A classic for a reason

Rating: 10/10 (8 December 2009)

I base this review upon the 2-Disc Special Edition DVD release. We all know the theme and the famous lines. This is part of popular culture, with countless references to it and parodies of it in the almost 35 years that has passed. I suppose I will still describe the plot: A small island community finds itself terrorized by a shark. A really, really big one. The storytelling is good, and this never loses your attention. It's interesting to note that the limitations of the mechanical effect led to this being as excellent as it is. Not being able to show the animal all the time, Spielberg opted for build-up and character development, thus creating a marvelous suspenseful atmosphere as well as getting the audience properly invested in these characters. This is immensely exciting and intense, and you don't know exactly when something is going to happen. The acting is great, every single performance(with the possible exception of some of the kids, but that's nothing new). FX are better than you might expect, and the careful and precise editing and cinematography succeed in making them entirely convincing. The score is solid. This comes with an featurette that is almost two(in total, all of the stuff amounts to maybe three) hours long and worth watching, an interview with Spielberg, deleted scenes, Shark Facts, a minute and a half of unfunny outtakes and some galleries. There is frequent moderate to strong language, a little bloody violence and disturbing content. I recommend this to any fan of horror films and/or thrillers. 10/10