Dunnnnn dun. Dunnnn dun. Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun...

Rating: 9/10 (26 May 2009)

Man, I don't know where to start! Jaws is one of my favorite movies ever. It's also the first shark movie I saw. At the time, I was terrified of the scenes. Then again I was only 13 years old or so...
Enough childhood memories, let's talk about the movie itself. It's a story about a great white shark, killing people just of the coast of a summer tourist town. The 4th of July is drawing near, and the mayor is reluctant of closing down the beach, because they need the summer tourist's cash to keep the town alive, so to speak. But is that really an option with a killer shark in the waters? The Sheriff (Brody) is insisting on closing down the beach, but no one listens to him. He then calls in an expert (Hooper) who examines the dead body of a woman and confirms that it was a shark attack. But even then, the mayor stays put and the beach remains open.
The story is excellent and well-written. It moves at a steady pace and delivers everything: suspense, humor, drama, shocks, good dialog and some gore.
The music! Let's not forget the AWESOME music written by John Williams. After 30+ years, the Jaws theme is still a classic tune and just about everyone knows it.
Steven Spielburg handled this movie with great care. No real sharks are used in this movie, yet the way the scenes are filmed truly gives you chills. In particular, the opening scene (with poor Chrissie) is a scene that has been burned into my brain for the rest of my life.
What else? ... The acting is amazing. A very solid cast and no 'dumb' dialog. You are really going to love and hate some characters.
Then there's the shark. Like I said, it's not a real one, but that doesn't mean it stinks. On the contrary, Bruce (the sharks nickname apparently) prevented me from going swimming in the ocean for years! Jaws is perhaps the best shark movie in history. Using CGI nowadays to bring monster sharks and such to the screen just isn't the same as clever directing and filming.
A true classic. I give Jaws 9 out of 10 stars! Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN!