In Hollywood, it is almost a given that when you have a blockbuster film on your hands a sequel will undoubtedly be in the works. (The only exception may be Titanic but I wouldn't put anything past Hollywood). So, when Jaws turned out to be a mega hit, the sequel was written up. Written in the time when the teen slasher film was a staple, Jaws 2 was no exception. Besides the return of Roy Scheider as Chief Martin Brody, there was little else to call good about the film. The absence of Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw was definitely an ailment to the film. Spielberg also declined to return for the sequel as he was busy with his own projects. Besides the return of Roy Scheider, the only thing which kept this movie relatively afloat was the return of John Williams to do the music.
While the main theme of Jaws became a signature John Williams tune, it is not as recurring in the sequel. Although the heartbeat piece does occur every so often, Williams brings in some new themes for the sequel. Using harps and strings, Williams introduces the new main theme in Finding the "Orca" (Main Title). While not as terrifying as the original, this one has its own appeal from the fact that the music is much more balletic in nature. The main theme from Jaws appears in this track as does the Orca theme from the original film. It is a signature move on Williams's part to reprise some of his old themes when an old character is introduced (the Yoda theme in E.T. for example).
Ballet for Divers is a wonderful piece that keeps in sync with Williams's attempts to create a more balletic score. His use of strings in this piece easily conjures up images of divers swimming gracefully through the sea. Another piece that is used several times throughout the score is introduced to us in The Catamaran Race. A fast paced and exciting piece, this track is a perfect accompanyment to the action of the boating scenes in the movie. The Menu is very similar to Promenade in the original in both its style and presentation. The same can be said of The Big Jolt! which is the climactic scene where Brody kills the shark again. While the music isn't as dark as the original, it is enjoyable. This release of soundtrack features some of the film's better pieces and if you're looking to invest in another Williams score, you might want to look this one up. But if you're hoping for more of the score you heard in the original Jaws you'd better look elsewhere.
Total time: 41:22
1: Finding the "Orca" (Main Title) (3:15)
2: The Menu (1:49)
3: Ballet for Divers (2:56)
4: The Water Kite Sequence (2:52)
5: Brody Misunderstood (2:49)
6: The Catamaran Race (2:08)
7: Toward Cable Juction (3:45)
8: Attack on the Helicopter (1:58)
9: The Open Sea (2:03)
10: Fire Aboard and Eddie's Death (3:25)
11: Sean's Rescue (2:55)
12: Attack on the Water Skier (2:40)
13: The Big Jolt! (4:39)
14: End Title, End Cast (3:21)