The original shark film still has no peer

Rating: 9/10 (31 January 2000)

Boy meets girl, girl undresses girl, shark eats girl.
When the body of a girl (well, some of it) is discovered washed up on the beach of a popular summer holiday resort town, the town sheriff, Martin Brody, isn't quite prepared for the turmoil that the town is thrown into when a killer white pointer shark arrives in time for the peak holiday season.
Politics, petty rivalries and individual weaknesses all combine to make the job of eliminating the shark that much harder. Meanwhile the death toll mounts. After finally convincing the townfolk of their plight Brody, a marine biologist and a seasoned fisherman set out to catch the killer shark and make the beaches safe once more. My first foray into the world of adult cinema left an indelible mark on me. I was 9 years old (how did they let me in?) when my parents took me to see this landmark film at the State Theatre in Sydney. I was quite the reader at the time and had already polished off Benchley's novel, so I thought I knew what to expect.
I was flabbergasted! It was my first scary big screen experience and the sights, sounds and audience reactions were overwhelming. I was hooked! (pardon the pun).
The desensitised kids of today may scoff at the fake shark ("It's not CGE!") and may not wince at the bloodshed in this film but the suspense, drama and action should keep them in their seats.
The actors held the movie together well with solid performances and it was only the magnificent 'Cuckoo's Nest' that prevented this film from scoring a 'Best Film' Oscar. I loved it and I gave it a 9 out of 10.