This is the movie that made you afraid to go into the water. It's simply a classic, a masterpiece. One of the very few movies out there that transends it's genre and becomes something truly of it's own.

Horror, action or suspense, Jaws has it all. A huge great white shark has moved into a small island town and has begun to feast on the local residents. At first the attacks are dismissed as boating accidents or missing persons.

Brody enlists the help of a marine biologist who tries to help Brody in understanding the huge shark's patterns and behaviors. After a local boy is killed by the shark the deceased boy's mother runs an add in sporting magazines and larger city newspapers offering a reward for the killing of the shark. Before the ad gets much attention town officials hire Quint, a local fisherman to hunt down the shark. Brody and Hooper tag along on Quint's boat the Orca in hunt of the great shark.

From the opening credits to the end credits, Jaws will hold you firmly in it's mouth. The cast and characters are incredible. The interaction on the Orca between Hooper, Quint and Brody is smooth and natural you can almost feel them becoming friends as the three bond together.

What really drives Jaws is the tension, you can almost always feel the shark's presence. And with the unforgettable music associated with the shark, you know as soon as you hear the first BA DUM that the water will soon be a dark crimson. Then there is the shark himself, amazing.

I dare you to find another creature effect that has stood and will stand the test of time so well, for it's era Jaws is an effects work of art. This is just a movie that gets it right in all ways. Characters who you care about, a villian who you fear and admire and an atmosphere that when the lights are low you can feel the waves and smell the salty air. This is a must see and a must own.

10 of 10, A MASTERWORK

Jaws truly is a masterpiece. It's hard to find a complaint with the movie. If you love the movie you should consider reading the book, there are differences, and a lot more story.

Jaws was the first summer blockbuster, it was released simultaneously across the country instead of working it's way around the way movies were released before then. It was also the first movie to ever hit $100 million.

In a way, it really hurt the quality of movies. The "opening weekend" makes it possible for a shit movie with a good trailer to make a ton of money before anyone hears how shitty it is. Now days many movies are made with that in mind (Jaws 4 would be a good example).

Not the fault of the filmmakers, though. What they did was take the country by storm with a movie that I can't imagine anyone was disappointed with.

It spurred a national fear of sharks and the resulting urge to slaughter them all caused the shark population to dwindle dangerously. Peter Benchley has said that if he knew the truth about sharks and what would happen because of his book, he wouldn't have written it. It's a helluva book, too.

10 out of 10 bobbing, bodiless noggins

This is by far one of my TOP horror films of all time. There are certain classics that can never be bumped for a newer movie, and this is one of those classics. I know some people may not even view this as a horror film these days, but think about watching this in the theater in 1975. What a rush!

This film is an example of a perfect combination of actors, directing, screenplay, and music. There couldn't have been a better combo of actors than Scheider, Dreyfuss, and Shaw. They all brought something different and awesome to the film. Roy Scheider, cast as Martin Brody, brought in the familiar fear... he's the one the audience can relate to. He has no clue what a Great White is, and his first experience with one happens to be one larger than life. He adds to the uneasiness you feel, and of course, has one of the best one-liners in all of movie history. His famous line, "You're gonna need a bigger boat" is the understatement of the 20th century! And the look on his face is priceless; pure fear, and all without dropping the cig.

Richard Dreyfuss brings in the knowledge and part of the comedic factor as Hooper. He knows a hell of a lot about this shark, but he's still young and manages to get pushed around by his elders. One of my favorite scenes is the one where he's describing the "shot glass" sized shark tooth to Mayor Vaughan, and then tries to explain to him that the vandalism on the billboard is true. When the mayor tells Hooper that he just wants to get his face "in the National Geographic!", Dreyfuss' maniacal laughter that follows never fails to crack me up.

But, of course, as much as I love all three of these actors, I have to save the best for last...Robert Shaw. Shaw is stunning as Quint, one of the local fishermen who happens to have a "thing" for sharks. To me, it's the rawness that he brings in...his grungy appearance, scraggly voice, and vulgar dialogue have you believing this guy is really a fisherman from some little island in New England. I love his speech about the USS Indianapolis. How he smiles the whole time he tells the story, but swears at the end that he'll never put on another life jacket. And I also love the fact that he's the know-it-all, been there, seen that, "twenty-five, 3 tons of him" guy.

He has no doubt that the little "Orca" can drag that bastard shark back to Amity, but he gets the surprise of his life at the end of the movie.

All of this added with the BRILLIANT musical score by John Williams makes for a near-perfect horror flick; one that I think I may go pop in and watch right now. I can't help myself!