If the “Jaws” franchise demonstrates the risk of diminishing returns with each successive sequel, then “Jaws: The Revenge” is its low-budget nadir: A so-bad-it’s-good big-studio embarrassment that just has to be seen to be believed. Nothing works here, beginning with the movie’s extraordinarily cheap shark, which is immobile and registers no threat whatsoever, even for scaredy cats like myself. As a matter of fact, you can sometimes see the seams of the fabric that covers the shark, as though no one (least of all director Joseph Sargent) cared about the finished product. Lorraine Gary returns here as Ellen Brody, but neither the actress nor the character are particularly interesting, so even the movie’s main protagonist doesn’t have the support of the audience. Add in a ludicrous, jaw-droppingly bad climax (which includes a roaring shark, miniature replicas, and recycled footage from the first movie), as well as a laughable story that includes a shark vendetta and suggestions of a psychic link between Brody and the shark, and you’re left with an unintentionally hilarious disaster.
Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)
