11. Jaws 45th Anniversary 4K-Best Buy exclusive Steelbook
One of the greatest films of all time gets a stunning 4K upgrade, and Best Buy delivers one hell of a cool steelbook.
The island community of Amity is under attack. A blood-thirsty great white shark is stalking the waters, unleashing terror.
Has anyone actually not seen Jaws? It seems silly to recap the film since it is so engrained in pop culture and everyone’s sub-conscious. Jaws could very well be a perfect film. The opening is one of the most terrifying in film history. The shocking death of a female swimmer sets the tone for the rest of the film. What Steven Spielberg does so effectively is build tension without seeing much of the shark. We learn in the special features he really did not have a choice; the shark would not work. Smartly, though he focuses on the characters and tension.
Chief Martin Brody played with great kindness and urgency by Roy Scheider shows a man trying to do the right thing by closing the beaches, he is blocked by the City Council and the Mayor of Amity Larry Vaughan (Murray Hamilton, who is amazing in the film). Richard Dreyfuss is winning as a hotshot scientist, Hooper who teams up with Brody and shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) to take down the shark after it kills a young boy on a crowded beach.
Too many scenes are classics to recount them all, but Shaw’s story of the USS Indianapolis is a stunning, haunting recount of the infamous sinking battleship.
The score by John Williams, is the most iconic villain music of all, or is it his work on Star Wars? Or Indiana Jones? I can’t pick, just know his scores define music in films.
Jaws’ waters have never been clearer with an absolute showcase UHD. From the glow of the fire in the opening scenes to the textures on the Orca, I am not sure there is a better looking film on 4K. What is truly awesome is that Jaws retains its natural film look throughout. I say this a lot but it’s like watching the movie for first time. The 45th Anniversary of Jaws in 4K is that good.
Jaws gnaws at the bones with a cracking audio mix. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is another showcase piece. The sound is so important to Jaws and it has never sounded better.
Although there are no new extras, the ported over extras from the previous blu-ray are included and most are found on the 4K disc.
The Making of Jaws: At over 2 hours, this is one hell of a making-of documentary.
The Shark is Still Working: The Impact and Legacy of Jaws: Another incredible documentary, this time nearly 2 hours delving into how Jaws continues to terrify moviegoers.
Jaws: The Restoration: A brief look at the process of restoring the film.
Deleted Scenes and Outtakes: Almost 15 minutes of scenes.
From the Set: Vintage look at Jaws.
Theatrical Trailer
Jaws Archives: This is found on the accompanying blu-ray, Production Photos, Storyboards and Marketing Materials.
Jaws is one of the greatest films ever and is given a stunning UHD release.
Film: A+
Video: A+
Audio: A+
Extras: A
Steelbook: A
Overall: A