Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13296 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-07-30
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 111 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Judged entirely on its own merits, Jaws 2 isn't a bad film. It even has some passably scary moments (Brody discovering a charred body in the waves; the swimming boy racing the shark back to his dinghy). But it's absolutely impossible to judge this movie on its own merits. Despite being given a great big Panavision camera to play with director Jeannot Szwarc can't hide his TV-movie origins, nor can the script, both of which spend far too long landlocked with the bickering inhabitants of Amity Island. Where the original film boldly set out to sea with Robert Shaw's Ahab-like Quint, in a misplaced desire to attract a teenage audience this movie dwells at interminable length on the courting rituals of the local youth; where Spielberg's original is a masterpiece of pacing and carefully timed tension-building, Jaws 2 sags terribly whenever the plastic shark swims out of sight. Roy Scheider comes off best, reprising his role as Chief Brody, while Lorraine Gary's role as his wife is expanded (she must be a glutton for punishment: she also starred in Jaws 4: The Revenge). Taken as a sequel Jaws 2 is inferior in every way; taken as an unassuming TV movie it's a respectable, workmanlike effort; but looking forward at what was to follow, it begins to look like a minor masterpiece. --Mark Walker

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
Amity police chief Brody discovers that there's more than one fish in the sea--the great white shark he destroyed in the first film has a hungry mate ready to wreak havoc on the community. This action-packed sequel features the welcome return of Roy Scheider and Lorraine Gary reprising their roles from the original blockbuster that did for ocean beaches what PSYCHO did for showers.

Customer Reviews

Better than Jaws, like stabbed is better than shot.
Superior film in every way to the predictable nature of the first Jaws, Jaws 2 still suffers from the unlikely idea of a giant fish attacking beach users and then the same policeman killing this other big fish. This is too silly. Fish don't get this big or unfriendly. The effects are just as amateur as the first one, and the plot, like most dangerous animal films, puts people in the situation of confronting such a beast rather than running away. I for one still go into the sea and have yet to find fish this big. A fishermans tale committed to film but at least no pirates this time. Don't waste your money on this stickleback, see Killerfish or Piranha instead Piranha [1978].

Not A Patch On The Original - But Okay Sequel
Roy Scheider returns in this sequel and puts in a great performance. However, there's no Robert Shaw or Richard Dreyfuss . There's also no Spielberg which means we see the shark a bit too early and the general suspense of the original isn't there.

Jaws 2 always had a lot to live up to. It doesn't reach the great heights of the original but is a decent enough film in it's own right. If, like me, you loved the original then you'll enjoy this one enough.

6/10

Quick Reviews!
Without Spielberg and certain members of the original cast, this sequel to the seventies smash was never going to come close to being as good as its daddy. It has its moments though with a good amount of scares, humour and fair performances. As sequels to masterpieces go, it's not bad.

Jaws 2 takes place in the same resort town Amity a few years after the original, with Sheriff Brody trying to lead a safe, peaceful life with his family. However, a few recent deaths cause suspicion in his mind, and he finds the half-devoured corpse of a killer-whale he believes another Great White is attacking in the area. Naturally no-one believes him, thinking he has grown paranoid over past incidents. The money grabbing mayor is trying to make the town popular again and will not listen. A sailing event is taking place soon, and although Brody warns his kids to stay out of the water, they disobey him and go with their friends in various tiny boats an catamarans. Brody is fired for scaring tourists, and he goes looking for his kids. Meanwhile the shark attacks the many boats, killing some, and soon each person is struggling for their life on pieces of driftwood.

Jaws 2 is a film which takes a deeper look at Brody's family life, as well as the Mayor's, dealing with similar issues to the first. However, the action and death count is increased, but unlike most sequels this does not cause it to suffer. There is a good amount of tension created, and we never know whose boat is going to be attacked next. Once the sizes of the boats and shark are compared, we know the kids have little hope. The mix of kids is good, with certain characters giving funny moments. Mostly the performances are good, particularly from Scheider, while most of the annoying characters are happily eaten. Memorable moments include the finale, the water-skier scene, and of course the helicopter scene. Much better than the next two, though I have a habit of marking high.

Unfortunately the DVD does not have any strong extras, so unless you are a massive fan of the film, you'll be better off getting this in the box set. Still, as a stand alone it's cheap.