Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Jaws 2’

Written by John 'Left Shark' Betancourt

It is interesting how we handle trauma. We expect that once it comes to an end it is just that... the end. Life will go on with minimal fuss and we are able to live our lives exactly as they were before, and those bad memories are just another story to tell.  

But the fact is, trauma will often echo in our minds. There are places we go, things we see that remind us in some form or fashion of those disturbing days and we often push ahead to keep that sense of normalcy. But from time to time the echoes of our past will come back to haunt us and sometimes, the terrors in our lives can strike twice... as was the case in Jaws 2. 

It has been years since a great white shark terrorized the resort community of Amity Island, and since then the town has thankfully managed to recover from the disaster and life seems to have returned back to normal. But a series of strange accidents seem all too familiar to Chief Brody and he quickly believes a new great white has made its way to Amity, but his observations are seen only as fear mongering and Brody is relieved of his duties. But when the attacks become apparent that he is indeed correct, Brody will have to once again face this terror of the ocean. 

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​Let's get the toughest part of this review out of the way by pointing out that well...Jaws 2 is nothing like its predecessor. The original film was truly a masterpiece, yet oddly enough, this sequel is not a complete and utter disaster, just...missing some of the original components. There are certainly some tense and terrifying moments, especially later in the film when Brody's son and his friends are lost at sea and being hunted by the shark.  Yet something feels completely different about this sequel, and oddly enough where it goes...works.  

What keeps me coming back to Jaws 2 is the fact that at its core, it is a super dark film about what trauma does to us. Martin Brody is clearly haunted by his experiences in the first film. You see the panic in his eyes when it comes to having to face the nightmare once again, and that overall fear is something that never quite leaves Brody, even when he springs into action to save his boys.  

That is perhaps why I believe this film was not as well received as the first film in the franchise, because of the fact that this one is more about the horrors of the human mind rather than the terror that lives in the sea but to me, that far more philosophical exploration, and the fact that Jaws freaking ate a helicopter, are solid reasons as to why Jaws 2 is the best sequel in the franchise. ​

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