JAWS 2

CAPSULE REVIEW –– I'm not really sure why I sat through this movie. I guess there's nothing that makes you feel better than a mindless popcorn flick. I have to admit I was expecting this sequel to be much worse. It doesn't have much of a story – shark returns, kills several locals, town bigwigs try to sweep the deaths under the rug despite evidence to the contrary. What makes it watchable is Roy Scheider, as Chief Brody, back on the case, fighting for his community. Fear and resignation ooze from his weary bones, as the only person willing to face the danger. Since the shark actually works in this version, the killings are more plentiful and gruesome, though much is still left to the imagination. You don't really have to know the people to feel horrified at their becoming lunch. The final sequence, where the shark snacks on a group of silly teens as they sail the open sea, is initially exciting and frightening, but it goes on so long it loses it's effectiveness. It doesn't really feel like the finale, so it's a bit jarring when the film drops off suddenly with a quick resolution. Ah, the days when dead meant dead. What this version lacks in suspense and mystery, it more than makes up for in body count. Scheider gives the film heart and depth, but the talent of Shaw, Dreyfuss and Spielberg is sorely missed. So, is an interesting plot, but you can't have everything.