Movie Night: Jaws 2.

Review #555: Jaws 2.

Cast
Roy Scheider (Martin Brody), Lorraine Gary (Ellen Brody), Murray Hamilton (Mayor Larry Vaughn), Joseph Mascolo (Len Peterson), Jeffrey Kramer (Deputy Jeff Hendricks), Collin Wilcox (Dr. Lureen Elkins), Ann Dusenberry (Tina Wilcox), Mark Gruner (Michael Brody), Barry Coe (Tom Andrews), Susan French (Grace Witherspoon), Gary Springer (Andy Nicholas), Donna Wilkes (Jackie Peters), and Gary Dubin (Eddie Marchand) Directed by Jeannot Szwarc.

Review
It figues that even though the first movie wrapped itself up nicely and leaving no doubt that the shark was dead, the studio wanted a sequel. Scheider is back at least, along with Gary and Hamilton, which is alright (a shame there's no Dreyfuss though), but let's get to the point, the movie doesn't have much chance of replicating the scare of the original movie, and the movie acknowledges that by revealing the shark many times throughout the film. So yeah, how is the film? It's pretty mediocre. Scheider does his best, and to the film's credit, most of the cast do a pretty fine job...except the teens. After a while, you start rooting for the shark. I think the thing that irritates me the most is the fact that once again nobody agrees with Brody that there's a shark attacking. The original script made more sense for why they don't believe him, as the Mayor and Peterson are apparently in debt to the Mafia (don't ask), borrowing money from them to build resorts to help restore Amity after the shark attacks devastated the town's economy in the first movie (I wouldn't want to go to a place with shark attacks either), thus explaining why the two "disbelieve" him. But instead, due to rewrites, there's now no reason for the two to not believe Brody, the man who's hunted down a shark before. At least the shark effects look decent. The tagline "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..." is really clever and invites you with such an irresistible line. The movie is okay, but compared to the first film, it's a inferior sequel. But...what about the sequels? Well, we-I mean I am going to find out.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: To Kill a Mockingbird.

Review #116: To Kill a Mockingbird.

Cast
Gregory Peck (Atticus Finch), Mary Badham (Jean "Scout" Finch), Phillip Alford (Jem Finch), John Megna (Charles Baker "Dill" Harris), Frank Overton (Sheriff Heck Tate), Rosemary Murphy (Miss Maudie Atkinson), Ruth White (Mrs Dubose), Brock Peters (Tom Robinson), Estelle Evans (Calpurnia), Paul Fix (Judge John Taylor), Collin Wilcox (Mayella Violet Ewell), James Anderson (Robert E. Lee "Bob" Ewell), Alice Ghostley (Aunt Stephanie Crawford), and Robert Duvall (Boo Radley). Directed by Robert Mulligan.

Review
It has been fifty years since this film was released (51 since the publication of the book by Harper Lee), and it still holds up after all this time. The best acting in this film comes from the grand Gregory Peck, who does so well in his performance that he blends in after a while. The story teaches a lesson in issues (that I will not cover as I think you know it already). It is a good film, with good acting, good courtroom drama (not much of it, but still good drama), and most of all, Robert Duvall's first acting role. He may have no lines, but he still stands out in this great film.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.