`Jaws 2' gets a bum rap sometimes. Yes, it's not as good as the original `Jaws,' but it's still pretty good. Considering the conditions under which it was made (constant rewrites, changing directors after filming had started, the usual technical difficulties), it's better than it could have been, and much better than the sequels that followed.
Now, being a sequel shouldn't automatically doom a movie. When you have a logical continuation of the first movie, or a new adventure with the same characters, then you're okay. It's when a sequel repeats the original, that's when you get a bad case of `sequelitis.' `Jaws 2' is the same basic story as the original (shark terrorizes seaside community), but there are enough variations on the theme to make the movie exciting. You see much more of the shark, which isn't always a good thing: the script manages to give the shark some impressive burn scars, but otherwise it's indistinguishable from the original.
The overall feeling of `Jaws 2' is lighter, if not lightweight. There were times when `Jaws' seemed like a Hitchcock film; much of the time, `Jaws 2' is like one of Roger Corman's 1950s monster movies, and that's not necessarily bad. It's an entertaining way of killing two hours, leaving pleasant memories of itself and its predecessor in its wake.
Now, being a sequel shouldn't automatically doom a movie. When you have a logical continuation of the first movie, or a new adventure with the same characters, then you're okay. It's when a sequel repeats the original, that's when you get a bad case of `sequelitis.' `Jaws 2' is the same basic story as the original (shark terrorizes seaside community), but there are enough variations on the theme to make the movie exciting. You see much more of the shark, which isn't always a good thing: the script manages to give the shark some impressive burn scars, but otherwise it's indistinguishable from the original.
The overall feeling of `Jaws 2' is lighter, if not lightweight. There were times when `Jaws' seemed like a Hitchcock film; much of the time, `Jaws 2' is like one of Roger Corman's 1950s monster movies, and that's not necessarily bad. It's an entertaining way of killing two hours, leaving pleasant memories of itself and its predecessor in its wake.