Review Detail

First things first - I love Jaws 2. Always have and always will. I find it's an incredibly underrated sequel, which considering its problematic shoot (original director John Hancock being fired after at least a week's shooting) is actually a very fine example of how to make a worthy follow up to a classic original. It's crammed full of superb set pieces and the best special effects of the entire series. Sure, it hasn't quite got the deft touch of Spielberg's Jaws, but it has a good script, interesting characters and is paced to near perfection. Oh, and John Williams outdoes himself again with another brilliant score.

So, needless to say I've been watching the progress of this edit with some degree of excitement and fascination. The efforts that Ridgeshark has gone to here, to not only present the longest version of Jaws 2 possible, but also the painstaking trials and tribulations of turning old VHS footage into something half decent alongside the HD quality of the theatrical cut footage, is quite something to behold. I for one was quite surprised how reasonable the VHS footage looked. Sure, it's light years away from the theatrical footage, but it's very impressive nonetheless.

Ridgeshark also deserves considerable praise for his skillfully he transitions from full widescreen to scenes which are 4:3. Of course it's noticeable, but this is as carefully done as it could be and makes for rewarding viewing. I could be wrong, but it appeared once a deleted scene was about to come up he would gradually fade in the audio from the VHS or deleted footage whilst the theatrical cut was still playing, meaning any sound quality difference between the two would be as unnoticeable as possible. Only once did sound levels seem a bit off, when Brody is in the bathroom after pulling the body out of the ocean - it just seemed louder than anywhere else in the edit - otherwise, this is excellent work.

Of the deleted footage, some scenes are better than others. Some you could literally see why they were cut (usually unimportant scenes which go for pacing reasons), but others are genuine gems which I wish had stayed in the theatrical cut. For example, the scene where Brody's job is discussed by the Amity council is much longer, and you really see the Mayor wanting Brody to stay in his position as Chief of Police. Needless to say, the extended helicopter scene is much scarier and is terrific.. it was also cool to see the diver's camera recovered. So much good stuff.

Overall, this is a must see for any Jaws 2 fan. Ridgeshark, I would like to congratulate you on a brilliant edit. I also loved the moment during the end credits where you give information about the various sources you used. A nice touch. All in all, Jaws 2:Extended Integral Cut comes highly recommended.