Steven Spielberg's breakout hit didn't just sell a lot of tickets - it fundamentally changed the film industry. It starts with a shark attack at a teen beach party, which gives way to a string of kills that are mysteriously close together in time.
Police Chief Brody of Amity Island urges the town council to shut the beaches down, but they fear the effect that canceling their 4th of July party might have on tourism, even catching a small shark to "prove" that the problem is under control. But the real
shark behind the carnage is bigger and hungrier, and Brody sets off with a scientist and fisherman to the middle of the ocean in a small boat.
This movie has a compelling mix of disaster, adventure, suspense, and even early slasher elements. While it was very difficult to shoot, the workarounds that were done vastly improve it. The shark is hardly ever shown, keeping you on the edge of your seat over when it will
strike next. Isolating the three shark-hunters could have gone very badly for the pacing, but it works, because of the immaculate chemistry these three characters have. The tension never lets up, because you care about them so much that the shark attacks make you worried for their survival. Later entries
would have you practically rooting for the shark.
"Jaws" popularized the summer blockbuster, creating the studio incentives to deliver on what audiences want. While studios don't always get it right, the wonder of this movie is that it knew beforehand. It never ceases to amaze, even after multiple viewings.
Available on VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: A
Roy Scheider was legally obligated to be in a sequel to "Jaws" as part of a contract. In it, Steven Spielberg was replaced as the director by Jeannot Szwarc, and you can tell. The new director's philosophy was completely different - rather than rely on suspense,
show as much of the shark as possible for the money shots. Police Chief Brody is once again followed as another string of shark attacks strikes Amity Island, but when he tries convincing the town council that the beaches need to be closed again, they don't believe him.
After falsely warning the beachgoers of a shark and creating a panic, he is fired due to his "paranoia". When a group of teenagers decide to have a sailing party, he must go rogue to rescue them from another feeding frenzy.
For being forced into the film, Scheider does a great job at reprising his role, and stands out among the other characters, who mainly exist to be chased by the shark. Without victims to care about, the action will lack emotional weight, however energetically it's directed. "Jaws 2" is a competent sequel,
but it feels like it takes the marketable aspects of its predecessor and amplifies them, rather than understanding what made it work in the first place.
Available on VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: C+
"Jaws 2" was a disappointing sequel, but at least it was competently made. This one is not. It follows Police Chief Brody's family as they visit SeaWorld, at which a great white infiltrates its underground tunnel system. While this poses a threat to the workers, the park's leaders insist on holding the shark in captivity to
attract more tourists. They are unable to, however, and it soon threatens the very structure of the park.
While "Jaws" at SeaWorld is a great idea, the execution is terrible. Much like in "Jaws 2", the characters are blandly written, but this time, even the action is inept, with blue-screen effects that wouldn't look good in the 50's, let alone the 80's. Originally shown in 3-D, the home video versions omitted this gimmick, resulting
in drawn-out shots that feel pointless. "Jaws 3-D" could have been a fun thriller in the tradition of "Westworld", but instead, it continues the downward trend of quality in the "Jaws" franchise.
Available on VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: D+
This classic Michael Crichton adaptation follows John Hammond, who invites a lawyer, a scientist, and an archaeologist's family to a pre-opening of Jurassic Park, a theme park that brings dinosaurs back to life with cloning technology. While it appears to be
promising, one of the computer programmers steals DNA for the black market, shutting off the power to aid his escape. When the electric fences stop working, the dinosaurs roam free, while the visitors are stranded.
While this may cause controversy among fans, there is an issue with the film that immediately becomes apparent after the thrilling opening scene. The setup is rushed, and until all the characters are brought together, it's hard to follow their rapid dialogue and scattered locations.
It's almost as if the filmmakers were too eager to get to the park.
But as soon as the park is reached, you can immediately see why the film had such an impact. While the first brachiosaurus that the characters see may look fake by today's standards, it's important to remember that in 1993, CGI was in its infancy. Compared to stop-motion, which was the standard at
the time, it has fluid motion and high definition. The movie also seems to know that CGI's luster fades over time, because it's mainly used in wide shots. When dinosaurs are shown up close, or interact with the characters, animatronics are mostly used, and they look real, even decades later.
When the park "goes wrong", the tone shifts from the wonder of discovery to terror that humanity can't comprehend. The action sequences are fantastic, largely because they rely on visual cues that slowly build up to explosive intensity. However, the movie has quiet moments as well, which serve to
address the philosophical question it raises - do humans have the capacity to colonize nature that was before their time, and in an untested way? This is a question that either gets repeated or ignored in the later entries. "Jurassic Park" broke real ground, setting forth the digital age of cinema.
While it's not Spielberg's best work, it started a franchise that could only imitate its mix of wonder and tension.
Available on VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: A-
Joe Johnston, the director of "Jumanji", was chosen for this third installment, bringing forth tighter pacing and a heavier reliance on CGI effects. But this adventure is missing a key component from the first two - a human conflict. Alan Grant is offered money to give two people claiming to be a rich couple a guided
tour of Isla Sorna. Unbeknownst to him, they don't have the money or permission to go there, but need to rescue their son, who has gone missing while parasailing. While on the island, they find ferocious dinosaurs.
While the couple does intentionally mislead our hero into helping them, they have a sympathetic motive, reducing the tension to a series of dinosaur attacks. New dinosaurs were introduced, including feathered Velociraptors and a Spinosaurus. But while Industrial Light & Magic updated the CGI, they also used it for close-ups, which give the
feeling of an early-2000's tech demo. "Jurassic Park III" isn't the worst in the series, but it's easy to see why the series was paused for 14 years.
Available on VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: C
This low-budget rom-com is Exhibit A of "so-bad-it's-good". Opening with iMovie-style credits, it soon follows three women who are unsuccessful in their love lives. That changes, however, when a strange man comes to their door to give them
fortune cookies, which tell them that they will find true love. They then search for dates, working to make that fortune happen.
During the indoor scenes, it becomes clear that the filmmakers had no concept of noise reduction, so not only is there horrendous reverberation, you can sometimes hear the whir of a washing machine in the background. The man with the fortune cookies
pops up on multiple occasions, even playing the bartender at one of the dates. Even though the runtime is barely over an hour, scenes go on for longer than they need to, such as when a little girl scolds a couple for making out in a swimming pool. The soundtrack
is almost certainly generated by a Casio keyboard, and the jokes border on mean-spirited, such as when a blind man is led into a women's restroom. Despite being terrible, it's fun enough to watch that I have rewatched it. "Just Our Luck" rivals
"Troll 2" and "The Room" in terms of badness, and will probably have a cult following in the next 20 years.
Available on DVD
Grade: D-