The Side-Splitting Horror Sequel That Defies All Critics on Rotten Tomatoes!

Highlights

The reception of Jaws: The Revenge could have been much better if the film had a different title, due to its ludicrous plot and loose association with the original Jaws, which ultimately disappointed the audience's expectations.

Filled with absurdities and comedic elements, The Revenge presents Ellen Brody's shark attack visions and a noiseless, roaring shark, making it a delightfully terrible film for enthusiasts of comically bad movies.

While it managed to break even financially, Jaws: The Revenge severely underperformed in comparison to other films in the series, earning the unique distinction of holding a 0% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes. This serves as a reminder that sometimes it is wisest to let the dead stay buried.

Sequels can be perilous. An exceptional film has the potential to birth an immensely gratifying franchise given the right circumstances, while a subpar installment can shatter the esteemed reputation of its predecessors. When a movie thrives on a straightforward central concept, the subsequent follow-ups ought to be apparent. However, how does something as brilliant and impactful as Jaws devolve into an unmitigated catastrophe by its third sequel?

Steven Spielberg's groundbreaking masterpiece, Jaws, released in 1975, is widely recognized for pioneering the concept of the summer blockbuster as it is known today. Boasting a modest cast of lesser-known actors, numerous terrified extras, and three mechanized sharks, Jaws secured its place as the highest-grossing film of its time. The landscape of modern cinema would be irrevocably altered by its influence. While the film itself did not necessitate a sequel, its staggering financial success rendered one almost inescapable.

What is Jaws: The Revenge About?

Former Police Chief Martin Brody has passed away, leaving his widow Ellen on Amity Island. Brody gained fame by killing a massive great white shark that had wreaked havoc on the area in the past. Ellen resides near her youngest son, Sean, who has followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Amity Police Department. Just before Christmas, Sean is sent to remove a blockage from a buoy and tragically becomes the victim of a suspiciously enormous great white shark, which mutilates and kills him. Overwhelmed by grief, Ellen decides to leave Amity Island for the Bahamas with her eldest son Michael and his family. However, she soon realizes that the menacing creature is relentlessly pursuing her.

Michael, working as a marine biologist, along with his colleague Jake, encounters a great white shark in the water, even though it is in a habitat much warmer than its usual surroundings. The shark continues to plague Ellen's nightmares, and she develops a mysterious connection with it, enabling her to sense when it is about to attack someone she knows. Michael and Jake are intrigued by the possibility of studying the shark, but it exhibits abnormal behavior and appears to hold a deep grudge against the Brody family. Ellen becomes convinced that the creature that took her son will not rest until it devours her entire family. Once again, it falls upon a member of the Brody family and their allies to confront and defeat this monstrous threat from the depths.

Why was Jaws: The Revenge so poorly received?

Jaws: The Revenge is an interesting case, as it falls into the spectrum of shark movies. Comparatively, it surpasses most low-quality SyFy films that feature marine predators. However, its inclusion of the word "Jaws" in the title set unrealistic expectations that ultimately affected its reception. While the presence of returning star Lorraine Gary and the use of the main characters' last names connect the film to its predecessors, the title itself created a burden. The film's subtitle and tagline successfully marketed its comedic premise, with the audience being led to believe that the shark is seeking revenge against the killer from the original Jaws. This notion of targeting the Brody family strengthens the connection to the previous shark, reminiscent of the twist in Halloween 2. These absurdities contribute to The Revenge being more humorous than the rest of the franchise.

The Revenge revolves around Ellen Brody's connection to the shark, causing her to experience visions of its attacks. She suffers from traumatic flashbacks of events that she did not witness. Surprisingly, the shark in The Revenge is depicted as roaring, despite lacking the necessary respiratory system to produce such sounds. This portrayal often comes across as a parody of itself. The film was rushed into production to benefit from the moderate success of Jaws 3D and to promote the Jaws ride at Universal Studios. The subpar animatronic sharks used in the film only emphasized the excellence of the original movie. Director Joseph Sargent, who had previously worked on The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, faced criticism for his involvement in this project. Roger Ebert's review of Jaws: The Revenge is considered one of the most amusing pieces of film critique, cementing the film's reputation, although it still provides entertainment value when watched.

How does Jaws 4 end?

Ellen takes matters into her own hands, determined to end the shark's reign of terror. She takes control of a boat and sets sail to confront it. Joining her on her mission is Hoagie, a pilot, who flies in Michael and Jake for a dramatic ocean landing. However, the shark pulls the plane underwater, forcing all three of them to plunge into the water. As they scramble to assemble a makeshift device that emits electricity, Jake is bitten by the shark. Despite the danger, they manage to insert the device into the shark's mouth, causing it to leap out of the sea and roar ferociously. Seizing the moment, Ellen rams the sailboat into the shark.

In the original ending, the shark thrashes violently until its demise, leaving Ellen, Michael, and Hoagie to swim back to shore. However, the revised conclusion takes a more unexpected turn as the shark suddenly explodes for unknown reasons, leaving Jake to cry out for help. Regardless of the ending, Hoagie flies Ellen back to Amity Island.

"Jaws: The Revenge" provides an entertaining experience for fans of "so bad, it's good" movies. It marks a comedic downfall for the franchise and although it managed to break even financially, it severely underperformed in comparison to its predecessors. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews, earning the rare distinction of a 0% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. "Jaws: The Revenge" serves as a cautionary tale for long-running film franchises, emphasizing the importance of letting something rest in peace.