Not Spielberg's best, but very good.

Rating: 9/10 (11 August 2011)

I actually avoided this movie when I was a little kid, I loved going into the ocean whenever I went to the beach, so I didn't want that ruined for me. However, when I got older, I finally decided watch it in full. Now of course Jaws is known for being the first film to ever make over 100 million dollars, and starting the summer blockbuster. So I respect the film for that, but is it good? Yeah, I think it's pretty great.
Now it's not perfect though, it isn't my favorite Steven Spielberg movie as it is for most people. For one, while I like the main trio, the rest of the cast are kind of forgettable. Brody's wife, the mayor, the kids, their all good, but the reason everyone likes this film is for the main three. You will have to stretch your suspension of disbelief a little far near the end. I can handle not being slowed down by three barrels, but jumping up onto a boat is a little silly. And the film, while still great, has defienently aged. Some of the effects are dated, and of course now we know that sharks usually won't attack people.
But is this movie scary, yes it is. It succeeds in not only scaring you in the movie, but after the movie. Imagine your in water at night, all alone, and you suddenly feel something touch your leg. How scary would that be. The first scene is pretty hard to watch, and the film shows guts by killing a kid. The three main characters are great, they're funny, likable, have great chemistry, and I didn't want to see them die. Although Quint did get a little aggrivating with the whole "no radio" crap. And this is one of the few adabtations that is actually better than the book it is based on. Getting rid of plot points that didn't need to be there. And while I complained about some of the special effects being dated, most of them still look really good. And the fact that they don't show the shark often actually helps the movie.
Jaws isn't my favorite Spielberg movie, but it's still a really great film. It's scary, funny, has a trio of great characters, and of course, started the summer blockbuster.