Jaws: The Revenge - 1987 * * *

This time it's personal.

There are many reveiwers who think this is better than the original Jaws, and I have to say that I wasn't expecting it to be quite as good considering it was the 4th sequel to be churned out of the 'killer shark' franchise. I was happy that 2 of the original characters were in this one as neither had been in the 3rd movie, and Michael Caine provided some welcome relief as Ellen Brody's new love interest. This shark was certainly a whole lot meaner and some of the scenes are pretty scary, making you wince but still want to watch through your clasped hands. Ellen's son Sean is killed quite close to the beginning by the great white and that sends her almost over the edge with terror that such a hideous beast could still be prowling the nearby waters. I don't really understand why this movie wasn't brought out as Jaws 3 and Jaws 3 as Jaws: The Revenge, because it would have made more sense to follow the characters through to the end instead of totally disregarding them in the 3rd movie and then suddenly bringing them back for the 4th. Still there was enough gore and horror in this to keep me occupied so all in all I'd say not a bad attempt.