Jason Statham returns for Meg 2.
It’s no secret that ‘Meg 2: The Trench’, the follow-up to 2018’s ‘The Meg,’ isn’t be winning any Oscars. Most people look forward to watching Jason Statham fight a giant megalodon shark again. However, getting to the action takes a bit of time. The sequel takes place five years after the first movie, with Jonas Taylor (played by Jason Statham) gaining some notoriety following his exploits in killing the Meg. He now works with Mana One on a series of dives to explore the depths of the Mariana Trench while fighting environmental criminals. Unfortunately, his latest dive doesn’t go as planned, resulting in multiple encounters with megalodon sharks and other underwater discoveries.
The main issue with ‘Meg 2’ is the pacing. It spends too much time building up tension for dives and trench exploration that aren’t all that interesting. The beloved giant sharks are pushed aside for almost half the movie in favor of introducing new, unexciting villains and scary fish. The first two acts take themselves too seriously, which becomes a chore to watch. Jason Statham is his usual action-hero self, which is enjoyable to see. However, the supporting cast falls into predictable roles. Wu Jing plays a safety-first scientist who helps keep the science projects going, while Sophia Cai is his teenage niece who sneaks aboard the mission despite being warned not to. These are the same tropes we’ve seen in similar films but without the fun.
Even the talented director Ben Wheatley, known for critically acclaimed films like ‘High-Rise’ and ‘Free Fire,’ can’t save this movie. Fortunately, the third act is more comedic, with some genuinely funny moments and exciting scenes. If the movie had this tone, it could have been the type of cheesy B-movie that audiences love.
Verdict
I give ‘Meg 2: The Trench 2 out of 5 stars. It almost successfully redeems itself with a fun third act. It’s a shame that it takes too long to get there. The next film you see Statham in will be The Expendables 4. Read more Reviews on Nerdtropolis and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube.
Drew Munhausen
Media and Movie Mastermind who co-hosts the Moviegoers Society Podcast and Fresh out the Pod.