All 4 'Jaws' Movies Ranked

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In the summer of 1975, Universal Pictures released a film that would reshape cinema. "Jaws" quickly grew into a phenomenon, redefining the blockbuster and launching Steven Spielberg as an A-list director.

It's been more than 50 years now, and we are still feeling the impact of "Jaws," not just as an individual movie, but as a franchise-launcher. Universal released three sequels, each taking a different angle of approach to the same story of humans terrorized by a killer great white shark. While none ever left the same impact as the original, they all have their defenders, and are all still watched by genre fans today.

But how do the "Jaws" films stack up against each other? Even if you automatically regard the original as the best, there's a lot to discuss about why each entry works or doesn't, where they fit into the larger franchise, and more. To rank each entry from worst to best, we considered everything from the writer's own opinion to the critical and commercial reception of each film. 

• Director: Joseph Sargent
• Cast: Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles
• Runtime: 89 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

Released in 1987, "Jaws: The Revenge" is the fourth and final installment of the franchise. In the years since, the film and the stories around it have gone down in infamy, becoming one of the ultimate so-bad-it's-good-movies.

In an effort to inject some of the original film's energy into the narrative, "The Revenge" follows Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary), widow of now-deceased Amity Island police chief Martin Brody, who comes to believe that a new great white shark is out to seek vengeance against her family. When her son Michael (Lance Guest) tries to relieve her obsession by moving her to the Bahamas, Ellen only becomes more convinced that a shark is targeting her family, setting her on a collision course with another great white.

It's an interesting (if biologically confusing) idea to start off a sequel, but "Jaws: The Revenge" just never pulls this wild story off the right way. Despite a star-studded cast, it's a sloppy, rushed sequel that screams cash-in. It has cult status because of its legendary badness, but that's as much as you can hope for with this one.

• Director: Joe Alves
• Cast: Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Lea Thompson
• Runtime: 97 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Where To Watch: Netflix

Released in the midst of the 3D movie boom of the 1980s, the third "Jaws" film hoped to capitalize on a theatrical gimmick while taking the franchise in a new direction. The results are decidedly mixed.

Set at a state-of-the-art new Sea World location in Florida, the film follows Chief Martin Brody's son Michael (Dennis Quaid), a marine biologist working at the park. He and his colleagues discover that a great white shark has made its way into the semi-enclosed lagoon running through the park, threatening the lives of humans and other sea creatures.

There's a lot to like about the setup here, particularly when it comes to the location shake-up. The Sea World park in Florida is visually interesting, the young cast bring a vigorous spirit, and there's a genuine attempt to bring a little more spectacle to the table, including the 3D presentation.

Unfortunately, this is another case where the execution leaves something to be desired. From frustrating visual effects to a story that never quite holds together, "Jaws 3-D" is more of a curiosity today than a genuinely enjoyable follow-up to a legendary film.

• Director: Jeannot Szwarc
• Cast: Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton
• Runtime: 116 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Where to Watch: Netflix

Set four years after the first film, "Jaws 2" takes a very direct approach to following up the original, even with Spielberg refusing to come back to direct. It's set in the same location, Amity Island, and follows the same main character, Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), as he faces yet another great white shark threat. Or at least, that's what he thinks.

While the rest of Amity is trying to move on from the shark attacks, even opening a new hotel to bring in tourism, Brody's convinced that the shark is back, particularly as people start disappearing. But no one believes him, assuming he's still shell-shocked from the first incident. With his back against the wall, Brody has no choice but to go rogue and save Amity's residents, including his own children, all by himself.

Roy Scheider alone lends a lot of energy and gravitas to the sequel, even if he wasn't exactly keen on reprising his role in the first place. HIs presence adds a layer of suspense and emotional weight, even when it leans on familiar ideas from the first movie. That plus a few moments of genuine suspense make this one a reasonably entertaining watch, even if it can't compete with the original.

• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
• Runtime: 124 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Where to Watch: Netflix

Was there ever any doubt which "Jaws" film would be at the top? Yes, the movie that launched Steven Spielberg as the greatest blockbuster director of his generation is the best, and not just in its own franchise. "Jaws" routinely ranks among the best thrillers ever made, the best ever horror films, and the best movies of the 1970s.

The story, based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name, is very straightforward. A police chief, a scientist (Richard Dreyfuss), and a fisherman (Robert Shaw) team up when a great white shark starts wreaking havoc on the small island village of Amity, eating the residents and terrifying the survivors.

What makes "Jaws" so special is not just the premise, but the execution. The shark itself doesn't show up until later in the movie, owing to the mechanical prop's many issues. To work around this, Spielberg worked to suggest the shark's presence throughout, creating suspense that built to a crescendo by the time audiences actually saw the creature. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw have incredible chemistry, the film's scares are balanced with humor, and it's all underlined by an iconic John Williams score. It's not just a good movie. It's lightning in a bottle, and remains a classic after more than five decades.