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Dom Robinson reviews 
- Cert:
- Cat.no: 902 595 2
- Running time: 94 minutes
- Year: 1983
- Pressing: 2001
- Region(s): 2, 4 (UK PAL)
- Chapters: 20 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Surround (Dolby Digital 2.0)
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: 6 languages available
- Widescreen: 2.35:1 (ArriVision 3D)
- 16:9-enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 5
- Price: £17.99
- Extras: Trailers
Director:
- Joe Alves
(Jaws 3)
Producer:
- Rupert Hitzig
Screenplay:
- Richard Matheson and Carl Gottlieb
Original Score :
- Alan Parker
Cast :
- Mike Brody: Dennis Quaid
Kathryn Morgan: Bess Armstrong
Philip Fitzroyce: Simon MacCorkindale
Calvin Bouchard: Louis Gossett Jr
Sean Brody: John Putch
Kelly Ann Bukowski: Leah Thompson
Jack Tate: P.H. Moriarty
Although having worked on the previous films in the series, Jaws 3 has been the only film to date in which Joe Alves has taken the director role. And the only reason this was made was to show off the fact that someone could still attempt to make a film in 3D. Alas, neither the Davenport Cinema I saw this in, in 1983, nor this particular DVD, have made any attempt to bring this entertainment angle to our notice… thus making the bits that are meant to stand out in 3D seem even more plastic in 2D including the shark exploding at the end.
Oh dear, I’ve given the plot away. Yes, they kill the shark off at the end again. This time explosively like the first film, but the premise here is that Calvin Bouchard (Louis Gossett Jr) is in charge of Florida’s new Undersea Kingdom – a maze of underwater plexiglass tunnels – and the presence of Chief Brody’s son Mike (Dennis Quaid) working there leads the great white shark to make its revenge by attacking the new place – and everyone knows what happens when a shark charges at a piece of toughened glass: it crumbles, easily(!)
As the film progresses, it treads standard disaster movie water but with even less suspense than the second film. This time round, the shark isn’t the only baddie onscreen. When there’s a call for a baddie it usually involves someone British and in this case it comes in the form of those two hoping to catch the shark: Philip Fitzroyce (Simon MacCorkindale) and Jack Tate (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels‘ P.H. Moriarty)
On the plus side, at least it’s uncut. The cinema version was trimmed to a PG and the fullscreen videos have remained as a 15-cert until widescreen ones came out last year rated 12.
The teeth of the sea. Not in 3D.
Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen (not 16:9 as stated on the back of the box), the print is way too dark and muted most of the time and underwater scenes look particularly murky. It’s certainly in need of a remastering.
At least the sound’s in surround, but there’s nothing unexpected here and the few moments that do use the rear speakers don’t last long.
As the lack of effort into making the film sank, so did the same for the extras. This DVD contains just the 4-minute Jaws 2 trailer plus the teaser trailers for Jaws 3 and Jaws: The Revenge.
There are 16 chapters to the film which isn’t enough, the menus are static and silent and subtitles come in 6 languages: English for the deaf and hard of hearing, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Finnish.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL 
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.