This sequel was unnecessary and didn’t really offer anything new, but it was nice to see most of the cast return from the first one, which was an absolute masterpiece. Roy Scheider’s performance was spectacular like the first one (even though he desperately tried to avoid doing the second one), he really carried the whole movie and it definitely wouldn’t have been as successful without him. John Williams’ score was also spectacular and built off the first one very well. The shark attack sequences were fine, not as good or suspenseful as the first one but they were fine. The quick-cuts didn’t really serve it well and the screaming teenagers were a little annoying but it’s a pretty realistic reaction and it wasn’t completely overdone, and the teenagers weren’t stupid either, they were pretty capable for the most part. The third act I thought was very well done and kept you on the edge of your seat, not knowing what was going to happen next and who was going to be eaten. I like how the stakes were raised because Quint was dead and Hooper was on the Aurora, meaning that Brody was on his own. The story was a bit derivative of the first one, meaning that it isn’t as unique or as groundbreaking, but I like how it explored the idea that Brody had PTSD. There was a deleted scene where everyone but Mayor Vaughn voted to fire Brody and they really should’ve kept that. It was a mistake to cut it out. I also really like how the shark was electrocuted to death instead of being blown up like in the following two movies. I did like how the shark was burnt on one side of its face, which gave it a more menacing look, though its robotic mechanisms were a bit noticeable at times (the first one is a little guilty of this too but the second one is even more guilty). Overall, this was a decent sequel to one of the greatest movies of all time. It’s not as bad as some make it out to be, it’s just decent, it’s worth watching for the entertainment factor too.
