Jaws 2

Some movies are just too successful not to follow up. The first true summer blockbuster, 1975's Jaws was an instant classic, a film that's as successful in terms of story and characters as it is on a far more technical level. The question of course is that everything is wrapped up nicely in the original. We didn't need a follow-up, a sequel that explored more. On the other hand, money is a powerful motivator, isn't it? Let's continue with the series, 1978's Jaws 2.

It's been three years since Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) helped dispatch an immense great white shark terrorizing Amity Island, and things have gone relatively back to normal. His kids have grown up, and his wife, Ellen (Lorraine Gary), is working closely with development and construction on the island. In the midst of summer rush though, weird occurrences start to happen including the disappearance of two divers and a bizarre boating accident where the driver and water skier are both killed. A killer whale even washes up on shore with huge bites in its side. No one has witnessed anything funny though, but Brody is convinced that all the weird incidents, evidence and clues point to another great white shark patrolling the waters around Amity Island. Can he convince anyone else of what he believes before more lives are claimed?

Much like its classic predecessor, 'Jaws 2' seemed doom from the start. The Steven Spielberg directed film from 1975 was obviously able to right the ship, becoming a fan favorite and one of Hollywood's all-time best flicks. Making its follow-up though was far from a smooth ride. Filming started and went on for over a month before the studio decided it wanted to go in a different direction. In stepped director Jeannot Szwarc and the tone of the movie was lightened up a bit (as much as you can with a movie about a killer shark), some of the darker ideas left behind. Filming went on with some other issues developing, and the final product went on to gross over $200,000,000 at the box office.

If you're going to make an unnecessary sequel, might as well do it right. Less than pleased about having to play Chief Brody again, Scheider apparently had some pretty intense on-set incidents with director Szwarc and crew. You'd never guess from watching the finished product. In the original, Scheider was part of an ensemble, carving out his own niche alongside similarly scene-stealing Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss. This is his film, and he embraces it (issues he was there at all aside). We see character development, especially considering how his earlier interactions with the shark impacted him. He becomes paranoid, even obsessed when the possibility of another shark arises. We see Brody's descent into that obsession, putting his job and family at risk. It's a character we like and sympathize with, and Scheider does a fine job.

Along with Scheider, Gary returns as Ellen Brody, Martin's wife who worries more and more about her paranoid husband. She believes him and supports him, but even she questions if he's lost his mind a little bit. Also returning is Murray Hamilton as Larry Vaughan, money-minded mayor of Amity Island.  Jeffrey Kramer plays Deputy Hendricks, Brody's goofy but well-meaning deputy.

Also setting it apart from the original is a more straightforward mentality. One of the most clever parts of the original is that we basically don't see the shark until the final third of the movie. The drama and tension builds until it's almost unbearable. Well, if you're watching a movie called 'Jaws 2,' you kinda know what it's about, right? No point in hiding the shark. The shark attacks are more aggressive, more in your face as we see the great white rip his victims to pieces (divers, swimmers, boaters, helicopters, stupid teenagers). Composer John Williams returns with his famous score, especially the main theme. Seeing the shark can be just as scary as the unknown, and we get our fair share of shark P.O.V. shots as he swims closer to his next meals. Similar to the original in the big picture, but it does enough to distance itself and create its own identity.

The biggest difference between the first two movies is the second hour. Instead of going on the hunt, Brody ends up being a rescuer. A bunch of horny, drinking teenagers, including Brody's son, Michael (Mark Gruner) and a tag-along younger son, Sean (Marc Gilpin), head out on their sailboats for the far-off lighthouse and more! The shark is in pursuit and wreaking havoc, Brody following behind in hopes of fending off the attacks. The build-up can be a little slow, but the last 45 minutes makes up for it. Also worthwhile to see how much it influenced future slasher films like Halloween and Friday the 13th among others. It's a solid ending to an enjoyable if unspectacular sequel.

Jaws 2 (1978): ***/****

Jaws

The ocean is a big old place. Anything could be lurking in that water, right? It's a criminally simplistic fear, that of the unknown and the ocean is a perfect example. In a film that was the first real example of a summer blockbuster, 1975's Jaws is the rare perfect movie. Scared of the water? I am, and I won't be going anywhere near the water after watching this one.

Amity Island is a quiet, little resort town off the coast of New England, a town readying itself for huge crowds of tourists and vacationers on the upcoming Fourth of July weekend. The new police chief, Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), has a problem though as the bloody remains of a teenage girl wash up on shore. The culprit seems obvious; a shark, but no one else is willing to back the Chief up. He gets help -- and a confirmation on the shark -- from marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) who recommends the beaches be closed with the immense, hunting shark in the waters. More attacks come fast and furious though, leaving Amity no choice but to pay for an experienced, grizzled shark hunter, Quint (Robert Shaw) to kill the great white shark once and for all. But as the trio heads to open waters, even they can't imagine what awaits in their hunt.

From a director who would go on to create a halfway decent name for himself, Steven Spielberg, 'Jaws' seemed doomed almost from the start. Based off a novel by Peter Benchley (the rare film better than the book here), the production went overbudget, over schedule and over everything as issues with a mechanical shark delayed shooting. A $4 million budget turned into $9 million. The end result? A classic film that audiences loved, the final product making $470,000,000 million in box office. It spawned three sequels -- none of them even remotely as good -- and changed the way films were made and the type of films Hollywood looked to make, market, and release for audiences. Not a bad formula for success, huh? Not at all.

On a very basic level, 'Jaws' is a horror movie. What is scarier than a creature that seemingly can't be stopped? The dark, gloomy, shadowy water can hide anything, and in this case it is an immensely terrifying 25-foot great white shark. As Hooper explains, all this oceanic creature does is swim and eat, eat and swim, nothing else. Maybe the best thing that could happen to Spielberg's famous film is the mechanical issues he had in shooting the shark. Because there were such issues, Spielberg tried to minimize the shark's actual on-screen time. We don't even get a really clear look/view of the shark until 80 minutes into a 124-minute movie (and it's a doozy of an appearance, watch the iconic scene HERE). It's all about the dread and impending doom. We know the attacks are coming, but that doesn't take away from that sense of doom hanging over every scene. It becomes almost unbearable at times, but more on that later.

I'll get to the actors and more focus on the story, but an additional star here is composer John Williams and his score, maybe the most instantly recognizable score EVER. Who doesn't know the dun-dun-dun-dun-DUNNA-DUNNA! theme that's paired with all of the shark's attacks? What separates a really good score from a great score is that ability to bring you into a movie. Williams' score succeeds on that level in epic fashion. You hear that theme, and for me, I get goosebumps right up my back (and I've seen this movie a ton of times!). It is moving and epic, unsettling and adventurous, a score that runs the gamut over the course of the entire flick.

From the opening scene -- skinny-dipping teenager eaten in pre-dawn darkness -- through the attacks and up to the finale, there's not really a weak point. Are there some parts that are better than others? Yes, most definitely. As good as the first hour is, the second hour is by far the best thing going here as Brody, Hooper and Quint board Quint's beat-up, shark-hunting ship, the Orca, and head out on the hunt. The next hour produces some of the most exciting chases and action scenes ever; just three men on a small boat doing battle with a shark of epic proportions. On a more personal level, the chemistry among Scheider, Dreyfuss and Shaw is phenomenal. It is perfect and simple and natural, three very different individuals forced to work together to accomplish a pretty suicidal mission. The movie is at home most on the high seas, Spielberg filming the entire shark hunt on the ocean. It sounds simple to do so, but it doesn't feel like a studio. It looks and feels like....the OCEAN!

When you think 'blockbuster,' you don't normally go to hugely impressive acting. Working with a scene-stealing shark, the cast here is spot-on and without the benefit of huge A-list stars, just hugely talented, reliable actors. I love Scheider as Brody, land-loving, water-hating Chief who wants to do right by the people nothing else. Dreyfuss as the highly intelligent Hooper is a perfect mix between inexperienced Brody and highly experienced Quint. Shaw of course is the biggest scene-stealer of them all, his grizzled veteran of the sea who's seen it all and done it all. Shaw's monologue explaining his involvement with the USS Indianapolis is a scene to behold as well (watch it HERE). Talk about a captivating, eye-popping scene, it's unreal and unsettling to watch. Kudos Mr. Shaw. Also look for Murray Hamilton as Amity Island's greedy mayor and Lorraine Gray as Ellen, Brody's wife.

It's easy to look past it when we're talking about the shark, the characters, the music and such that Spielberg at a young age is already showing a knack for the director's chair. If it gets lost in the shuffle, it's a shame, but this is an interesting visual movie to watch as Spielberg keeps us on our toes with his camera. Calm, cool long shots with little editing. Close-ups of Quint's eye, of the equipment clicking as the shark goes for the bait, the little things. The moral of the review is simple, I love this movie. It's got it all and features several of the greatest one-liners ever (my personal favorite being the subtle, perfectly delivered 'We're going to need a bigger boat.') It is a classic that deserves any and all of the accolades its received over the years. Look for reviews in the coming weeks of the sequels too.

Jaws (1975): ****/****

2010

I admitted it. I didn't "get" 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey, not by a long shot. Crazy visuals, light on story, and it didn't live up to the high expectations I went in with. But ah, there's a bright spot! A sequel! Go figure, I'm usually not a fan of sequels, but I had to give it a chance so here goes with 1984's 2010.

It's been nine years since the sudden and mysterious disappearance of the U.S. spaceship Discovery, and Dr. Heywood Floyd (Roy Scheider) still struggles with what happened. In charge of the mission that went deadly awry, Floyd was blamed for the debacle, but he may have a chance to redeem himself. American efforts are being made to investigate, sending a second ship to Jupiter and its moons (where Discovery disappeared), but he is approached by Russian agencies who are ahead of schedule and will get to Jupiter first. Undertaking a risky, even suicidal mission, Floyd and two other Americans (John Lithgow and Bob Balaban) join the Russian space expedition. What secrets do the moons, Jupiter, the Discovery and maybe space itself hold for the astronauts?

Highly respected and regarded as an all-time classic, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is far from a traditional movie. In fact, it's everything non-traditional about modern films. From director and writer Peter Hyams, '2010' is similar in its story matter and characters, but other than that, it is the complete polar opposite. It is a far-more traditional science fiction thriller, and a smart one at that. For lack of a better description, it is an easy movie to "like." Compare the two; 2001 is a movie to sit back and watch, to appreciate, but not necessarily enjoy. On the other hand, 2010 is far more easily digested. It's smart, but not condescending. Sure, it's not perfect. That's the risk that happens when a sequel is made for a movie that didn't need a sequel in the first place. It's worth it though, and a film I enjoyed significantly more than its predecessor.

So I wasn't much of a fan, but I can appreciate that 2001 does not require a sequel. Its unanswered questions are oddly perfect in that decision to remain unanswered. It allows viewers to wrap their head around the story as they so choose, not as the movie dictates. That's why I both liked and disliked this sequel. In the more traditional sense, 2010 builds a story in a far more linear fashion. We learn more about the HAL-9000, its background, and why it malfunctioned the way it did. Did we need those answers? No, but it's nice to see. We learn a little more about the mysterious monoliths popping up around the world. Did we need those answers? Nope once again. But necessary or not, they come around as worthwhile. It's nice to see the effort made as goofy as it sounds. I came away eternally frustrated with 2001, but I didn't have that same sentiment here in the least. Maybe that's a pity positive vote, but so be it, I'm sticking by my guns.

With a focus more on the space, science and mystery, the characters and their background can be a secondary thing here. The actors do their best to humanize their parts, but it's more a means to an end. We see how these highly trained, highly intelligent individuals respond in a hellish, life or die situation. Scheider does a fine job (as usual) as Dr. Heywood, a man looking for answers and to right a wrong. His recorded letters to his wife (Madolyn Smith Osborne) become a little tedious in an effort to humanize him, but that's a minor complaint. Lithgow plays Dr. Curnrow, the builder/designer of the original Discovery, with Balaban playing Dr. Chandra, HAL's creator, desperately trying to prove his creation did nothing wrong, the two other Americans on-board the Russian ship. Helen Mirren -- rocking an awesome Russian accent -- plays Capt. Kirbuk, the commander of the Russian ship, with Elya Baskin very good as one of the crew who bonds with Curnrow.

The moments that do work here are home runs knocked out of the park. With 16 years of improved technology, the special effects are very cool, if a little more understated than the original. Approaching Jupiter and its moons, Europa and Io, are some stunning sequences. The mid-space transfer from the Russian ship to the Discovery is similarly impressive, especially when you think about what's actually going on. '2010' has its moments of scares too, truly frightening. I've long said this in deep space reviews. You don't know what the universe truly contains. All sorts of things -- both good and bad -- are out there. Deep space could hide anything. Is it out there to help us or hurt us? The development of the monoliths certainly opens up that door. What is their ultimate purpose?

Maybe the biggest fear comes in a chilling, highly effective reappearance by Keir Dullea who played Dr. Dave Bowman in the original 2001, mysteriously disappearing in the end. His appearance halfway through the movie is genuinely startling, and the more we see, the creepier and more chilling it gets. His final line in 2001, "My God, it's full of stars!' provides much of the jumping off point here, and the impending changes his "being" implies set the tone for a genuinely creepy final hour. What awaits the rescue crew, and on a bigger level, Earth and mankind itself? I didn't love the ending, but I liked it a lot, especially the final scene. It's easier to judge these movies on a separate level. For me though, I liked the sequel significantly more than the original, even if it was vastly different movies.

2010 (1984): ***/****

The Rainmaker (1997)

The name John Grisham is synonymous with courtroom dramas and legal thrillers. There is A Time to Kill, The Firm, Runaway Jury, Pelican Brief, The Rainmaker and The Client to name a few. I've only read one Grisham novel -- A Painted House, his departure from the courtroom ironically enough -- but his stories translate well to film. There is a natural drama to courtroom proceedings that just works well, especially with 1997's The Rainmaker, a drama that isn't flashy or showy, just a well-made, polished story.

The different elements that are all over the place here somehow find a way to click and gel together. Some of that can no doubt be chalked up to Grisham's familiarity and ease with his story and characters which smooth out any number of rough patches. The director here is Francis Ford Coppola, he of The Godfather series, who I wouldn't picture in a courtroom story. Rising star Matt Damon is aided by a pitch-perfect supporting cast with Elmer Bernstein providing a somewhat odd, blues/jazz mix for his soundtrack. It isn't a great movie, and maybe it isn't even a very good movie, but it is GOOD from the get-go.

Fresh out of law school in Memphis, Rudy Baylor (Damon) takes a job with ambulance chasing lawyer Bruiser Stone (Mickey Rourke) while he waits to pass the Bar exam. Working with insurance agent and attempted lawyer, Deck Shifflet (Danny DeVito), Rudy sees the writing on the wall and knows Bruiser is about to get taken down by the FBI. With Deck, he starts his own small firm. Their only case comes from a lower classic family, the Blacks, including mother Dot (Mary Kay Place) and son, Donny Ray (Johnny Whitworth), who is dying of leukemia. The Blacks' insurance company is denying their claim, but Rudy takes on the case -- his first -- in hopes of bringing the suffering family some peace. He's forced to learn on the fly, especially with his opponent, Leo Drummond (Jon Voight), an experienced, smart, tricky and veteran lawyer looking to take him to pieces.

So we can all agree lawyers suck, right? Okay, that's harsh. Maybe only like 96% of them. Movies have a chance and a way of humanizing them, especially here in the eyes of young, inexperienced lawyer Rudy. You need an underdog in a story like this, and Damon's Rudy supplies it in spades. While intelligent and book smart, he doesn't necessarily know the ins and outs of being a lawyer, the courtroom basics an experienced lawyer would take for granted. Damon's narration is at its best in its simplicity, a young man questioning the system he so wants to be a part of. For all the good it is intended to do, the judicial system is flawed in countless ways, something Rudy finds out quickly. It isn't just right and wrong anymore. It's about winning and losing plain and simple with plenty of money on the line. Innocent and even a little naive, Damon does a great job with this character, a sign of the acting ability we've come to appreciate in the years since.

How good is the cast here? Danny Glover plays the judge trying the case, a civil rights supporter and opponent of big business, and the man isn't even credited. DANNY GLOVER! DeVito gets a showier part -- if a background one -- as Deck, the almost-lawyer who still has a slimy veneer to him even when you can't help but like him and his nose for getting in and out of trouble. Voight is perfect as Leo Drummond, the snake oil lawyer who knows every trick in the business. Place, Whitworth and Red West give the movies its heart as the Black family, their scenes touching and heartbreaking as the story develops. Not enough for you? There's also Rourke, Virginia Madsen as a key witness, Dean Stockwell as an old school judge, Teresa Wright as Rudy's client and landlady, Roy Scheider as a CEO who could make or break the case, and even country singer Randy Travis in a great bit part as a potential juror. Good enough for you?

I liked this movie, but as I write this review I'm struggling to come up with reasons why. Thanks to shows like Law and Order and its countless spin-offs, the courtroom drama is far from original anymore. It seems stupid to be critical of a movie released almost 15 years ago for things that have happened since, but there it is. This Coppola-directed courtroom drama is the equivalent of comfort food. You have a good sense of what's going on, the semi-twists that will eventually be revealed, and in the end...well, let's not go there.  The movie and story are in their comfort zone in the court scenes with an easygoing sense of where they want to go and what they want to accomplish. Damon and Voight play off each other nicely with Glover and DeVito making their impact known as needed. The out-of-court scenes tend to meander a bit, but the movie always rights itself when needed.

The only real complaint I have for the movie, and the one part I genuinely didn't like was a subplot with Damon's Rudy and a client of his, Kelly (Claire Danes), a young wife married to an abusive husband (Andrew Shue). Rudy instantly develops feelings for her, wanting to save her from almost certain doom at the hands of her husband. In an effort to develop Rudy more as a character (unnecessary if you ask me), I felt like the story went down an easy path that Grisham is just better than. The story doesn't dwell too long on these scenes, but the damage is done early. Not a deal breaker, but it does bring the movie down a notch or two.

I'm struggling here. I don't know what else to say. I liked this movie if I didn't love it. Not bad at all, but it never reaches that level of courtroom drama classic. Solid if not so flashy directing from Coppola, and an all-star cast that does not disappoint, but it's just missing something overall. Still worth checking out though.

The Rainmaker <---trailer (1997): ***/****

52 Pick-Up

If movies have taught men anything, it's not to cheat on your spouse.  Movies have shown us you could be killed, double-crossed, blackmailed, and forced to do all sorts of ungodly things to keep your secret safe.  Then there's always the mistress and/or spouse finding out and turning on you.  Big picture?  Don't mess around, and you've got a good shot at avoiding all this stuff.  Too bad no one takes advice these days, like in 1986's 52 Pick-Up.

Working off an Elmore Leonard novel, director John Frankenheimer puts together a movie that you basically feel dirty for having watched it.  It's that perfectly wrong blend of sleaze and scum with the 1980s porno scene serving as a backdrop for some extramarital shenanigans. 'Pick-Up' has that feel of a low-budget B-movie, but not necessarily in a good way. The premise is interesting enough, but there's a handful of plotholes that make you groan, and worse than that, characters making decisions that no one in their right mind would do.  If you read no further, here's a good summation of the movie.  Death Wish for Cheaters.  That's the best I can do.

Going to see his nude model/topless dancer mistress, Cini (Kelly Preston) at her apartment, rich and married businessman Harry Mitchell (Roy Scheider) is caught off guard by three men waiting for him.  They have video footage of Harry on vacation with Cini in some comprising positions and now want him to pay up if he doesn't want the footage shown to his wife, Barbara (Ann-Margret). Making his decision worse, Barbara is running for local office with the district attorney and any news like Harry's cheating would completely derail her campaign.  But even as he's about ready to pay the money, Harry realizes they won't just let him get away so he decides to go on the offensive, taking it to the three mystery men blackmailing him for piles of cash.

Watching a movie based on an Elmore Leonard novel, you head in with a certain amount of higher expectations.  Not having read the book, I can't just how well the transfer was made and what was left out, but this movie has some of the dumbest villains I've ever seen.  Raimy (John Glover) is an owner of a porno theater and the mastermind of the plan.  Leo (Robert Trebor) runs the club where Cini works and seems genuinely surprised when everything hits the fan.  Last, there's Bobby (Clarence Williams III), a pimp who is just too trusting of his partners in crime.  They have to be the unlikeliest of villainous trios, but man, they sure are dumb.

The dynamic is funny among the three, Raimy being the insanely calm leader, Leo the freakishly nervous dupe, and Bobby the muscle who never seems to realize something bad could happen in this plan.  Glover stands out for his part as Alan Raimy, a truly over the top villain you just love to hate.  He's the only one of the three that really registers in any sort of intimidation with the other two more funny than scary -- unintentionally so.  The decisions these three make drove me nuts because they hope to blackmail Scheider's Harry for years and years to come, but then decide to get rid of all the evidence that would pin a murder on Harry.  There's stupid and there is criminally stupid.

As an actor, I really like Roy Scheider in the five or six movies I've seen him in.  This is a difficult character to get behind because of the actions he's taken against his wife (who would really cheat on Ann-Margret?) so he's in a hole right from the start.  The character as a whole is hard to put your finger on because he is so far over the place.  He's angry, worried, a vigilante, a detective, a rich businessman, and with an intelligence that has helped him amass a huge business.  Scheider's always very watchable, but this isn't my favorite character of his.  Ann-Margret is very good in a better part as Harry's wife Barbara, a woman struggling to deal with this bombshell that's been dropped on her while also trying to be elected to office.  Former model Vanity has a small part as one of Cini's fellow strippers while Preston needs to look scared and be naked for her part. Doug McClure has a small part as Arveson, the D.A. that Barbara is working for.

In most of his movies I've seen, Frankenheimer is a very visual director, and 'Pick-Up' does have it's moments as Harry tries to right his wrong. The movie was shot in some of Los Angeles' seedier areas on top of some locales that include a strip club, an orgy/party, and Raimy's porno theaters.  Needless to say, Frankenheimer isn't shy about nudity and violence in this flick.  It's almost too seedy though right from the start in a story that never quite figures out what it is.  Also, watch out for the obvious reference to The Mechanic near the end.  A laughably bad ending.

52 Pick-Up <----trailer (1986): **/****

Sorcerer

When it comes to remaking a classic movie, the newer picture almost never lives up to expectations. That's one happened at first for William Friedkin's 1977 remake of The Wages of Fear, a classic French film from the 1950s. It opened the same summer as Star Wars (could you have worse timing?) and received a lukewarm response from critics. Now over 30 years later, Sorcerer has slipped through the cracks unfortunately. What makes it worse, the DVD is a major dissappointment, but that's for later.

Not much changes from the 1953 film with the same storyline. The one major addition is how the introductions are handled. The first 30 minutes introduces 4 main characters, all on the run for one reason or another. Jackie Scanlon (Roy Scheider) is a getaway driver on a robbery gone horrifically wrong. A mafioso is hot on his trail looking for revenge. Victor Manzon (Bruno Cremer) is a French banker who discovers 15 million francs are missing from his bank. He's going to take the fall for it unless he can find the money. Nilo (Francisco Rabal) is the most mysterious character as a hitman supposedly hiding from his past, but we never find out why. Kassem (Amidou) is the last surviving member of his tight-knit terrorist cell.

So all running from their problems, the paths of these four men crosses in a desolate, rundown Nicaraguan village. They all want out but have no money or way to leave. A solution presents itself, an incredibly dangerous, almost suicidal one at that. A local oil well needs to be shut down and cleaned out, the only thing that will do the job is nitroglyercin. The catch? Two trucks with two drivers apiece will have to transport the nitro on a 218-mile trip on a bumpy, little-used, washed out road where the slightest bump might set off the explosives.

Sorcerer creates a sense of doom, a building feel of dread like few other movies have. With each bump, each turn of the wheel over a rickety bridge, your stomach drops. Filmed in the Dominican Republic, the movie has a gritty, realistic, almost documentary like feel to it whether its in the villages or winding through the thick jungle roads. The last half hour feels almost apocalyptic as the end of the trip is within reach. Tangerine Dream's electronic score just adds to that feeling of doom and dread. It all builds up to an ending that completely caught me by surprise. It's not quite the downer ending of the original, but Friedkin makes a switch that really works.

The DVD dissappoints, but I've read rumors of a special edition coming out. Don't hold your breath but at least keep it in mind before buying the current disc. The movie is in a grainy-looking fullscreen presentation which actually works, adding to the grittiness of the movie, but I'd like to see the movie in widescreen. Special features are a trailer and some always exciting cast and crew info. It's a great movie though, and should not be missed.

Sorcerer (1977): ****/****