widest release and accounting for 29.5% of its final gross. It has achieved total lifetime worldwide gross of $87,987,055. Despite being No. 1 at the box office, this illustrates the series' diminishing returns, since Jaws 3-D has earned nearly $100 million less than the total lifetime gross of its predecessor and $300 million less than the original film. The final sequel would attract an even lower income, with around two thirds of Jaws 3-D'''s total lifetime gross. After its opening weekend the film's box office grosses declined sharply by over 40% during later weeks, although it was still drawing huge audiences when it was pulled from theaters; film historian R.M. Hayes says this action "was pure nonsense considering some cinemas were actually turning over more money per screen than the latest Star Wars film". Critical reception Reception for the movie was generally negative. Variety calls it "tepid" and suggests that Alves "fails to linger long enough on the Great White." It has a 11% 'rotten' rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 3.5/10. Its critical consensus reads, "A cheese-soaked ocean thriller with no evident reason to exist, Jaws 3 bellows forth with a plaintive yet ultimately unheeded cry to put this franchise out of viewers' misery." Metacritic, using a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 27 out of 100 based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews." The 3D was criticized as being a gimmick to attract audiences to the aging series and for being ineffective. Allrovi, however, says that "the suspense sequences were made somewhat more memorable during the film's original release with 3D photography, an attribute lost on video, thereby removing the most distinctive element of an otherwise run-of-the-mill sequel." Derek Winnert says that "with Richard Matheson's name on the script you'd expect a better yarn" although he continues to say that the film "is entirely watchable with a big pack of popcorn." Others are disappointed that Matheson and Gottlieb produced this script given their previous success. Although most critics are in agreement that Jaws 2 is the best of the Jaws sequels, some are unsure if Jaws 3-D is better than Jaws: The Revenge. One reviewer says of Jaws 3-D: Campy performances, cheesy special effects, and downright awful dialogue all contribute to making Jaws 3 a truly dismal experience for just about everyone. It's not only hard to believe