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Rating: 3 out of 5
One of the best times of year is Shark Week. I love Shark Week because you see some crazy ass shit. Sharks are vicious and straight-up intimidating. That is why I refuse to go swimming in the ocean. That is a lie; Jaws scared me from going into the ocean as a kid. Speaking of Jaws, that was an ICONIC film by the great Steven Spielberg. It is a movie about a great white shark terrorizing a small town. The freakin music is ICONIC and will forever live on.
Now, there have been a ton of shark films to come along, and most of them deal with the great white shark as it is the biggest shark in the world. Did you know that there was a bigger shark? The one and only Megalodon. The Megalodon was a freaking BEAST. It was the straight-up Apex predator in the world. The Megalodon is an extinct species of shark that was estimated to be around 18 meters long and weighs a ton. Those teeth would make mincemeat out of anything. It’s a good thing that species has long been dead. What would it be like for this legendary shark to show up in today’s world? Oh, wait, you are in luck with The Meg.
Let’s dive into what the Meg is all about! The film starts off with Jonas Taylor (Statham), a rescue diver, attempting to save the crew of a damaged nuclear submarine. The sub hit an unidentified creature, and all hell is breaking loose. When two of the crew are trapped in the damaged sub, Jonas makes the decision to flee, realizing that if he saves them, all will be killed. Well, this story was dismissed after an investigation, and fellow survivor Dr. Heller stated that everyone could’ve been saved and that Jonas was suffering from pressure-induced psychosis. Five years after the events, Jonas is exiled but living in a lovely paradise. During this time, billionaire Jack Morris (Wilson) meets with Dr. Minway Zhang at the underwater research facility Mana One. Zhang and his oceanographer daughter Suyin (Bingbing) are on the cusp of exploring a deeper section of the Mariana Trench. While in the Mariana Trench, the exploration team learned of an ecosystem that has been untouched for millions of years. When the sub carrying Jonas’ ex-wife is attacked by an unknown creature, they soon realize that Jonas is correct and call for his help. Even Dr. Heller has to eat crow. To everyone’s horror, a megalodon is swimming around. Now, with a second chance to prove that he is right and save his ex-wife, Jonas dives deep. The only problem is that the Megalodon has escaped, and the new apex predator will be set loose on the world.
How can I say this? Is the Meg entertaining? Yes, it is. I was entertained. Is the Meg a B-type movie film but wrapped up in a blockbuster film? Yes, it is! Honestly, The Meg is one of those films that could’ve been made by the Syfy channel and would’ve been fine. It is a Syfy channel movie where some prehistoric creature returns and wreaks havoc on the world. Hell, Sharknado has been doing wonders, and I think it is up to over five sequels.
The Meg is a cross of Jaws and the Abyss or some other type of prehistoric film. In most of these films, something happens in the beginning, where the main character is disowned or humiliated after an accident and is exiled. Then we get some billionaire who wants to explore the ocean’s depths and find a new world until something gets loose. Oh, wait, they call upon the outcast main character to help stop and save everyone. Same storyline but different monsters.
Don’t get me wrong, the Meg was entertaining because it was like Jaws on steroids without being as iconic as Jaws. Who wouldn’t want to see a big-ass prehistoric shark roam around the ocean and eat everything? The Meg delivers on that front. It is straight-up amazing mindless entertainment. When the crew was trying to take down the Megalodon, they knew they were not equipped, but somehow, they managed to take it down. Some scenes definitely hit that NOPE button for me. The one scene that hit hard was when Jonas shot the Megalodon but was in the water. When that Megalodon turned, even I hit the “Oh shit!” Another wild scene was when they caught the Megalodon and killed it, but with most of these films, there is always a second one that is much bigger, deadlier, and straight-up meaner. When the second Megalodon came out of the water and capsized the boat, it was insane. Hell, being in the tube and almost getting swallowed by the Megalodon was a crazy scene.
I guess that is what I want to portray in this film. This film isn’t a grand finale type film. It is a B-movie that serves its purpose. If you have low expectations and don’t go into it thinking it will be on the grand scale of Jaws, you will actually love it. The film is very entertaining, with cheesy moments and even cheesier scenes. Yet, this film made bank and would’ve been perfect for Shark Week. If this was on the rotation for Shark Week, it would’ve been perfect. Hell, maybe a few years down the road, it might be part of the Shark Week lineup.
I have to admit that the special effects and CGI are pretty good. The filmmakers did a great job of showing the size of this freakish apex predator but also displaying that this beast was no joke. Were there moments where it looked really campy? Yes, it did. The many sharks eating other sharks looked like reproduced film footage. Even some of the chase scenes look strange, but hey, you get what you paid for. The mission was to make something outrageous. We are talking about a megalodon film. No need to be picky with what stuff looks like.
The acting or performances were meh but funny, to say the least. Let’s begin with the star of the film, Jason Statham. When Jason Statham is in a movie, you know two or three things will happen. First, he will have at least one scene to show off his abs. What workout plan are you on because I need it? Second, you will get crazy action scenes, leaving you wowed, entertained, or confused. Finally, you will get one-liners that will make you laugh or cringe.
Li Bingbing as Suyin Zhang was pretty good in this film. I usually hate when someone thinks they are smarter than the main character and tries to prove them wrong, only to fuck up the situation even more. That was Bingbing’s character. Don’t know if it was pride or trying to be the smartest person in the room.
Three characters stand out the most in this film. Page Kennedy as DJ was funny as hell. He usually spoke about what other people were thinking. Rainn Wilson as Jack Morris was funny because he was the rich dude who tried to be cool but also the minor villain. His death scene was funny because Homeboy got eaten like a grape. Ruby Rose, as Jaxx, was bossy yet cool to watch. I found her character one of the most level-headed characters in the film.
The Meg is one of those films that, if you watch it, you will be entertained but confused about how it made so much money. Then, you will think to yourself of Jaws and Shark Week. People love the monstrosity of sharks and what they can do. They love the sight of seeing that fin coming out of the water. Pretty much, they hear the music of Jaws. If you want to be entertained, the Meg is one of those films. It is a rip-off of Jaws, with cheesy lines and people getting eaten. Nothing better to watch during Shark Week.
