Jaws III is a 1983 American action horror film about a giant thirty-five-foot shark that becomes trapped in a SeaWorld theme park. Promoted as Jaws 3-D and for home release just Jaws 3.
This was the second sequel to blockbuster hit Jaws (1975) after Jaws 2 (1978). It was followed by Jaws: The Revenge (1987).
Directed by Joe Alves from a screenplay co-written by Richard Matheson and Carl Gottlieb, based on a story by Guerdon Trueblood and with additional dialogue by Michael Kane [uncredited]. Suggested by Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws.
The Universal production stars Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale and Louis Gossett Jr.
Reviews:
“It’s all exquisitely terrible in the way only a 1983 release can be! With the sea park setting, the flamboyant Gossett Jr. performance, the 3-D and the terrible script, it should be so much more entertaining than it is! I give Jaws 3-D one game of stand-up, whatever that is!” Ha ha, It’s Burl!
“The idea of Jaws stealthily eating people in a water park is so f*cking ridiculous that I can’t believe they made a big-budget Hollywood movie about it, but they did and it’s way dumber than you can even imagine […] Jaws 3 is a cheesy, entertaining train wreck that’s a lot of fun to laugh at. I’m not sure if that’s what the filmmakers were going for, but Jaws 3 is a great comedy.” Happyotter
“You would think this would be a formula for cinematic carnage but it’s incredibly dull and barely anyone gets eaten […] Harpoons, severed arms, fish heads and even a set of jaws are thrown at the camera. When I saw this as a kid, audiences were throwing just as many items back in disgust.” The Movie Waffler
” …if you can get past some of the overbaked performances, and try to view this one as a fun throwback to 1950s creature-on-the-rampage features, you might find it isn’t the absolute bottom of the barrel. The 3-D effects are a pleasant treat (theatrically), while Quaid and Gossett do the best with what they’ve been given – which frankly isn’t much.” The Terror Trap
Choice dialogue:
Mike Brody: “White sharks are dangerous. I know ’em. My father, my brother, myself. They’re murderers.”
Trailer:
Main cast and characters:
Dennis Quaid … Mike Brody
Bess Armstrong … Kathryn Morgan
Simon MacCorkindale … Philip FitzRoyce
Louis Gossett Jr. … Calvin Bouchard
John Putch … Sean Brody
Lea Thompson … Kelly Ann Bukowski
P.H. Moriarty … Jack Tate
Dan Blasko … Dan
Liz Morris … Liz
Lisa Maurer … Ethel
Harry Grant … Shelby Overman
Andy Hansen … Silver Bullet
P.T. Horn … Tunnel Guide
John Edson … Bob Woodbury (as John Edson Jr.)
Kaye Stevens … Mrs Kallender
Rich Valliere … Leonard Glass (as Archie Valliere)
Alonzo Ward … Fred
Technical details:
99 minutes
Audio: Dolby Stereo
Aspect ratio: 2.39: 1
