Doris Pace
South Bureau Chief
If you are a fan of Jason Statham, cheesy horror comedy and shark films, this is a movie for you.
Not quite a horror film, part comedy and part action film, The Meg feels like a tribute to the classic Jaws with an action filling.
Jonas Wilson played by Jason Statham is the main character of the film, and like other characters played by Statham, Wilson is dark, brave and reluctant to help at first.
In the opening scenes of the movie, we see Wilson making a tough call while on a deep sea recovery mission. This incident sets the tone for the rest of the film.
People are in danger, decisions must be made and … there’s something in the water.
Here, the first tough decision by Wilson is made and crew members get left behind. Wilson is discharged and the on-board doctor claims Wilson made the wrong call.
There’s an explosion scene and the action begins. Even though there is nonstop action from the opening of the movie, it all feels piecey and rushed.
The story and the characters could have been developed a little more but, after all, we all came to see Statham kick some shark butt and not hear him share his feelings for 2 hours.
The real story begins when Mr. Morris played by Rainn Wilson visits the research laboratory he funded for the first time.
The team is excited to show off their discovery: The Mariana Trench is not the deepest part of the ocean as we all thought. They descend on a groundbreaking mission to the other side of the newly discovered thermocline; the false bottom of the Mariana Trench.
The special effects here are colorful and imaginative. You get to see marine life up close and are thrown right into the middle of the action.
Everything is going well for the team until they get hit by an unknown sea creature, which of course turns out to be The Meg.
The rest of the movie is predictable, in a good way. All the classic moves are there. A dangerous mission where only Wilson can succeed; scene after scene of failed attempts to kill the Megalodon which somehow managed to escape the depths of the ocean and my favorite scene, a beach full of people with no idea they are about to become megalodon food.
Although predictable, The Meg is still enjoyable to watch. You get to see 70-foot prehistoric shark stalk humans and turn over boats. In between Wilson saving the team and harpooning The Meg, there are small bits of comedic relief and even a few scenes that make you jump.
Not to be taken as a serious horror film or a true comedy, The Meg is somewhere in between but won’t disappoint as long as you go in expecting an updated shark film where the science sometimes doesn’t make much sense. All in all, an entertaining good time.