Dog’s Movie House: “Meg 2: The Trench” Is Everything You Could Possibly Want In A Giant Shark Movie. . .For Better Or For Worse!

“Meg 2: The Trench” features Jason Statham returning as diver Jonah Taylor. In the intervening years he’s become something of an eco-warrior, finding and reporting evidence of illegal waste dumping in the ocean and other nefarious deeds. When he’s not impersonating an action hero, Taylor works at the Chinese marine center run by Jing Wu’s Jiuming Zhang, the son of marine center’s owner from the previous film. Taylor has also become an adoptive father to Meiying (Shuya Sophia Cai) who has grown from an adorable little girl into a smart but somewhat rebellious teenager.

Using new suits and submersibles to map the Mariana Trench, Taylor and his team discover and illegal mining operation and a certain set of circumstances involving a massive underwater explosion allows not one, not two, but three Megs to escape through the Thermoclime and into the regular ocean (along with some other beasties who shall remain nameless.) It’s up to Jonah and his team to not only stop the illegal miners but to prevent the three Megs from making meals out of a resort full of clueless guests.

Look, the first “Meg” wasn’t known for it’s brains, trading a scientific examination of a resurfaced prehistoric predator for more pedestrian thrills and humor. “Meg 2: The Trench” does exactly the same thing, only with more of everything that made the first film what it was. Director Ben Wheatley gives you enough shark action for the first two-thirds of the film to keep you interested and the human element of illegal mining adds a somewhat interesting wrinkle, but it’s not until the last third of the film that things go truly bonkers (in a very entertaining way, of course). This is a film whose script doesn’t really bother to explain how creatures who live 25,000 feet underwater can suddenly show up on an island and breath air. Just go with it, right. Or it doesn’t bother to explain how Statham’s Taylor can freedive without a suit at the bottom of the Trench without being crushed like a beer can. Just go with that to; it’s Jason Statham after all, right? Little things like adhering to scientific accuracy would get in the way of all the creature feature shenanigans showcased in the movie.

Now this is a faint criticism, as Wheatley himself has said that this film was inspired by not only “Jaws” but by the works of Ray Harryhausen as well. If that was his intention, then “Meg 2: The Trench” succeeds in spades. As a creature feature, the film works because the makers are fairly creative with their monster work. The Megs (short for Megaladon) are fearsome beasts, well rendered by the effects team, and Wheatley does a good job of accentuating their size and power. If one decides to make you a meal, you’re not swimming away. Even the heroes have to be careful and prepared if they want to avoid becoming fish food.

The actors are all fine in roles that, by the very nature of the genre, are somewhat underwritten. The bad guys are all one-dimensional hissable villains who exist only for the audience to cheer when they get their grisly cumuppances. Statham is fine as Taylor, although he’s more like Lee Christmas from “The Expendables” then a professional diver. His relationship with Cai’s Meiying is nicely handled and she and Statham have some of the film’s better quiet scenes. The comedy MVPs are Cliff Curtis returning as Mac and Jing Wu as Jiuming. Those two have a few scenes late in the film that make me want to see a buddy comedy with those two. Their attempt to acquire a helicopter for escape from the island has a Three Stooges vibe that provide the biggest laughs in the film.

Overall, “Meg 2: The Trench” is a fun film that continues in the same vein as “The Meg” only more so. It’s not like the title’s gonna serve as a bait-and-switch or anything. In short, if you liked the first film you’ll enjoy this one as well. If you didn’t, well, don’t bother wasting your time: it’ll just unnecessarily elevate your blood pressure. 3 1/2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

Pages: 1 2