Jaws was released June 20, 1975 and became one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. It is considered the original Summer Blockbuster. It earned $260 million dollars during it’s initial theatrical run, adjusted for inflation that is an estimated 1.5 Billion dollars. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Murray Hamilton and Lorraine Gary.
The Movie was based on the 1974 Novel Jaws by Peter Benchley who co-wrote the screenplay with Carl Gottlieb. Peter Benchley based the Novel loosely on a series of real life shark attacks along the New Jersey Shore in 1916, and the exploits of a shark fisherman from Montauk, New York named Frank Mundus. It tells the story of Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) of Amity Island and his quest to protect beachgoers from a great white shark by closing the beach. This is overruled by the town council, headed by the mayor Larry Vaughan (Murray Hamilton), which wants the beach to remain open in order to sustain the local tourist economy.
After several attacks, the police chief enlists the help of marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and a professional shark hunter, Quint (Robert Shaw). The three voyage out onto the ocean in Quint’s boat – the Orca. The shark kills Quint, but Brody manages to destroy it by shooting at a highly pressurized air tank that he has wedged in its mouth. In the end, Brody and Hooper are seen swimming away from the sinking Orca, having both managed to survive the shark attack on the boat uninjured.
The Sequel Jaws 2 was released on June 16, 1978 and became the highest grossing sequel in Film History at the time. It was directed by Jeannot Szwarc and starred Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary and Murray Hamilton all reprising their roles from the first movie. Steven Spielberg wanted to make the sequel as a prequel focusing on The U.S.S. Indianapolis that famously sunk at the end of WWII and Quint’s experience.
Quint, the shark fisherman from the first movie, talked about his experience on The Indianapolis, surviving the sinking of the ship and the shark infested waters that killed hundreds of men. Spielberg wanted to follow that storyline as a prequel to Jaws but the studio had other ideas and Spielberg opted out. Richard Dreyfuss and Steven Spielberg were pretty tight at the time and Richard told the studio if they wanted him to be in the sequel they would have to pay him an exorbitant fee, they refused. Neither Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss, nor Peter Benchley the Author had anything to do with the sequel.
Jaws 2 depicts the same town four years after the events of the original film when another great white shark arrives on the shores of the fictional seaside resort of Amity Island. Directed by Jeannot Szwarc and starring Roy Scheider again as Police Chief Martin Brody, who, after a series of deaths and disappearances, suspects that the culprit is another shark. However, he has trouble convincing the town’s selectmen. Once fired, he has to act alone to save a group of teenagers, including his two sons, who encounter the shark whilst out sailing. Brody then manages to kill the shark at Cable Junction upon pulling up one of the underwater cables.
Jaws 3-D was released July 22, 1983 and became the second highest grossing opening movie of 1983, the first being Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. In spite of that Jaws 3-D is generally considered the start of the downward spiral of The Jaws Franchise. Critics panned the movie and it was nominated for 5 Golden Raspberry awards; Worst Picture, Worst supporting Actor, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst New Star.
It was directed by Joe Alves and starred Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale and Louis Gossett Jr. The plot of Jaws 3-D moves away from Amity Island to SeaWorld in Florida, a water themed-park with underwater tunnels and lagoons. As the park prepares to open, it is infiltrated by a baby great white shark which attacks and kills water-skiers and park employees. Once the baby shark is captured, it becomes apparent that a much larger shark, the mother, is present.
The characters of Martin’s sons from the first two films are developed further in this film: Michael Brody (Dennis Quaid) is the chief engineer of the park and his younger brother, Sean (John Putch), arrives at the resort to visit him. The events of the earlier films are implied through Sean’s dislike of the water because of “something that happened when he was a kid.” According to the press statements for Jaws: The Revenge, the events and character development from Jaws 3-D are independent from the rest of the series.
*You do not need 3-D glasses to watch this movie as it is streamed in 2-D like the rest of the movies.
Jaws: The Revenge was released July 17, 1987 and brought Lorraine Gary from the first two movies out of retirement to reprise her role from the first two films. It was directed by Joseph Sargent and also starred Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles, Karen Young and Michael Caine.
It is the lowest grossing film of the franchise and considered the worst film of the franchise. It is credited with sinking the franchise and was nominated for 7 Golden Raspberry awards; Worst Actor, Worst Actress, Worst supporting Actor, Worst Screenplay, Worst Picture, Worst Director and Worst Special Effects.
Jaws: The Revenge sees the storyline returning to Amity Island, but ignores all plot elements introduced in Jaws 3-D. No mention is made to Michael’s girlfriend from the previous film, Kathryn Morgan (Bess Armstrong), or his career change from an engineer at SeaWorld to a marine biologist. In fact, one of the Universal Studios press releases for Jaws: The Revenge omits Jaws 3-D entirely by referring to Jaws: The Revenge as the “third film of the remarkable Jaws trilogy.”
By the start of the film, Martin Brody had died of a heart attack, although his wife, Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary), claims that he died through fear of the shark. Her youngest son, Sean (Mitchell Anderson), now working as a police deputy in Amity, is dispatched to clear a log from a buoy. As he does so, he is attacked and killed by a shark. Ellen becomes convinced that a shark is deliberately victimizing her family for the deaths of the first two sharks. Michael (Lance Guest) convinces her to spend some time with his family in The Bahamas.
However, as his job involves a lot of time on and in the sea, Ellen fears that he will be the shark’s next victim. When her granddaughter, Thea (Judith Barsi), narrowly avoids being attacked by a shark, Ellen takes a boat in order to kill her family’s alleged stalker. Hoagie (Michael Caine), Michael, and his friend Jake (Mario Van Peebles) find Ellen and then proceed to electrocute the shark, driving it out of the water and impaling it on the prow of Ellen’s boat.
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