Jaws (4k Ultra HD + Blu-Ray)

“Directed by Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg, Jaws set the standard for edge-of-your-seat suspense, quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon and forever changing the movie industry. When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town’s chief of police (Roy Scheider), a young marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a grizzled shark hunter (Robert Shaw) embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again. Featuring an unforgettable score that evokes pure terror, Jaws remains one of the most influential and gripping adventures in motion picture history.”

Here’s a look at the stunning 4k transfer from Universal on their YouTube channel:

Jaws opens on the small island town of Amity as a woman takes a midnight swim on the ocean. Something immediately tugs at her leg, and in a futile attempt to fight back, she’s taken underwater. The next day, Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) investigates the area of disappearance, discovering the woman’s half eaten body close by. With the medical examiner believing it to be a shark attack, Brody makes plans to close the beaches. But, the Mayor of the town insists they stay open for the busy summer months bringing in business, casting doubt on the cause of death. But then, after another tragic attack, the town enlists the help of Matt Hooper (Dreyfuss), a researcher from the Oceanographic institute, and Quint (Shaw), a local fisherman to hunt down the shark before it can do any more damage.

Jaws still ranks as one of the most suspenseful films in America cinema, propelling Spielberg to new levels and changing the way we look at the ocean forever, thanks to its masterful direction and score by John Williams. It had been years since I’ve seen the film last, but the biggest impression on this most recent re-watch is just how much more brutal and horrific the film was in my mind vs. reality. Don’t get me wrong, there are some brutal moments, especially the implied moments that you don’t see, but in your mind you tend to fill in these unseen moments with graphic images that you couldn’t get away with in a PG film. Very much like Hitchcock’s Psycho, the infamous shower scene where you don’t see anything truly violent, just a knife and screaming, but you think you do. That’s the magic that Spielberg was able to capture in this film, a magic that has still remained just as strong 45 years since its release.

The film takes a drastic turn into the third act as the three main characters, Brody, Hooper and Quint embark on a man vs. beast quest in order to stop the shark once and for all from all the killing. While there are some definite lulls in story and the pacing when looking back, it’s made up for by some fantastic performances, namely, the story that Quint tells about his time on the U.S.S. Indianapolis. The film has relied mainly on frightening sequences up to that point, but this moment really makes the third act shine, thanks to Robert Shaw’s impressive monologue. Dreyfuss is both funny and informative as Hooper, with some great camaraderie with Brody and ultimately Quint at the end. Roy Scheider always has such a great presence on screen and this role is probably his most iconic. It’s a shame to read about how unhappy he was during the sequel which he didn’t really want to do.

Video

Jaws is presented in 2160p 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2.35:1 featuring both HDR and Dolby Vision. This print has been cleaned up astonishingly well, with grain kept to a manageable level, clearing the way for a very detailed picture. The colors especially pop, very rich and vibrant, with the Dolby Vision providing that dynamic meta-data that ensures every scene is calibrated specifically to look its best. Brilliant brights, deep darks, this new transfer looks absolutely fantastic and is well worth the upgrade from Blu-Ray.

Audio

This set features a new Dolby Atmos track that also sounds incredible. Levels are perfect, with the majority of the sound coming from the center channel, but mixed nicely with the atmospheric effects that the surrounds utilize. The John Williams score especially is very powerful, providing the ramped up tension at those key moments that still send shivers down your spine as that giant 25-footer rises to the surface.

Special Features

This set doesn’t provide any new extras found on previous releases, but does carry over all of them. However, this set does offer a very beautiful hard-shell case with lenticular artwork, and a decently sized color booklet containing essays and other materials from the film, all in all a very nice edition to what you get with the upgraded audio and video.

The extras include:

• The Making of Jaws
• The Shark is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of Jaws
• Jaws: The Restoration
• Deleted Scenes and Outtakes
• From the Set
• Storyboards
• Production Photos
• Marketing Jaws
• Jaws Phenomenon
• Original Theatrical Trailer

Jaws still holds up wonderfully after 45 years and looks and sounds better than ever with this new 4k transfer from Universal. Definitely worth the upgrade for fans of the film!