint. 

       A marine biologist named Matthew Hooper is also looking into the attacks, believing it to be the work of an unusually large shark. But, some of the shark hunters nab a tiger shark, and Mayor Vaughn is satisfied enough to resume plans for the Independence Day celebration, in spite of protests from both Brody and Hooper, the latter of whom believes the attacks were caused by a Great White shark. And, when another attack occurs, people either get eaten or put in danger, and this includes Brody's own son. 

      Fed up, Brody forces Mayor Vaughn to pay Quint an exuberant amount of money to go out on his boat, the Orca, and hunt the killer shark down. And, both Brody and Hooper go with Quint to get the job done. And, what follows is a set of events that are, quite easily, the most memorable parts of the movie. Quint has Brody set a chum line to bait the massive shark, and when he sees just *how* big it is, Brody looks at Quint and  remarks "You're gonna need a bigger boat." Quint and Hooper are able to attach a barrel strung to a spear to the shark. Quint, Hooper, and Brody share stories, which includes Quint telling of how he survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in World War II. 

     Unfortunately, the shark knocks the Orca about, causing issues with the engine, and leaving the boat with no power. The next morning, Quint and Hooper are able to fix the engine, but the shark detached itself from the first barrel, thus requiring Quint and Hooper to latch more barrels onto it. Hooper and Brody get the idea to lure the shark closer to shore, and Quint pushes the engine too hard, leading to a blowout. Hooper assembles the anti-shark cage to get a close look at the beast while in the water. But, the massive shark destroys the cage, rips off the stern of the Orca, and devours Quint. Alone, Brody is able to spot a tank of compressed air in the shark's mouth, and gets a lucky shot on the tank, blowing the shark into oblivion. Hooper emerges from the water, and he and Brody paddle back to shore. 

     Jaws is almost infamous for being plagued with production problems. A major example is involving the mechanical shark, named Bruce, almost always breaking down. In fact, the footage of the shark in the movie is quite literally the ONLY viable footage they had from the production. And, the reason for so many mechanical issues with the shark was due to Steven Spielberg choosing to film the movie on location, meaning a lot of little boats out on the Atlantic Ocean, or the Amity Island sets being in the coastal town of Martha's Vineyard. Luckily, Spielberg was able to use various tricks and carefully placed perspective shots to add for a more terrifying and visceral experience. 

      The performances in Jaws are genuinely iconic, with the trio of Roy Scheider as Brody, Robert Shaw as Quint, and Richard Dreyfuss as Hooper being the most memorable. Other memorable performances came from Lorraine Gray as Brody's wife, Ellen, and from Murray Hamilton as Mayor Vaughn. The music by John Williams is easily among his most iconic, with the simple two-note motif still standing out to this very day. 

      Jaws was a genuine game changer in the landscape of Hollywood. It changed how movies were marketed, it had genuine staying power at the box office in the summer of 1975, and was, quite truly, the first true Hollywood blockbuster. There's a reason that this movie is still represented at Universal Studios amusement parks around the world, whether it's as part of the Studio Tram Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood, or as a proper boat ride at other Universal parks. And, fifty years later, Jaws still stands as one of the most iconic films in the vast Universal Pictures library. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll be back tomorrow with my thoughts on the 2025 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.