Jaws-Claw Your Way Into This One ***

Rating: 8/10 (10 July 2007)

While it's not "Schindler's List," this 1975 thriller is exciting by the nature of its topic.
The first part of the movie deals with the town's lack of response when it becomes quite evident that a shark is on a killing spree. What happens to Mayor Murray Hamilton for failing to act? Hamilton, in a fine supporting performance, depicts that same lack of kindness that he showed 8 years before as the husband of Anne Bancroft in "The Graduate."
Roy Scheider, whose career really never took off, hits his stride as the police chief. The late Robert Shaw gives a tremendous performance as the adventurer with the problem that he garbles his words when he spoke. There were several scenes where I found it difficult to understand him.
Lorraine Gary, as the wife of police chief Brody,(Scheider) is adequate but she doesn't seem to be caught up enough in the action.
The second part of the film deals with our trio-Scheider, Dreyfuss and Shaw, on board to kill the ferocious beast. While I will be in the minority here, I felt that the film begins to drag somewhat. Yes, the scenes with the shark trying to kill our heroes are great, due in part to the wonderful editing here, but the talk among the central characters is down right dull after a while.