Review of Jaws 3-D (1983) by Alex B — 20 Jan 2018

Every now and then you watch a film for a guilty pleasure! Well with Jaws 3 (3D on cinematic release in 1983) I had one of those moments.

The eighties were to result in several of these appalling films. (Grease 2, Superman IV, several Cannon films).

The premise is quite frankly laughable.

You have a water based 'Seaworld' theme park on the East Coast of the US.

A Great White Shark enters the lagoon or man made lake of the park from the ocean via the gate that supposedly separates them.

It later becomes apparent that a second, far bigger shark (it's mother) is also at large in the park.

Characters include the grown up sons of Chief Brody from the first two Jaws films.

The park owner Calvin Bouchard (Louis Gossett Jr), Mike Brody (Dennis Quaid), a marine biologist Dr. Kathryn Morgan (Bess Armstrong) and two British actors Simon MacKorcindale and P.H. Moriarty.

Discerning British viewers may recognise Moriarty from the likes of The Long Good Friday and Scum.

MacKorcindale from the BBC TV drama Casualty.

For its cinema release the film was called Jaws 3D and required the viewer to wear some naff cardboard glasses.

When watching the 2D version as I did it becomes apparent at certain points that objects come flying toward the camera for the 3D effects.

The special effects are poor by modern standards and add to the inadvertent comedy of a film that was released as a horror/suspense production.

Certain scenes again made me laugh to myself at quite 'gory' moments such as characters being eaten showing their view inside the 35 foot mother sharks mouth.

Where as the direction of Steven Spielberg in the first film and it's music by John Williams were great highlights this film relies on a novice director Joe Alves who is out of his pardon the pun, depth.

The music being scored by Alan Parker with only elements of Williams Jaws theme.

A film that with a better director and better script could have been so much better (it can't be much worse?).