As Great As Ever

Rating: 10/10 (3 July 2015)

Summer, the most profitable time for multiplex theatres and CGI-explosions factories, has become synonymous with (arguably) soulless outings of artless money-making. With remakes, reboots, sequels, prequels, franchises, and cinematic universes taking over our local cinemas each mid-year, it's easy to forget that this whole business started with the troubled production of Jaws. Spielberg's coming-out party stands-out 40 years later as a timeless piece of pure capital-F Filmmaking that surpasses most, if not all, that it influenced. With spectacular characters and thrilling scares, it still makes audiences pause before getting in the water. The modern-day leviathan tale of a tourist town dependent on out-of-towners for their economy (sound familiar, Panama City?) terrorized by a giant shark on July 4th is celebrating its 40th year of keeping audiences dry. The zeitgeist moments are wonderful (jumping mechanical sharks, "you're gonna need a bigger boat"), but those thrills are matched by the timelessly human characters and dialogue. Spielberg grounds the excitement in enough reality to keep us engaged, specifically in the three men at the center. Scheider, Dreyfuss, and Shaw have incomparable chemistry, playing some of the most endearing individuals in movie history. Sure, the mechanics of the shark itself are somewhat antiquated but that's to be expected. I can only imagine what we will think of the effects in Jurassic World in 2055. The immutability of the personality in Jaws is what has kept us returning to it decade after decade. This Independence Day, celebrate your national freedom by enjoying one of the greatest popcorn films of all timejust make sure you go to the beach first.