Jaws: Steven Spielberg's Masterful Adventure Celebrates 50 Years (4K/Blu-ray)

The Film:

50 years ago this month, Steven Spielberg's masterpiece "Jaws" was unleashed in theaters, becoming the first summer blockbuster, and achieving great box office & critical success that eventually led to four Oscar nominations (including wins for Film Editing, Original Score, and Sound, as well as a nod for Best Picture). To celebrate this momentous occasion, Universal is giving the film a glorious 4K upgrade and including a brand new retrospective documentary about the film & its influence, so let's delve into this classic to remind ourselves why this masterpiece remains just as beloved now as it was upon its initial release five decades ago.

Taking place in the small New England town of Amity Island, the film opens with the tragic death of a young woman from a shark attack, which prompts police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) to close the beaches. However, Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) persuades him to change his mind, citing concerns over the island's need for tourists, and pushing the claim that it was probably a boating accident. Consequently, a young boy becomes the shark's next victim, causing a $3,000 bounty to be placed on its head, with local shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) offering his services for $10,000.

Meanwhile, oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) confirms the shark attack by examining the young woman's remains, and is even able to determine that a shark caught by locals is the wrong one by examining the contents of its stomach. After another incident results in yet another death and leaves Brody's son hospitalized with shock, the chief finally convinces the mayor to hire Quint, with Brody and Hooper joining him on a desperate mission to locate & kill the great white shark that has been terrorizing their island.

What else can one really say about Spielberg's masterpiece that hasn't already been said over the last 50 years? It's a deft blend of suspense, horror, and drama that turns into a riveting adventure, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the entire journey as our heroes go on a dangerous mission to stop a ravenous creature. It basically becomes its own form of the classic "men on a mission" film, though in this case the mission is a bit more unusual than most, but that hardly stopped it from becoming one of the most well-known & spellbinding films of its kind.

Of course, everyone knows about the technical problems that they had with the shark (known as "Bruce") during the production, causing them to use it much less than originally planned, but seeing it less only made the creature more terrifying & mysterious, and actually ended up heavily punctuating the moments that it was in full view, adding more tension and suspense to its already gripping scenario. As has been noted quite a lot in horror films over the years, sometimes it's what you don't see (or see very little) that ends up being the most terrifying.

Also helping quite a bit along the way are the trio of excellent performances from Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss. Each of them is perfectly suited to their role, with Scheider as the chief who's a little out of his depth in terms of hunting this creature down, Dreyfuss as the oceanographer who may have experience with the creature they're after, but not so much as far as their current mission goes, and Shaw as the experienced seafarer who's witnessed the terror of sharks first-hand. All three of them give the film an incredible feeling of realism just from how natural they are in these parts, making it all the more engaging.

When it comes right down to it, "Jaws" is just one hell of an adventure that's been captivating audiences for 50 years, and will continue to do so for many more years to come. It may seem like a somewhat simple concept to have a shark terrorizing a community and then having a group of men go hunt it down, but that simple concept is used to great effect, resulting in one of the greatest thriller-horror-dramas of all time. There's certainly a reason why it's just as highly praised now as it was back then, and that's a status that will simply never change.

Video/Audio:

This edition comes with the film on both 4K (2160p, UHD) and Blu-ray (1080p, HD) in 2.35:1 transfers of excellent quality. The picture has been cleaned up beautifully, making the film look practically new again as it celebrates its remarkable 50th anniversary. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos (4K), 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (Blu-ray), and 2.0 DTS Digital Surround (both) tracks are fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and John Williams' Oscar-winning score in outstanding quality. Overall, Universal has done a marvelous job in both areas for the new release of this classic.

Special Features:

Deleted Scenes & Outtakes (14 Minutes)

The Making of Jaws (123 Minutes)

The Shark is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of Jaws (10 Featurettes, 101 Minutes)

Jaws: The Restoration (8 Minutes)

From the Set (9 Minutes)

Jaws Archive (Storyboards, Production Photos, Marketing Jaws, and Jaws Phenomenon)

Jaws at 50: The Definitive Inside Story (88 Minutes)

This new 4K/Blu-ray release comes packed with a treasure trove of special features that total over five and a half hours, including extensive documentaries about the making of the film and a brand new retrospective that discusses the film and its legacy as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. This is simply an amazing collection of extras that is sure to please any fan.

Conclusion:

Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" is a grand adventurous masterpiece of thrills & suspense that has been entertaining audiences for an incredible 50 years. With its skilled direction, marvelous performances, and John Williams' unforgettable Oscar-winning score, the film is simply a gripping outing for its entire two-hour duration, and with Universal giving it an incredible 4K upgrade to celebrate this tremendous milestone, there's no better time to revisit this classic in all of its restored glory.

Score: 5/5

Now available on 4K/Blu-ray.

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