Why Jaws Deserved to Be Re-Released

If you’ve seen a film, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen Jaws. Some people claim to have never seen Jaws but they are in fact mistaken. It’s safe to say that everybody has seen Jaws. Right?

But from that statement of fact comes one very good question; if everybody has already seen it, why re-release it? It is a very good question, there’s no denying that, but for every good question there is a very good answer – not everyone has seen it.

Some people haven’t seen Jaws. If one thinks about it, it’s easy to understand why – it’s not possible for everybody in the world to have seen Jaws. Children are too young; maybe some people just aren’t that interested in films (unimaginable, I know); maybe they just don’t like sharks; the list goes on. For those poor, sheltered individuals, what better way to enjoy one of the greatest thriller movies every made than in the confines of a large, dark room?

Also, a Jaws re-release makes sense because it is a true classic, it invented the idea of the summer blockbuster (which means that we actually have Jaws to thank for the Transformers trilogy; a fact that we won’t dwell on, in the interests of keeping this a pro-Jaws article) and it launched the career of Steven Spielberg. Even non-Jaws-seeing luddites recognise the name Steven Spielberg, as he has come to fully represent the concept of the ‘film director’ to the general public. He is unquestionably the most popular film-maker of all time, and somehow balances unrepentant mainstream appeal with critical plaudits. He proved it at the beginning of his career with Jaws and Duel, and still manages it now with War Horse, and The Adventures of Tintin.

Thirdly, and most cynically, a Jaws re-release is destined to make an awful lot of money, as people flock to experience the film in the way that it was intended to be seen – a cinema screen. There will also be an anniversary DVD release, with special features, and a Blu-Ray special edition (released 3rd September 2012) and extra merchandise. The re-release of Jaws, much like being eaten by a shark whilst drunkenly swimming in the nude, was an inevitable thing – so why not enjoy it?