Could be my all-time favourite movie...

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2006)

I call myself a movie buff, but I'd never seen Jaws up until a few months ago. I'd always put myself off of seeing it and I'm not sure why, I just never found the right time to start watching it. Eventually, I thought I had to see it and I purchased the 30th Anniversary Edition DVD.
I was literally "blown out of the water." Why had I waited so long to see this film? Everything about it is perfect - characters, dialogue, special effects, action, setting, everything! I hate myself for waiting to see Jaws, as I've seen thousands of movies and never considered that this could become my all-time favourite.
Everybody knows the plot, so I won't get into it, but the entire story is told magically, thanks to Steven Spielberg and his crew. I am a traditionalist when it comes to film (classic stories, characters and endings) and Jaws delivers everything I could ever want from a film. The pacing is perfect and I cannot fault it at all.
The music by John Williams is now legendary, but it really is much more than the classic "Jaws" theme that people recognise today. The entire soundtrack is both thrilling and wonderful, especially towards the end as the final battle ensues. Williams establishes himself as the best composer of all time with his score, here.
The acting is perfect. For the film that reeks "Summer Blockbuster", you probably wouldn't expect the acting to be anything special, but everybody gives memorable performances (especially Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw) - and anyway, we shouldn't forget that this is the "original" summer blockbuster.
Overall, I cannot say anything bad about Jaws. It is a remarkable film with some of the greatest characters ever committed to film. The story is inventive and glorious, and keeps you on the edge of the seat throughout. I know what kind of film Jaws wanted to be, but it turned out to be so much more - Steven Spielberg really is the world's greatest director. His ability to turn (what could of been) quite a mundane story into an epic tale of good versus evil is simply amazing. Oh, and I can't forget the magnificent ending - seriously, it's the best ending ever committed to cinema.
Jaws could be my all-time favourite movie, and even if it isn't, it's pretty darn close. See it - you won't be let down.
(5/5)