Jaws 2 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Jaws 2 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has released the sequel film 'Jaws 2' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160/HDR video. This release includes the same core audio track and the same supplements from the 2016 Blu-ray. All supplements have been ported to the UHD disc and the original Blu-ray is also included with purchase.

Jaws 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

The benefits that the 2160p/HDR UHD provide are in evidence from the first few frames. The blue water appears much deeper on the UHD and the white titles are bold and brilliant rather than flat and faded, as on the Blu-ray. The bold red letters revealing the film's title gain significant pop and punch, too. There is also a great improvement to image stability; gone are the wobbles and the flickers found on the Blu-ray. Grain management is also better here. But these are just the titles. How does the rest of the picture look?

Very, very good. This is not a modern film with modern technical foundations, but the core film elements thrive on the UHD format. The picture's grain structure is very attractive throughout, and it's even in density and definition. Details are stable and clear with impressively rendered skin textures, clothing elements, and environments, all bolstered over the previous Blu-ray for sheer complexity, visible intricacy, and overall stability even at distance. Sandy beaches are a highlight; even at distance, there's a tangible gain to overall definition and clarity, giving some added life to what is a rather regular visual element in the film.

The color grading is very good, too. The HDR tones deepen the palette but also bring some minor corrective coloring to the film, for example adding some more blue punch and depth to skies and water. There are some shots where the difference in the sky can be quite dramatic, transitioning from pale blue (Blu-ray) to deep blue (UHD). Overall, the HDR grading brings bolder yield to the screen, especially in the period attire where reds, blues, and the like enjoy a fairly sizeable boost to overall depth. Contrast in general is healthier and temperatures more naturally tuned. Skin tones are very healthy and black levels do not disappoint.

Eagle-eyed viewers will spot the odd pop and speckle, but such are barely cause for concern. Additionally, the number of these have been greatly reduced from the Blu-ray. Finally, there are no significant signs of encode problems or the like. This is not the best looking movie at the source, but Universal has certainly brought some much-appreciated new life to it.

Jaws 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than re-encode the audio for DTS:X or Dolby Atmos, Universal has simply ported over the existing DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack from the original Blu-ray. Below, for convenience, is that audio review:

Jaws 2 more nibbles on sound systems than it does bite a big chunk out of them. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack, unsurprisingly, lacks much in the way of punch or vigor. Music can be a bit tight in the middle, a tad muffled and not particularly engaging, but Williams' trademark theme -- duh-dum, duh-dum, duh-dum -- is at least impressively detailed and fairly deep, even without the added benefit of an LFE channel. Band music and crowd applause at the opening ceremony struggle to find much clarity. Splashes, crashes, and gunshots aren't too terribly enthusiastic or home to much vitality. Dialogue finds a natural center positioning and presents clearly and with no struggles in prioritization. The movie would certainly benefit from a more wide-open 5.1 track -- even if it's just to better define ocean atmospherics out on the water or din on the beach -- but the 2.0 track handles the necessities well enough.

Jaws 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Thuis UHD release of Jaws 2 contains a lengthy making-of, a few featurettes, deleted scenes, storyboards, and trailers: all of the same extras found on the Blu-ray release, which is also included. Find below a list of what's included and please click here for full coverage.

• Deleted Scenes
• The Making of Jaws 2
• Jaws 2: A Portrait by Actor Keith Gordon
• John Wiliams: The Music of Jaws 2
• The "French" Joke
• Storyboards
• Theatrical Trailers

Jaws 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Jaws 2 is hardly a bad sequel per se, but it's certainly not in the same ballpark as the original classic. Overly long and underperformed outweigh the pluses, namely a movie that doesn't stray from the basics, a few honest scares, and impressive up-close shark work. It makes for fair entertainment and a worthy entry into the man-eating shark genre, though not necessarily a worthy successor to one of cinema's all-time classics. Universal's UHD only has upgraded video to offer, but it's enough. The picture looks solid and is worth the splurge, even for those who own the original Blu-ray release. The 2.0 lossless audio is no great shakes, but it more than suffices for the material at-hand. The supplements, while vintage, more than get the job done. Recommended!