‘Jaws’ at 40, ‘Jurassic World’ and the lessons Hollywood didn’t learn from the Spielberg blockbuster
In an early scene in “Jurassic World,” park executive Claire Dearing explains to potential sponsors of a terrifying new theme park attraction that “no one’s impressed by a dinosaur anymore. In a business sense, “Jurassic World” is the undeniable grandbaby of another movie with Spielberg’s name on it at the box office this week — “Jaws,” which Fathom Events is re-releasing in theaters for two days for its 40th anniversary as part of its “TCM Presents” series. Spielberg’s problem was the exact opposite of the one that plagues contemporary directors of big-budget films like “Jurassic World’s” Colin Trevorrow. Perhaps spoiled by the extraordinary studio filmmaking of the era or irritated by the ubiquity of the publicity, neither The Times’ Charles Champlin nor the New York Times’ Vincent Canby was a fan of “Jaws.” “While I have no doubt that ‘Jaws’ will make a fortune for Universal and producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown,” Champlin wrote, “it is a coarse-grained and exploitative work which depends on excess for its impact.” Little did Champlin know that that was just the start of it; “Jaws” went on to spawn three sequels, none of which approached the success of the original film, three video games and two theme park rides.
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