Better than I expected

Rating: 8/10 (19 August 2018)

Jaws knows exactly what it is, and fulfills its goal of being a thrilling shark movie in the best possible way. It's not a "Great" film, but the execution is flawless. The shark itself looks pretty fake, but you rarely actually see the whole shark, so it doesn't take you out of the movie. The horror/thrills comes from suspense and tension, so it's still an effective horror movie today (although not as gory as more recent films). Some scenes were so tense my eyes started stinging because I was too focused to remember to blink. Many things about the film are dated, but again, it doesn't take you out of the experience. Also, I've been told one the best thing about Jaws is the characters, and I agree. The three main characters are flawed but likeable, it's very satisfying to watch them work together as a team. This is truly a testament to Spielburg's talent; it's very easy to see how in a lesser director's hands, this film wouldn't be worth watching today. Overall, it's obvious why Jaws was America's first blockbuster, and it's definitely worth watching. I wanted to re-watch it almost as soon as I finished it the first time, and for me, that's really saying something.