The Meg: Dumb Fun As Statham Stands Up To Giant Shark

So here’s a movie type that hasn’t been visited in quite sometime — the sea monster movie. I had a chance to watch The Meg, which is an action thriller about a giant shark attack, based on a novel by Steve Alten.

In The Meg, A deep-sea submersible — part of an international undersea observation program — has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific with its crew trapped inside. With time running out, expert deep sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer (Winston Chao), against the wishes of his daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing), to save the crew — and the ocean itself — from this unstoppable threat: a prehistoric 75 foot-long shark known as the Megalodon.

What no one could have imagined is that, years before, Taylor had encountered this same terrifying creature. Now, teamed with Suyin, he must confront his fears and risk his own life to save everyone trapped below.

I had very low expectations for this one, but I couldn’t help but be drawn to it by morbid curiosity.  

The story, while by the numbers, was entertaining; I knew how this narrative was going to go from the moment I sat down as it followed beat after predictable beat.  

But movies like The Meg aren’t meant to be thought provoking and at times the script gets a little meta, poking fun at how some of these types movies attempt to wax philosophical.  

Humor is the greatest strength of this script, and I found myself laughing uncontrollably at various scenes, from well-placed jokes to the many pitiful schmucks who became chum.

But the action is the real draw for this movie. While the intensity wasn’t on par with the likes of John Wick or Mission: Impossible, it fills the little niche that only a Jason Statham action film can.  

And fun fact, Statham was an Olympic diver for England, which he proudly showcases.

The cast was mostly likable; Ruby Rose, Statham, Bingbing, and Chao all have good presence. I also enjoyed the performances in smaller roles like Masi Oka, Cliff Curtis and Jessica McNamee.

Page Kennedy on the other hand was a walking stereotype, and I honestly cringed whenever he was on screen.

The show stealers for me were Rainn Wilson, who is great in just about any role he is given, and newcomer Shuya Sophia Cai as Meiying, who is nothing short of prodigious in her delivery.

The visuals were breathtaking, and director Jon Turteltaub really flexes his muscles getting some of the best made-for-3D shots I have seen in a long time. While it was all style with no substance, the set and colors were just phenomenal.

Music was fitting for a movie about a giant shark, which is to say it was generic.

I didn’t hate The Meg, it was good dumb fun and if you like this kind of movie you will get your money’s worth. Just make sure to see it in 3D.

I give The Meg (Warner Bros. and a raft of production companies, PG-13, 1hr 53min) a 3 out of 5.