Review of Jaws: 25th Anniversary Collector`s Edition

Introduction

Q: What have the films “Anaconda”, “Deep Blue Sea”, and “Alligator” got in common?

A: They are all the illegitimate cousins of the world’s favourite rubber shark, reborn again in this 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition DVD.

Just when you thought it was safe to sit back in front of your television, Jaws bites back. It is hard to believe that 25 years have passed since this classic film was first released, itself subject to several sequels – but none matching the sheer terror and suspense that this first episode generated. The tale of a rogue Great White with a taste for New York flesh, this gargantuan blockbuster helped secure Steven Spielberg’s future as one of Hollywood’s leading directors and made stars of Rob Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. It gave the moviegoer many unforgettable movie memories and (inaccurately) ensured that we forever associate sharks with death by paddling.

That’s all very well for a film released a quarter of a century ago, but how does it shape up to some of today’s alternative natural killing machines?

Video

The anamorphic 2.35 transfer is superb. Digitally re-mastered and restored, it is in better nick now than it was back in 1975. Every subtle detail is visible like never before, including some great fog scenes in Amity Bay. There really is nothing to complain about here considering the original master`s age.

Audio

The DD5.1 track is suitably impressive and more than a match for the visuals. John William’s instantly recognisable score is at its most impressive best in this DVD. The thump-thump of the menacing score is transferred impeccably here and adds greatly to the overall atmosphere. Vocals come over cleanly and with good separation, as do the various effects used throughout. Although I have not tested the DTS version personally, I am lead to believe that it surpasses even this Dolby Digital incarnation.

Features

The key inclusion is the documentary “The Making of Jaws”. Beginning with Spielberg reminiscing about his involvement with the project, it carries on to show some key scenes from the movie’s production and explains some of the problems encountered during filming. It is amazing to see the rudimentary ways in which some of the effects were created, and it makes you think how easy filmmakers have it today with CG techniques. Dreyfuss is often hilarious as he recounts his memories of the mechanical shark and its repeated stubbornness to perform as required. Other key staff involved in the filming are also included, making the whole documentary a worthy inclusion to the DVD and a veritable mine of information for Jaws fans.

Also included is a collection of 10 deleted scenes, but these are mostly longer (and uninteresting) versions of the ones included in the main feature. There are a few scenes that were never seen in the original version, but again are of questionable quality and it is clear why they were cut in the first place.

There are a couple of short outtakes that include a hilarious scene where Scheider is trying to shoot Jaws from the ship and finds his gun repeatedly jamming. He becomes more and more agitated until deciding to conclude the final take with a loud “Ah, f**k!”

For quiz fans there is a Jaws trivia game entitled “Get out of the Water!” The twelve moderately challenging multiple-choice questions are well chosen and will show a pertinent clip of the movie or documentary if you get stuck.

There’s also “Shark World” that gives lots of information about the world of the shark, storyboard drawings for various sequences, some production notes, three theatrical trailers, cast and director biographies, some photographs and a Jaws screensaver (for DVD-ROM owners).

Conclusion

This DVD captures all of the terror and suspense of Spielberg’s masterpiece and adds extra value in the form of a great documentary. It is apparent that a great deal of effort went into the encoding of both the sound and picture and is a worthy tribute to one of cinema’s true blockbusters.

I’m not a fan of all of Spielberg`s films, but I cannot begrudge him Jaws, which is still, twenty-five years later, arguably the finest thriller ever made. Everything clicks--the performances, the filmmaking technique, and the music. Jaws is not merely the most significant "monster movie" since Godzilla first stomped the planet; it`s one of cinema`s crowning achievements. May it continue scaring audiences out of the water for decades to come.