Big teeth, big movie

Rating: 10/10 (22 November 1998)

There was never a better action-movie, a better thriller or a better monster-movie than this masterpiece of suspense. As if to prove it, the "big teeth-monster" - formula has become a clichè in copycat grade-Z horror-films ever since. (And Grade A-junk, like Godzilla..)
Watching it way back in 75, I clearly recall the jolts of terror, shock and disbelief rippling through the audience at my local cinema. The near-dissolved head in the wreckage of the fishing-boat gave me violent nightmares, and I didn't take a swim for ages after watching it (even in the shark-free waters of Norway, sightings of killer shark were rampant that summer!).
Today, some of the thrills and horrific excitement has gone, but that gives one more time to enjoy the tight plot and the well-rounded characters. The references to "Moby Dick" gives John Milius` script literary credence, and the central premise of human lives being sacrificed in the interest of capitalism and greed is very powerfully realized. Jaws certainly started something big. It's a classic in every respect of the word.