Why Jaws 3D Should Have Ended The Franchise (& Why It Didn’t)

After starting with one of the most influential horror movies in history, the Jaws franchise should have ended with the poorly-received Jaws 2, but Jaws 3D continued to capitalize on the shark craze and gave way to yet another low-quality release, Jaws: The Revenge. Steven Spielberg’s 1975 shark horror Jaws became a classic due to its masterful sense of suspense, its realistic shark (despite the movie’s restricted budget), appropriately minimalistic score, and charismatic characters. Once the aquatic monster was blown to bits, the following installments struggled to find a way to keep the franchise alive.

Jaws 2 broke all suspension of disbelief by showing that Amity Island isn’t convinced another great white shark was attacking innocent swimmers again, as if everybody just forgot about the events of the first movie. Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) works alone in an attempt to prevent another tragedy, but the shark manages to spill a lot of blood before Brody tricks it into biting an underwater power cable and electrocuting itself. Jaws 3D then took the bloodshed to SeaWorld in Florida, and Jaws: The Revenge chose to go back to its roots by following the widowed Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary), who’s tormented by a particularly resentful shark.

Saying the first Jaws is a landmark in movie history is an understatement. Despite its basic premise and lack of high-octane action, all of its narrative elements create a dreadful sense of looming danger that holds up to this day. Its plot is also perfectly self-contained, leaving no room for a sequel. Jaws was such a critical and commercial hit that Universal just couldn’t leave a potential franchise floating in the water, especially when ripoffs like Joe Dante’s Piranha were attempting to capitalize on its success. Logically, Jaws 2 tried to replicate the qualities of its predecessor, but it simply couldn’t compare to the first time audiences saw Chief Brody and co. confront Bruce the Shark.

Jaws 2 tackled its repetitive premise with a straight face, and Chief Brody’s plight to end a known threat before it’s too late was an interesting concept. Jaws 2 lacked Spielberg’s visionary style, but wasn’t a completely uninspired sequel. By 1978, underwater horror was still a profitable trend, and coupled with the advent of 3D technology and the opportunity to promote the Jaws theme park attraction, a sequel was inevitable. Universal even considered making Jaws 3 a comedy, as long as the box office could keep the franchise afloat. By trying to make Jaws 3D gory and visually striking, the sequel failed on both fronts, earning itself an overwhelmingly negative reception that called for a definitive conclusion. Jaws‘ gravitas was out the window by this point, but the fact that Jaws 3D was 1983’s second highest-grossing opening weekend of the year proved otherwise.

Even after losing traction at the box office, Jaws 3D was still raking in millions for Universal, which attempted to give the killer shark franchise a final push. Universal’s stubborn will to cash in on the Jaws title was so popular that even Back to the Future Part II joked that Jaws 19 was going to be released in 2015. Jaws 3D was the franchise’s last chance to stop while it could and not tarnish its legacy, but money always had the last word. A couple of years later, Sir Michael Caine agreed to star in Jaws: The Revenge because he knew the movie would be a profitable, but low-quality flick. As expected, Jaws: The Revenge tanked and finally killed the franchise with a laughable premise, poor visual effects, and myriad plot holes.

The evident regression of every Jaws title is a clear illustration of why box office hits aren’t synonymous with failproof franchises. Although positive commercial results are often a sign of encouragement from audiences, some stories just can’t be prolonged beyond their original plot. Thankfully, horror movies have come a long way since the failure of Jaws 3D and Jaws: The Revenge, although many killer shark movies still don’t seem to understand what exactly made Spielberg’s movie a masterpiece.

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