Jaws (Anniversary Edition) [1976]

Jaws is a all time classic movie that will always be a classic that will never get old , It's the best shark movie ever made , The blu ray quality picture of this 1975 classic is really superb and I really like the new 7.1 audio sound ,

The media could not be loaded. Funny how one of the worst books ever written can be adapted into one of the best movies ever made. Peter Benchley's tawdry gutter fiction is hugely improved upon by Carl Gottlieb's screenplay. With Spielberg's taut direction, Williams iconic score, terse editing, lovely anamorphic Panavision photography, and wonderful chemistry between the three leads also to its advantage Benchley's novel thankfully becomes a distant memory.Before Spielberg became the biggest name in Hollywood, capable of green-lighting anything he wants, he wandered in Richard Zanuck's office and picked up the script thinking he could churn out a decent B-movie. His only theatrical movie before this was The Sugarland Express, though it wasn't a huge hit. Jaws became the first summer blockbuster when crowds literally lined-up around the block to see it. $470 million dollars worth of bust is enough to kick-start any career.In the Atlantic waters off the coast of Amity Island a 25-foot Great White Shark has staked a claim for his hunting ground. The bathers and holiday makers are all he needs for his breakfast, lunch, and dinner. New police chief Martin Brody wants to close the beaches but the greed of local business owners keeps the meaty flesh of human on the sand and beneath the sun.When a young boy is devoured his mother offers a $3K reward for the killing of the shark, causing the overzealous, money-hungry local fishermen to crowd the waters with dynamite and chum. Only Quint (the one and only Robert Shaw), a WWII veteran with a personal vendetta against shark-kind, has the skill to pursue the monster. Brody and oceanographer Matt Hooper (a 'young' Richard Dreyfuss) join Quint on his hunt not knowing how monstrous the shark really is.Jaws is split into two perfect halves. One landlocked, filled with fences, boundaries, and a sense of being contained. The other filled with isolation and a sense of not belonging. The Orca, Quint's ramshackle boat, becomes its own little island, ever so slowly disintegrating and sinking as their safety slips away. Brody, already afraid of the water, almost buckles under the pressure, Hooper loses his cool when no one trusts his judgment, and Quint loses his sanity as he aggressively, psychotically pursues the shark.What makes Jaws special is that it scars and stays with you. The only other movie that I can of that has had similar success is the 1999 horror The Blair Witch Project. In much the same way as Jaws kept millions of people out of the water, Blair Witch kept them out of the woods too. There are some places that humans are just not supposed to go. Whenever you've been paddling at the beach and suddenly wander into a 'cold bit' don't tell me you've never thought about Bruce the shark coming to get you.He IS out there, you know. For real.The Blu-ray presents the film in 2.35:1 1080p and it's the best it has ever looked. I have seen Jaws in many incarnations : broadcast TV, taped-off-TV, widescreen VHS, DVD, ancient 35mm print, brand new digital print, and now Blu-ray. The colors really pop and look virtually perfect. The sound is the remastered DTS HD-MA 7.1 mix and the original mono mix (here presented in DTS 2.0). Seriously, the 7.1 mix, while sounding brilliant, is NOT remastered, it's remade. It's a completely different, modern, sound mix. I don't care how many people will argue that it's a remaster. It ain't, plain and simple. It's a bit of a strange thing to do when the original mono mix won an Academy Award. In some aspect I prefer the mono mix.As for the extras, there is a 100-minute documentary called "The Shark is Still Working" from 2007 so it features the then-living Roy Scheider and Peter Benchley. There is also another 2-hour documentary directed by Laurent Bouzereau from 1995 called simply "The Making of Jaws". The 2007 one is a little better from a talking head point-of-view.Jaws: The Restoration is a very interesting piece detailing how Universal repaired the original negative for the new 4k 2012 re-release.On the Set of Jaws is an 8-minute vintage 16mm documentary. It's nice to watch, if a little quaint.The Jaws Archives are just galleries of production stills and the like, all in low resolution.A long trailer and the usual Universal BD-Live trash fill out the rest of the extras.

***Updated 6th Sept 2012The release date can't come quick enough! I'm so looking forward to this movie on blu ray... it's creating the same buzz that one used to feel when a movie was announced and showing at your local cinema. The dvd was very good upscaled... but after seeing the work on restoring this classic... (I Forgot to mention here that I have several 1080p clips from the release as a users comments claim this mini pre order review was self indulgent ) I'm sure it's a no brainer.. for most of us, a must purchase affair. I Doubt anything short of excellence... something I believe all blu ray fans will appreciate.There, is now a full review up of the pre release blu on Bluray.com for anyone interested.. where you will find it Highly recommended.*** Alas it arrives! It's been emotional affair( haha ) and all expectations exceeded!!!I Ran it through a few times.. Twice on the my 15ft projection system ( As I viewed it once before the kids got home and ran it again for them when they came home from school.... complete lazy day ) and it's running a second time on the 50" Plasma as I type here. This title is really worthy of the praise! This is no run of the mill blu ray release ( said in the tone of Hoopers.. "this is not a boat accident" ) and anyone who has a love for or interest in this movie... will not be disappointed and will be treating themselves to the best ever presentation of JAWS.This title can stake a claim to be in the top 5 restoration quality blu ray releases to date! I Wish all movies were given this kind of care and treatment before released on blu ray. It's what the format should be all about!I Would of liked to see a lower release pricing as I believe it has cut initial sales, as I have heard many complain. However... it will remain without a doubt, one of the best movies to own on blu rays out there.Just one thing I would of liked to see for the blu ray release.. would of been an exclusive designed menu system... rather than the usual Universal standard system. Oh well....it's almost perfect.For the price you do get... the head the tail the whole damn thing!Highly recommended...not just for the blu rays Tech. Outstanding Audio ( JW's score is beast in a great mix ) and Visuals ( A Magical restoration work of clarity and colour with no evidence of abnormalities or DNR ) Great script, excellent cast, wonderfully produced,edited and directed. 5*****This movie didn't make me hate sharks, but started my love for marine life and conservation.This, the Marilyn Monroe ( now own... and pleased enough with, but could of been better ), James Bond ( If anything like the current bond titles on blu I already own... will be very good ) and the Classic monster collection to name just a few are going to make for some classic re-runs on the home cinema screen over the next few months. Order the popcorn! It's all good!!!P.s If you missed the Blu ray release of the original Planet of the Apes... go get it. It's sublime on the big screen and HD.Regards