Meg 2: The Trench brings big action and even bigger bites than the first film and gives Jason Statham another opportunity to show us why the world loves him. When thinking of Summer movie season and the type of blockbuster films we’re used to seeing, it’s always refreshing to get a creature feature in the mix and it helps when it doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s been much debate online about this film receiving a 0% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics demanding that there be more character depth and smarter writing as a whole. Clearly these were critics were neither the target audience, nor have they likely enjoyed the wonder and ridiculousness that was Sharknado. As I’ve moved away from movie ratings I believe that this film is a prime example of why that may only hurt a movie that’s not trying to be anything more than it is.
Call me crazy, but I feel like I knew exactly what I was signing up for when going to The Meg and it’s sequel, and I believe the lively audience around me knew as well. All I was really hoping for out of this film was crazy Shark action, people dying in hilarious and unbelievable ways, and Jason Statham kicking all kinds of human and aquatic ass. Fortunately for me, Meg 2 scratched all those itches and even dove further into some of the best action movie tropes that have fueled the genre for decades.
It was really nice to not have to think as hard about the story and what was going on behind the science of the film, but Meg 2 still surprised me with how intriguing a lot of the deep trench sequences were and how terrifying they could be at times. There are several tense moments that rely on the crushing darkness around our heroes in their deep sea exoskeleton suits and the teeny bit of red light they’re emitting in order to see. Truthfully, it reminded me of some of the best bits of Pacific Rim and Aquaman when dealing with the terrifying creatures that swarm deep below. Jump scares are a dime a dozen in the film as it shoots for a more straightforward attempt to creature kills, however there were a couple moments with smaller creatures that popped up and scared the life out of the theater. It was one of those moments where I was glad I wasn’t alone in my brief terror, as most of the audience jumped as well.
If there’s one thing I would’ve done differently in the film, it’s just going for the jugular and making a Megalodon Shark movie rated R. The PG-13 rating will always be King in an attempt to appease the broadest audience age group, but damn-it if I just want a killer shark movie that’s actually made fore “mature” audiences. The movie could remain exactly the same, but leaning in to some of the crazier and creepier creature kills would add a ton of horror elements that would balance out greatly with Statham and co.’s situational humor. None of this is to say I didn’t enjoy my time with Meg 2: The Trench, because it was truly a welcome break from more serious films I’d been taking in and I needed to laugh with an audience like that again. There’s enough real science to float the story where it needs to go and there’s tons of enjoyable action littered all throughout. This film will play great at home for a long time to come but if you’re feeling like you need a pick me up, the theater is the perfect place to enjoy Statham taking on the Megs!
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