Jaws: Collector's Edition
OVERALL:
ASPECT RATIO(S)
16x9 Widescreen (2.35:1)
SOUND MIX
FEATURES
STUDIO
RECOMMENDATION
Dolby Digital 5.1
- The Making of Jaws Documentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Outtakes
- Shark World Documentary
- Production Photos
- Storyboards
- Theatrical Trailers
Universal
A must own!
GRADING SCALE
Film
Features
Audio
Video
Steven Spielberg�s gripping tale of the man-eating Great White Shark still puts fear in the back of our minds when we're out swimming. Being Spielberg's first hit, the film still holds up well and is still the best shark film ever made. The "water level" direction makes for an authentic look at the film and the score by John Williams is still frightening to hear. Followed by 3 horrible sequels.
Features
Not the most loaded dvd released, but there's still plenty of shark meat to enjoy. The 1 hour documentary came from the laser disc and was originally 2 hours. Universal edited it down to one for disc space reasons. Of course, why not make this a 2-disc set? If Fox can do a 2-discer, then Universal can.
Aside from being cut, the documentary is still extremely informative. Spielberg gets most of the press time, which he should. I could listen to this guy talk about how to spit-shine shoes.
The outtakes and deleted scenes are nothing memorable, but are still fun to watch. Some subtle, effective menus top off the set.
Audio
The original mono track is no more. It has now, thankfully, been remastered into a new 5.1 mix. This is definitely not the strongest 5.1 track I've heard, but man does it make a difference. John Williams' unforgettable score takes the most advantage of this new remix. Most of the sound still comes up front, with the surrounds making a brief appearance.
Video
That blue sea has never looked better. A crisp and clean print, this has to be Universal's finest effort at 16x9 transfers. And they do some great ones. The fact that they have made a 1975 film look like it was shot this year is remarkable. Only the clothes give it away.
There are 1 or 2 spots where a scratch or blip shows up, but that's expected. The detail is still strong and the daytime shots look great. You won't see a better version of this film.
Overall
One of the greatest films of all-time. A fan favorite and one of Spielberg's finest moments. Huge box office winner. Need I go on? Get it.