Arguably the most famous iconic property to arise from the Universal film library and take a huge bite out of movie-going consciousness.  While the original Jaws exhibit at USH lacked real teeth as an attraction, Orlando's seafaring search for the Great White embodies the complete Jaws experience.  [Apparently USH just upgraded its Jaws show, but upgraded to what I don't know -- will have to compare it soon].

Studio guests will find Amity Island at the far end of the San Francisco district -- and odd juxtaposition of cities that would otherwise reside over 2000 miles apart, but hey, that's movie magic for you!  The incongruous transition aside, Amity is well designed and a success in presenting and expanding the New England island theme, which helps sell the attraction to participants all the more.

So, reports of shark attacks crackle over the radio, swimmers are missing, what's the logical thing to do?  Let's pile a bunch of tourists in a shallow-hull boat and head across the briny deep in search of the beast, naturally!  The weather during my Studio visit is overcast and showery, which adds to the East Coast feel of my excursion. Our skipper guides us past typical New England coastline sights of seaport villages, but soon enough we've headed into dangerous waters . . . the shark's feeding grounds.

Soon our razor-toothed nemesis wreaks havoc in the marina, and our tiny boat barely escapes capsizing as the shark bursts through a boathouse and charges us.  Our escape is brief as the Great White then attacks near the dock fuel depot, its destruction igniting a huge explosion of the tanks dangerously close to our boat.

Our skipper makes a run for safer waters, but the shark scents supper and we're the floating buffet!

The massive predator charges our tiny vessel, its great maw of teeth snapping hungrily just an arm's reach away (not that anyone was sticking their arm out to measure)!  Sure it's just a ride, but this remains a startling event, and its design and staging far surpasses the USH version in both intent and execution.

Thanks to our quick thinking skipper, we avoided being a box lunch in the briny deep -- I don't want to give away too much of the shocking finale, but it's a worthy, satisfying wrap-up to the entire Jaws experience.  Perhaps not the most technically advanced attraction in the Studio, but certainly one of the best conceived and designed, one which captures the thrilling essence of the film without copying it by rote: riders have a clear sense of what awaits them, but remain surprised by original elements which keep them involved in the show throughout.  I give it two fins up!

Let's tie up at the dock and disembark for drier scenery, far away from the murky ocean depths and off to explore other strange creatures from the vast depths of outer space.

© 2001-2002 scott weitz