Worst Films Of All Time (1) : Jaws IV - The Revenge
It was only whilst thinking up a top 10 film list, that I started to consider the really awful ones, the ones that leave you waking up in the middle of the night in a pool of sweat. And this is the first of my list of ten (in no order of preference).
Ok it's an easy film to kick, especially when you consider that the basic plot of the film revolves around a shark that decides to make it personal with the widow of Sheriff Brody - Ellen (Lorraine Gary from the first two films). Now we know how with the aid of technology you can follow someone around if you want to, but when Ellen decides to visit her son in the Bahamas after another family tragedy involving said shark on Amity Island, questions must be asked. Wouldn't the Brody children be working away from the water after what went on before ? and how does the shark manage to find out where Ellen is heading ? Was it via squid-net ? or was a private detective lobster engaged to pass on the information ?
And once we get to the Bahamas we meet Hoagie (or should that be Hokey) played by Michael Caine. In the UK if Jaws 4 is mentioned to him in interviews he tends to get a little tetchy, but then he didn't have to pay to see it or watch it like we did. One of the only possible reasons to see this film was in the hope that he would get eaten at some point, but unfortunately the shark can't stomach his truly awful performance. And don't get me started on his dancing at the carnival - the most horrific thing in the whole film.
After a tedious time in the Bahamas, the ending comes as a relief even if it is absolutely pathetic - I don't want to spoil it for any hardy souls who might want to view the film. The only feeling you're likely to have at the end is of sympathy for the careers of Lorraine Gary and the executive who green-lighted the script.
Pluses - It stopped them from going ahead with Jaws 5 (so far)
Minuses - Terrible plot and acting; the shark couldn't get in another movie after appearing in it
Bottom Line - Life is too short to spend wasting 100 minutes of your life on this unless you have masochistic tendencies.
(A version of this review was published on Epinions July 7th 2001)
Ok it's an easy film to kick, especially when you consider that the basic plot of the film revolves around a shark that decides to make it personal with the widow of Sheriff Brody - Ellen (Lorraine Gary from the first two films). Now we know how with the aid of technology you can follow someone around if you want to, but when Ellen decides to visit her son in the Bahamas after another family tragedy involving said shark on Amity Island, questions must be asked. Wouldn't the Brody children be working away from the water after what went on before ? and how does the shark manage to find out where Ellen is heading ? Was it via squid-net ? or was a private detective lobster engaged to pass on the information ?
And once we get to the Bahamas we meet Hoagie (or should that be Hokey) played by Michael Caine. In the UK if Jaws 4 is mentioned to him in interviews he tends to get a little tetchy, but then he didn't have to pay to see it or watch it like we did. One of the only possible reasons to see this film was in the hope that he would get eaten at some point, but unfortunately the shark can't stomach his truly awful performance. And don't get me started on his dancing at the carnival - the most horrific thing in the whole film.
After a tedious time in the Bahamas, the ending comes as a relief even if it is absolutely pathetic - I don't want to spoil it for any hardy souls who might want to view the film. The only feeling you're likely to have at the end is of sympathy for the careers of Lorraine Gary and the executive who green-lighted the script.
Pluses - It stopped them from going ahead with Jaws 5 (so far)
Minuses - Terrible plot and acting; the shark couldn't get in another movie after appearing in it
Bottom Line - Life is too short to spend wasting 100 minutes of your life on this unless you have masochistic tendencies.
(A version of this review was published on Epinions July 7th 2001)
posted by andyp at 12:15 PM
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