[8]

For a studio-enforced, obligatory sequel to a damn-near perfect film, you could do a lot worse than Jaws 2. (Try Jaws 3 or Jaws 4!) The first half of the movie embroils us in the affairs of the Brody family, with Roy Scheider and Lorraine Gary reprising their roles from the original film. Murray Hamilton also returns as the Mayor. If you can get past the notion that another big shark is threatening Amity Island and that, yet again, no one believes Sheriff Brody’s warnings, you’ll see Jaws 2 turn into a pretty good little monster movie. Director Jeannot Szwarc (Somewhere in Time, Supergirl) delivers the goods in the second hour, when the shark terrorizes a group of teenagers in small sailboats. Composer John Williams also returns, giving the film a larger, more expansive score — not to mention some needed credibility.