--- title: "Jaws: The Revenge: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/jaws-the-revenge/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/jaws-the-revenge" critics_score: 30 critics_reviews: 14 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Jaws: The Revenge (1987): what the critics said Critics' score 30 from 14 reviews: 1 positive, 2 mixed, 11 negative. Most critics dismiss Jaws: The Revenge as a poorly executed sequel whose shark vendetta premise produces more disbelief than suspense. Eleven of the fourteen reviews are negative, with complaints centred on implausible plotting, unconvincing effects and a shortage of effective scares. The limited praise clusters around the cast, particularly Michael Caine, whose charm gives several critics something to enjoy. Lorraine Gary earns some support too, though the assessments of her performance are divided. The disagreement is chiefly over whether the absurdity makes the film entertaining. Collider supplies the sole positive assessment, embracing the shark’s behaviour as that of a slasher villain and treating the excess as part of the fun. Paste finds some similar pleasures without calling it good. That creates a wide spread of scores, but little uncertainty about the prevailing view: most critics find the pacing slack, the action confused and the reliance on the original film wearying. ## Little White Lies — Padraig Cotter Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 9 July 2017. The critic finds the film resoundingly mediocre with some redeeming qualities in the cast and a few effective sequences, despite its rushed production and silly plot. They single out the performances, particularly Lorraine Gary and Michael Caine, and the score for praise. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/in-defence-of-jaws-the-revenge) ## The New York Times — Caryn James Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 18 July 1987. The critic finds it a color-by-numbers version of the original lacking intensity, with too much reverence for the first film and predictable action focused on family versus shark rather than quirky characters. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/18/movies/film-jaws-the-revenge-the-fourth-in-the-series.html) ## Radio Times — John Ferguson Rating 3.1/10. The review calls it a preposterous fourth entry with a laughably inept plot about a personal vendetta by the shark. It notes silly elements like the shark attacking an aircraft and criticizes the neurotic lead performance while praising Michael Caine's cameo. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-gs6ac5/jaws-the-revenge/) ## Time Out — RS Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The critic describes the film as focusing on a vendetta against the family by the shark, with mostly waiting for attacks and some attempted symbolism that fails, leading to a messy ending. They single out the irritating child character and the overall silly, preposterous nature. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/jaws-the-revenge) ## Variety — Variety Staff Rating **. 31 December 1986. The review notes that pacing leaves a lot to be desired and the attack sequences resemble the view from inside a washing machine due to jagged cuts and noise. It praises some performances but criticizes insufficient development for key characters. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1986/film/reviews/jaws-the-revenge-1200427215/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 20 July 1987. The critic calls it a bad, stupid and incompetent ripoff. He singles out the fake-looking shark models and the absurd plot devices, including a revenge-seeking shark and illogical scenes. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jaws-the-revenge-1987) ## Slant Magazine — Ted Pigeon Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 29 July 2012. The critic finds the film one of the least competent entries in the series, criticizing its half-hearted execution of the revenge premise and failure to deliver on tension or kills despite the title. He singles out its heavy, lazy reliance on nostalgia for the original Jaws through flashbacks and reused shots as especially misguided and emblematic of its emptiness. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/summer-of-87-jaws-the-revenge-this-time-its-impersonal/) ## Los Angeles Times — Sheila Benson Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 20 July 1987. The critic says it is dumb beyond belief, hollow, bloody and nonsensical, a vanity project that bottoms out the notion of the escapist summer movie. She singles out the unconvincing effects and performances, while noting a few credible turns amid the mess. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-07-20-ca-3110-story.html) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic calls it significantly worse than the rest of the Jaws series and one of the most egregious belly-flops in recent cinema. They single out the bloodless, soppy and much-rewritten ending that makes no sense. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/jaws-revenge-review/) ## Collider — Shawn Van Horn Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2023. The critic celebrates the film as a fun, over-the-top 1980s slasher where the shark behaves like a vengeful human killer stalking the Brody family. They single out the absurd psychic connection between Ellen and the shark, along with the bonkers final death scene, as highlights that make it entertaining schlock. [Read the review](https://collider.com/jaws-the-revenge-movie/) ## Paste — Trace Sauveur Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 4 August 2023. The critic ranks it third out of four Jaws films and calls it not a good film but one whose outlandish premise and bizarre turns make it memorable and more entertaining than a straight rehash. They single out the rushed production's manic glee, psychic shark connection, and Michael Caine's role as sources of its schlocky charm. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sharks/every-jaws-movie-ranked) ## Film Stories — John Upton Rating 2/5. 2 October 2025. The critic finds the film very bad overall but unintentionally amusing in parts, singling out Michael Caine's charming performance in the romance subplot as a highlight. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/news/the-1980s-films-of-michael-caine-jaws-the-revenge-1987) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2013. The film is a damp squib bereft of energy that wastes its cast; the critic singles out the silly premise, lack of wit or sophistication, and incompetent ending for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/jaws-the-revenge-1987-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## /Film — Jeremy Smith Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 15 June 2022. The critic calls it a deathly serious failure with a ridiculous premise and inept execution; singles out the bizarre TV-edit narration and exploding-shark ending for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/896209/the-jaws-movies-ranked-from-masterpiece-to-garbage-fire/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/jaws-the-revenge.md