What does the panel make of this film?
It's an utterly cynical, cash-grabbing exercise, but as far as pointless sequels go it's better than it needs to be. Jaws is a masterpiece, obviously, whereas Jaws 2 is merely a competent film about a massive shark terrorising some kids. Nevertheless, while watching it again recently, I was struck by the fact that it never flags. There's no padding, it's a straightforward deadly shark thriller: a B-Movie with a major studio budget.
Jaws 2 Pros
Roy Scheider didn't want to make the film, but he was under contract and had no choice. He delivers a committed performance, despite knowing that the film he's in is fundamentally stupid. A pro. Hats off to Roy.
The mayor refusing to accept that Amity Island has another shark problem is quite funny. That's probably not intentional, but Vaughn is such a venal character, his actions are plausible within the context of an otherwise utterly implausible film.
I usually roll my eyes at cheap jump-scares, but the bit where Brody wades into the sea to investigate a suspicious piece of driftwood is brilliant.
There's also that bit at the start of the film where the shark hoves into shot without any warning. No John Williams cue, the bastard just suddenly appears. That works a treat.
The generic '70s teenagers are quite well-acted for the most part. They're not rounded characters, but you do feel invested in their fate. The final act, in which the shark is hellbent on eating them all, is suspenseful. And when one of them actually does get eaten, right in front of lil Brody's eyes, well that's a rather brutal moment, isn't it?
"Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back in the Water" is the greatest film poster tagline ever.
Jaws 2 Cons
It's a film in which a predatory great white shark terrorises an island community again. The chances of that happening once are far-fetched, but who cares? Spielberg draws you in. The chances of it happening twice, well that's just laughable.
The mayor's actions aren't plausible at all, despite what I said earlier. He only behaves in that way because the film demands it.
It contains a notorious shot in which the shark blatantly bends, like a rubbery finger puppet, when it brushes against the side of a boat. You can also see a metal rod inside its mouth. Boring people wang on about how fake Bruce looks (I don't think he does, for the most part anyway), but there is nothing in Jaws as egregious as that.
Jaws 2 eats a helicopter, but I actually quite like that scene. It's amusing. So maybe that should go in the Pros column.
***
I am bored, yes.
