Reviewed by Melissa McGahee
Horror sequels are rarely a good thing. Trilogies can be the worst. Movies like Scream 3, Phantasm 3, and Saw III come to mind. Still once in awhile, an addition to a series can deliver if not in the same manner as the original, in a new way that entertains and provides a few scares. The third chapter of the Jaws franchise is in this category and is a fun movie with cheesy special effects that makes for a great Sunday afternoon flick.
Mike (Dennis Quaid) and longtime girlfriend Kathryn (Bess Armstrong) work together at Seaworld. All is great until a shark is seen in the park. It seems that the intruder entered through a gate that Mike forgot to close. Meanwhile, Mike’s little brother Sean (John Putch) who is afraid of the water visits and hooks up with Kelly Ann (Lea Thompson) who works to rid him of his fear.
The manager of the park Calvin (Lou Gossett Jr.) initially sees the shark as a moneymaker and sets it up for guests to come and view it in captivity. This soon reveals itself as a bad idea as the fish dies in Kathryn’s arms. Shortly thereafter, an employee is found eaten alive in the water. After viewing the corpse, Mike and Kathryn determine it’s impossible that the shark that died earlier made the bite marks on the body. They’re too big and deep. Kathryn informs Calvin that there is another shark in the park and that this one is much bigger.
At first, Calvin doesn’t want to hear it but soon they all come face-to-face with the beast and are forced to close down Seaworld while trying to ensure the safety of the guests.
Jaws 3 will never be considered an intelligent film. It isn’t supposed to be. Though it is slow moving in the first half, when the mommy shark is shown the movie speeds up and delivers well. The 3D effects are dated but still a treat to see and the deaths though few and far between are well executed.
The cast is the key to this film. Dennis Quaid has always had this likable quality to him that forces one to root for any character he plays. Though the dialogue was empty throughout most of the production, Quaid really sells it.
Secondly, Lou Gossett Jr. who also joined Quaid in another great 80s film “Enemy Mine” shines yet again. Gossett is by far one of the greatest actors of all time and I only wish he graced the horror genre more often. He was fantastic as Calvin and at the end of the production despite his reluctance to believe in the shark, the viewers don’t find themselves blaming him. Instead, his position is understood and the errors made seem less out of lack of morality and more out of human nature.
Jaws 3 may not be the best movie of all time. It may not go down in history as a film that changed cinema. Nonetheless, it’s a cheesy horror movie that is a rarity. It is blessed with a great cast despite its-so-bad-it’s-good quality.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
