Jaws 2 (1978)

Director:

Jeannot Szwarc

Writers:

Peter Benchley (characters)
Carl Gottlieb (written by) ...

Release Date:

16 June 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

Plot:

Police chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.

Plot Keywords:

Shark | Island | Police Chief | Beach | Mayor

Cast

Roy Scheider	...	Police Chief Martin Brody
Lorraine Gary	...	Ellen Brody
Murray Hamilton	...	Mayor Larry Vaughn
Joseph Mascolo	...	Len Peterson
Jeffrey Kramer	...	Deputy Jeff Hendricks
Collin Wilcox Paxton	...	Dr. Lureen Elkins (as Collin Wilcox)
Ann Dusenberry	...	Tina Wilcox
Mark Gruner	...	Michael 'Mike' Brody
Barry Coe	...	Tom Andrews
Susan French	...	Grace Witherspoon - Old Lady
Gary Springer	...	Andy Nicholas
Donna Wilkes	...	Jackie Peters
Gary Dubin	...	Eddie Marchand
John Dukakis	...	Paul 'Polo' Loman
G. Thomas Dunlop	...	Timmy Weldon

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (2001) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Norway:15 (DVD) | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:12 (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | USA:PG (certificate #25237) | UK:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Chappaquiddick Island, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

This marks the last film of Mark Gruner's (Mike Brody) acting career.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Mike gets knocked cold during the shark attack, he slides off the boat and into the water, but when the shark flips it over a moment later, not only is he back on board, but he is sitting upright as if he is awake.

Quotes:

Len Peterson: Brody, this is nothing! Seaweed, mud, something on the lens...
Martin Brody: Lens my ass!
Len Peterson: You're damn right it's your ass!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-04-25)" (2008)

Has Its Moments, But Not Very Good

No doubt Jaws 2 had some big shoes to fill. It can't be easy to make a sequel that surpasses the greatness of a film thats become a classic. Jaws 2 tried a few new techniques so it wouldn't be more of the same, but most of them didn't work. The only things that did work were the techniques used in the first movie.

The Plot- Amity Island has been suffering from financial troubles since the shark attack that occurred a few years back. And when a series of accidents occur out in the ocean, police chief Martin Brody thinks another shark has come to Amity for some dinner. Of course, nobody believes him and he has to fight this war himself.

The Pros- Jaws 2 has its upsides. Roy Scheider reprises his role as police chief Martin Brody, Lorraine Gary reprises her role as Ellen Brody, Martin's supportive wife, and Murray Hamilton reprises his role as Amity's mayor Larry Vaughn. The returning actors are very impressive and are definitely a plus for the movie. Another pro is John William's musical score, he still uses the classic Jaws theme and added some new things. There are a few more little things that make the movie decent.

The Cons- Keep in mind I said the movie is decent, not good. The new actors pretty much suck. The movie tries to do kind of a teen slasher flick kind of format, using teenagers as most of the cast. Most of the teen actors were merely average at best and the plot wasn't anything to write home about. My biggest pet peave about this movie is that you see the shark way too much. The shark in the first movie had little screen time until the end, which is what made it so intense and thrilling. But the shark looks fake sometimes, so when you see it that often, its not very thrilling. The director said if you know what the shark looks like, don't hold back. Thats true, its no mystery, we know what the shark looks like, but it still had too much screen time. Speaking of the director, Jeannot Szwarc was not nearly as good as Spielberg. The direction was pretty bad.

Well Jaws 2 is definitely better than Jaws 3 and 4, but thats not saying much. I don't think any animal disaster film will live up to the original Jaws. Jaws 2 is probably worth a rental, but I wouldn't buy it.

I Give Jaws 2 a 5/10.