Review Detail
9.6 9 10
Overall rating
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
9.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
Jaws 2 is frequently thrown under the bus as an almost worthless sequel because of the cardinal sin of not being nearly as great as the original Jaws. And to be honest that's true, it's not. But it's still a solid and highly enjoyable and entertaining movie that still feels a lot like it belongs with the original, and it does have certain unforgettable moments and scenes. For me, it's the third best among all of the "killer fish" movies that were made around the late 70s-early 80s (second best would be Joe Dante's Piranha, and I don't think I need to mention what the absolute best is).
However, as Last Survivor very sharply noticed, this is at its core actually a slasher film in the ocean. This was 1978, and the slasher genre was rising fast. You may have heard of a certain little film starring a guy in a William Shatner mask that was released that very year and that I understand got quite popular... So they did apply the structure to the sequel to Jaws, which in my opinion definitely beats the kind of sequel that just tries to be a replica of the original. So what this edit does is embracing that factor and the fun that comes with it, and the result is a fast paced, lean, mean little trip that feels like the perfect "rainy Sunday afternoon" type of movie. Exactly what it was for a lot of us, including the editor. One can feel the love that LS has for the film and the franchise in every frame and every cut.
Editing is, as expected, completely professional. If one had never seen the film it would be impossible to guess where the cuts happen. I also love the warm, summery color grading that fits the movie so well, and particularly the fact that the John Williams score has never sounded better. If you are a Williams fan (and who isn't?) you will love this edit.
The only minor flaws that this presents are a bit of ghosting in certain shots. Now, I am aware of Last Survivor doing absolutely everything he could do to make those look good, but some things are unavoidable if you have a sub-par source for one scene (an originally interlaced and low quality deleted bit) or if you play with less than ideal slow down parameters ingrained in your software. But this is, as I said, minor stuff, the edit looks absolutely great otherwise, and let's be honest, this is the type of movie we all watched on battered rental tapes and never complained.
A hour and a half of pure fun. It even includes a playful wink at the so-terrible-it's-good Jaws IV! What else can one ask for?
However, as Last Survivor very sharply noticed, this is at its core actually a slasher film in the ocean. This was 1978, and the slasher genre was rising fast. You may have heard of a certain little film starring a guy in a William Shatner mask that was released that very year and that I understand got quite popular... So they did apply the structure to the sequel to Jaws, which in my opinion definitely beats the kind of sequel that just tries to be a replica of the original. So what this edit does is embracing that factor and the fun that comes with it, and the result is a fast paced, lean, mean little trip that feels like the perfect "rainy Sunday afternoon" type of movie. Exactly what it was for a lot of us, including the editor. One can feel the love that LS has for the film and the franchise in every frame and every cut.
Editing is, as expected, completely professional. If one had never seen the film it would be impossible to guess where the cuts happen. I also love the warm, summery color grading that fits the movie so well, and particularly the fact that the John Williams score has never sounded better. If you are a Williams fan (and who isn't?) you will love this edit.
The only minor flaws that this presents are a bit of ghosting in certain shots. Now, I am aware of Last Survivor doing absolutely everything he could do to make those look good, but some things are unavoidable if you have a sub-par source for one scene (an originally interlaced and low quality deleted bit) or if you play with less than ideal slow down parameters ingrained in your software. But this is, as I said, minor stuff, the edit looks absolutely great otherwise, and let's be honest, this is the type of movie we all watched on battered rental tapes and never complained.
A hour and a half of pure fun. It even includes a playful wink at the so-terrible-it's-good Jaws IV! What else can one ask for?
D