Where to watch Cruel Jaws
2 1/2 Stars
A tiger shark bred by the Navy as a killing machine is wreaking havoc in the sleepy tourist town of Hampton Bay. In the meantime, the mafia is involved with sleazy real estate investments, and send their thugs to keep a lid on the fact the residents are destined for clam chowder – Sea World owner, Dag, and his dolphins come to the rescue to save Hampton Bay from both the mob and military covert operatives.
The Italians surely do love their exploitation films. Some of these movies I’ve really enjoyed, particularly the sword and sandal rip-offs, and some I can’t stomach, the horror films mainly, but they all show a love of filmmaking. The prolific maestro of cheap thrills, Bruno Mattei, delivers Cruel Jaws, another terrible and entertaining little creature feature with loads of ambition and amateurish acting.
Cruel Jaws, aka Jaws 5, is the kind of movie that used to be prevalent on MST3K. It is an unarguably low-budget film with many corners cut for budgetary or time constraints. Yet, some moments are fun as the creative team uses a mixture of stock footage and rudimentary special effects to give the tiger shark of the title a menacing presence. Cruel Jaws is unlikely to impress those unfamiliar with the lineage of the genre. But adventurous viewers are in store for a film that is far more compelling and watchable than the dozens of shark-centric movies that have graced American screens since 1995.
Directed by: Bruno Mattei
Written by: Peter Benchley (novel), Robert Feen (screenplay), Robert Feen (story), Bruno Mattei (screenplay), Linda Morrison (screenplay), Linda Morrison (story)
Starring: David Luther, George Barnes Jr., Scott Silveria, Kirsten Urso