Jaws (50^th Anniversary Edition) [4K Ultra HD]

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss

Release Date: June 17, 2025

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Disc Rating: 10/10

Synopsis:

When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town’s chief of police (Roy Scheider), a young marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a grizzled shark hunter (Robert Shaw) embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again. Featuring an unforgettable score that evokes pure terror, JAWS remains one of the most influential and gripping adventures in motion picture history.

‘Jaws’ tells the terrifying story of a local seaside community named Amity that is thrown into terror and disarray following a pattern of deadly attacks from a great white shark. As things become increasingly dangerous and uncertain, the town’s chief of police joins forces with a young marine biologist and a gruff shark hunter in order to head out into the open waters and try to find a way to take down the deadly man-eating shark once and for all, but none of them could anticipate what is truly in store for them once they are able to locate the creature.

‘Jaws’ is directed by iconic filmmaker Steven Spielberg from a screenplay written by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb, based on the Novel of the same name by Peter Benchley and Spielberg does a spectacular job guiding along the unforgettable ride that still holds up across the board today. The film’s cast includes Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton and more, with each offering memorable and fully capable performances in their respective roles that have helped in their own right to make this beloved film repeatedly stand the test of time year after year.

‘Jaws’ first made waves when it was originally unleashed upon moviegoers a whopping fifty years ago when it hit theaters in June of 1975 and is largely considered to be the first true summer blockbuster, and for good reason. The film still holds up in nearly every conceivable way today, an incredible fifty years after it first shocked moviegoers and made them hesitant to go back in the water. It’s one of the few nearly perfect films that manage to make everything within work and have the intended effect on the audience. Even after countless viewings and the growth from childhood to adulthood, it’s one of those rare gems of cinema that never gets old or less engaging.

From the marvelous guidance of director Steven Spielberg to the stellar cast led by Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss, along with the combination of effects and the shark itself, the bite of ‘Jaws’ never gets less sharp, if anything only causing me to appreciate it further every time I revisit it. If you’ve somehow never had the pleasure, then you should probably stop reading here and go give it a whirl, because this is one cinematic masterpiece that should definitely not be missed.

‘Jaws’ returns home to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in a new 4K UHD 50^th Anniversary Edition courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment which is available in standard packaging and via a Limited Edition Steelbook release. The release features the film itself on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital and the 4K and Blu-ray discs of the film are identical to those included in Universal’s previous 4K UHD release of the film although fortunately the magnificent Ultra High Definition presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR-10 paired with the Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack are still absolutely astounding and lead to a pretty much flawless viewing experience for the beloved film.

The one new aspect of the release (and likely the big selling point for many) is the inclusion of an additional Blu-ray disc that includes the new feature length documentary ‘Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story’ which is truly fascinating. If you don’t already own ‘Jaws’ on 4K UHD then this should be a perfect time to rectify that and purchase a copy, while for those that own the previous 4K release it will be up to each individual as to whether or not the inclusion of the new Documentary justifies a double dip.

VIDEO:

The 50^th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Jaws’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition video presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR10, presented in its original 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation appears to be identical to the previous 4K edition of the film, yet fortunately that’s not a bad thing. The video presentation looks spectacular across the board and delivers a clean, sharp and filmic presentation that never falters or disappoints. Detail is outstanding on everything from the shark, human characters and the various backgrounds and settings on display. The Dolby Vision HDR improves many colors and offers a more vibrant and lifelike look on the sea itself, along with bits of clothing and more, while black levels are rich, deep and problem free throughout. Overall, this is a marvelous Ultra High Definition video presentation that looks truly phenomenal at every turn.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack. Please note that this review pertains solely to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio presentation. This multichannel soundtrack is once again identical to the previously issued 4K disc by Universal, yet just like the video it’s a fantastic and rewarding presentation. It offers a clean, crisp and fairly immersive audio presentation throughout that repeatedly takes advantage of all seven available channels in order to send the iconic score, along with action, sea-related effects, crowd chatter and plenty more moving throughout the various speakers whenever appropriate, while never resulting in any dialogue or other audio elements occurring simultaneously becoming negatively affected or rendered problematic. Overall, this is a stellar Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack that delivers beautifully every step of the way and never disappoints.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 50^th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Jaws’ includes the brand new 50^th Anniversary feature-length Documentary ‘Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story’ (running approximately 88 minutes in length) on its own Blu-ray disc which explores the legacy and impact of the film and features various interviews/comments with popular filmmakers and those involved with the film. The release also features the previously released extras initially included on the other 4K release on the 4K disc including the Documentaries ‘The Making of Jaws’ (running approximately 123 minutes), and ‘The Shark is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of Jaws’ (approximately 101 minutes), along with a collection of ‘Deleted Scenes and Outtakes’ from the film (approximately 13 minutes altogether). Also included is ‘Jaws: The Restoration’ (8 minutes), ‘From the Set’ (8 minutes) and the ‘Theatrical Trailer’ (3 minutes). The Blu-ray disc of the film also offers a few Galleries not included on the 4K disc dubbed ‘Jaws Archives’ which includes ‘Storyboards’, ‘Production Photos’, ‘Marketing Jaws’, and ‘Jaws Phenomenon’.

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray disc included in the 4K UHD Combo Pack and resized. They do not represent the quality of the 4K Ultra HD disc itself and will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on the 4K UHD & Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

–

Disc Rating: 10/10

–

‘Jaws: 50^th Anniversary Edition’ is Now Available to Own on 4K Ultra HD & Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

–

You can purchase ‘Jaws: 50^th Anniversary Edition’ on 4K UHD at Amazon HERE!

*Screen-Connections.com is an Amazon Associate that earns from qualifying purchases