'Children of Jaws' might have been a better title for this teen version of the big fish story. The switch in emphasis - away from an adult world in which expert and monster play out their duel, to one where healthy, wealthy but dumb kids are merely terrorised prawns - can't disguise the sense of déjà vu. The townsfolk of Amity appear to be suffering from amnesia as far as sharks are concerned; the mayor is still corrupt and money-hungry; the disappearance of tourists is shrugged off; and as usual, nobody believes Scheider. Suspension of disbelief might have been possible had this been a ripping good yarn; but the kids are just plain silly, and it's a toss-up to decide which is more unconvincing, the shark or Scheider.
Time Out says
Release Details
- Duration:116 mins
Cast and crew
- Director:Jeannot Szwarc
- Screenwriter:Carl Gottlieb, Howard Sackler
- Cast:
- Roy Scheider
- Lorraine Gary
- Murray Hamilton
- Joseph Mascolo
- Jeffrey Kramer
- Collin Wilcox
- Ann Dusenberry
Discover Time Out original video