Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Unnecessary sequel has less plot, more peril and violence.
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Jaws 2
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 15 parent reviews
Based on 24 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is an okay sequel that offers more violence and suspense but falls short of the original's charm. While it features scary shark attacks and some strong language, opinions vary from it being a fun shark thriller to unnecessary and boring, with many viewers pointing out negative aspects like excessive profanity and a lack of educational value.
- entertaining sequel
- more violence
- excessive profanity
- mixed reviews
- less impressive than original
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
As Amity tries to recover from the fatal shark attacks of the recent past and bring back the tourists for the lucrative summer season, two scuba divers are attacked and killed by what would appear to be another great white shark in JAWS 2. This same shark attacks a water skier and causes the motorboat she was skiing behind to explode when the driver tries to defend herself from the shark with gasoline and a flare gun. And once again, the local authorities, with the exception of Chief Brody (Roy Scheider), refuse to believe that shark attacks are behind the fatalities in the water. They even go so far as to relieve Chief Brody of his duty when he causes a panic at the beach by shooting his gun at what he believes to be a shark but is actually a school of bluefish. Regardless, the shark attacks continue, and everything comes to a head when Brody's sons are trapped when they sneak off with their peers to float out into the water. They must find a way to fend off the killer shark as Brody tries to figure out a way to stop the shark and rescue all the trapped teens.
Is It Any Good?
This sequel really brings nothing that the original Jaws didn't already have. The emphasis is far less on character development and far more on visual stimulation and horror movie violence, peril, and panic, especially among teens. JAWS 2 is an all-too-typical example of a sequel not being anywhere near as good as the original, something done more because it was a chance to continue the money-making of the first movie.
The moments of story seem merely structured to either set up shark attacks, or to provide a temporary rest between said shark attacks. There's a sloppiness to the dialogue as well, the kind that would allow characters to use the phrase "for Christ's sake" so often, it's impossible to ignore. And with this relative lack of real story compared to the original Jaws, the cheesiness of the 1970s special effects -- especially with the shark itself -- come across much more than if the movie had been of a higher quality. It's an unnecessary sequel if there ever was one, and a harbinger of horrible Jaws sequels to come.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sequels like Jaws 2. Why are they made, and why are they almost always never as good as the original?
How is the violence of a shark attack conveyed in the movie? Does the violence in these attacks seem necessary to the overall story, or does it seem forced in order to give the movie gratuitous scares?
Compare the behavior of these 1970s teenagers who either live on Amity Island or are visiting for the summer compared to teenagers today. What are the similarities and differences in terms of behavior, fashion, interaction?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 16, 1978
- On DVD or streaming : June 14, 2016
- Cast : Roy Scheider , Lorraine Gary , Murray Hamilton
- Director : Jeannot Szwarc
- Studio : Universal Studios Home Entertainment
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Animals ( Ocean Creatures )
- Run time : 117 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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