4.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Another giant Great White shark is wreaking havoc on an aquatic amusement park in Florida after following her newly born offspring inside and getting trapped.
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale, Louis Gossett Jr., John PutchHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 32% |
Adventure | 4% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Spanish: DTS 2.0
French: DTS 2.0
Portuguese: DTS Mono
Spanish: DTS 2.0
German: DTS Mono
Japanese: DTS Mono
Thai: DTS Mono
English SDH, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Korean, Norwegian, Swedish, Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Blu-ray 3D
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
If there is any movie franchise that's ripe for a 3D installment, it has to Jaws. Even if it's all gimmick, which this movie is, and a far cry from the brilliance of the original film, the material just lends itself to 3D. What could possibly be scarier than a shark bearing down on the audience, literally chomping at the bit to get a piece of the viewer? Even Back to the Future II recognized the terror of a shark making a leap for the viewer, that one holographic but still, the point holds. Jaws 3 makes no allusions of being anything more than a gimmick movie. Leaner than Jaws 2 and much more focused on the task at hand of three dimensional chills, jumps, gore, and teeth, it's a fun little movie that might not have much to do with the universe established in the first two films but that's essentially a haunted house thrill ride on, and under, the water.
Jaws 3's Blu-ray 3D presentation may be imperfect, but it's a whole lot fun and makes some of the best raw use of pop-out effects the
format
has seen. It impresses right off the bat with the Universal logo and opening titles. Reinforced by Superman-ish 3D red lines behind in support, letters leap right off the
screen and the title card itself, complete with some shark teeth, practically bites the viewer's nose off. It's the first of several effects so good they
have
that delicious "reach out and touch them" facial presence going for them. Several grisly details appear to float out in front of the screen, including a
fish head and a human arm. A disfigured face sticks out of the screen exactly an hour in, though it looks more distorted than anything else. Some
well-staged environments and odds and ends present a good, tangible sense of depth, dimensionality, and shape as well, including a fabric maze and
carefully arranged items on a kitchen table during breakfast. Underwater photography is appropriately well defined in depth, and land and water's
surface shots sprawl into the back. Distance between elements is frequently obvious, and various objects both organic and inorganic in the film take
on
a nice, realistic shape.
On the down side, crosstalk can be quite severe. It's not constant, but that "ghosting" effect is plain as day in a number of places. Fortunately, the
raw 3D visuals are so good that, most of the time, it's more a minor annoyance, though a few scenes are ruined by it.
The movie's more traditional components are fine, and any shortcomings are more or less overcome by the quality 3D work. Grain is a bit uneven,
thick in spots but thin elsewhere and occasionally yielding a fairly flat image. Details aren't overly exciting, but the image handles the basics like skin
and clothing textures as well as a few environmental niceties well enough. Mild smearing is evident across a few corners and backgrounds. Colors
are
decent, well saturated for the most part -- particularly the bright red opening titles -- and offer enough punch on clothing and grass to please. Black
levels don't wander too far from true and flesh tones appear good to go. The 2D-only image is a drastic step down. Grain is much rougher and
spikier, details less solid, black levels significantly more murky. The image does feel a little cramped in the wider aspect ratio; the 3D imagery
screams for a larger canvas, but overall the presentation fares rather well. The movie is best enjoyed in 3D, and by a wide margin.
Jaws 3's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack delivers a basic but qualified and role-fulfilling listen. It's meager and straightforward with musical spread out to the sides earning a decent sense of width. Clarity is never amazing, but basic definition more than satisfies. Light ambient effects likewise push a bit out to the sides, though there's no true sense of environmental immersion; the track is content to simply recreate the sounds for support, not effect. Heavier action elements likewise fall into a similar category. Splashing water and such doesn't generate much power, and even if a wider and more immersive track would have been preferable to play in conjunction with the 3D material, the 2.0 presentation offers just enough front side space and depth to get by. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized, naturally pushed towards the middle and remaining grounded there for the duration.
All that's included is the Jaws 3 Theatrical Trailer (2D, 480i, 1:23). Note that the 3D version of the film is listed under the "Extras" tab as well.
Jaws 3 joins the ranks of gimmick 3D movies (another fun one being Friday the 13th Part 3) as one of the best of the bunch. The 3D is very enjoyable, the plot not so much, but the movie knows its place, plays to its strengths and its audience's wants, and delivers a movie that's leaner than its predecessor. What it lacks in serious story development and greater Jaws universe continuation it more than makes up for with spirit and a seemingly endless string of nifty 3D visuals. Universal's Blu-ray is good in terms of its 3D presentation. Audio is fairly routine and supplements are essentially nonexistent, but the disc is worth a buy for the enjoyable 3D experience alone. Recommended.
1987
45th Anniversary Edition
1978
1977
1975
2011
Collector's Edition
2003
2012
1994
2018
1978
[•REC]⁴: Apocalypse / [•REC]⁴: Apocalipsis
2014
1982
2019
2016
1954
2018
1955
1987
1989
Original Unrated Cut
2005