For anyone who has ever seen Jaws (and if you haven’t, what are you doing reading this?!), you’ll know it as one of the most iconic films of all-time. With the film, Steven Spielberg’s unwittingly invented the summer blockbuster, and forever changed the way audiences experience cinema, and the ocean, for that matter. With that in mind, it’s a wonderful thing for any movie fan to see Universal release a pristine Blu-ray edition of the film, complete with hours of special features.

The Film

I must admit, I’m not really the biggest Jaws expert, having only seen the film once previously, plus bits and pieces on television over the years. That said, I’m sure of the fact that this is far and away the best the film has ever looked. Just visually, the comparison is astounding, as the folks at Universal beautifully restored the film into a pristine, thoughtful Blu-ray print. Here’s an example of the difference between the Blu-ray and DVD with the below screencaps.

New

Old

The sound is also terrific, as it just further demonstates the fact that this is really an all-around fantastically converted film. For any fan of Jaws, the Blu-ray transfer is worth the price of this addition on the film itself, forget supplements. Speaking of which…

The Supplements

I would say the special features here are average, although that doesn’t hurt the release too much. There is an interesting two hour look at the making of Jaws, though it isn’t anything new to this specific release. Of particular note is the documentary The Shark Is Still Working, as well as a look at the Blu-ray transfer entitled Jaws: The Restoration which gets a bit technical, but is interesting nevertheless.

The special features here aren’t necessarily anything to write home about, but they offer a few hours of interest, particularly for those who don’t already own the DVD.

Final Thoughts

This release begins and ends with the perfect Blu-ray transfer. Jaws has never looked this good, as the picture is absolutely stunning, coupled with English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (translation: it sounds great). For any Jaws fan, this is a release to own, as Universal continues their trend of carefully constructed Blu-ray releases, and as it’s available for just $20 on Amazon, we recommend picking it up.

The Jaws Blu-ray is now available.

SKIP/RENT/BUY: Buy It