The Meg

Granted, The Meg is dumb. Jason Statham takes on a giant shark from below what scientists thought was the bottom of the Marianas Trench. You know how it's going to end because Jason Statham doesn't ever lose. Even when faced with one or more enormous sharks

Great special effects cover for some sketchy acting - not that anyone watches these sorts of movies for acting - and some of the expected action movie tropes (like my personal favourite: someone getting killed gloating about their victory after they think the threat is over) in what is a fun film if you like giant creature movies and Jason Statham. One of those movies to not over-think.

Definitely not a masterpiece, but definitely enjoyable.

Look, this movie wasn't bad... but it wasn't great either... Everything that comes with a shark movie was here. A cheesy storyline that bounced around a lot, and some great action sequences wth the shark. Jason Statham was the same as he usually is, stone faced and serious. Rainn Wilson did a great job with his part. But other than that, nothing really sticks out.

But wow, did the studio ever screw this one up! I've been waiting YEARS for the movie, I'm one of the first to get the newest book in the series and this had SO MUCH POTENTIAL! Between what I think was intended to be a family friendly edited version of the film to the absolute horrible marketing campaign, what were they thinking!?! Why would you preemptively turn away half your potential audience by taking a comical route with the trailers? It's meant to be a THRILLER not Sharknado. Why would you not give us terrifying scenes of being eaten/swallowed/pulled under, it's a SHARK movie, genre equals HORROR. I was so wanting to love this movie and hopeful it would turn into a franchise but with the direction the studio chose to go with it, they sank Meg before she even had a chance breach the waters. SO VERY DISAPPOINTED.

7.4 stars.

I rate all movies by entertainment value first and foremost. Is this a cheesy film? Of course. Is it as good as Jaws? Nobody is trying to accomplish such an absurdity.

This is a story about a very courageous and heroic guy played by Statham who is called out on a rescue because he is the only man for the job. He also has to prove it to a bunch of scientists just once for them to realize "oh yeah, this guy is the best". And so he has to do some crazy rescue stunts, putting his life in danger over and over.

The marine scientists have discovered a megalodon, which is basically a prehistoric shark that is 5 times the size of a great white (give or take). They have explored beyond the boundaries of where humans have ever been and these dinosaur-like sharks inhabit that depth of the trench. Now they have to contend with the shark(s).

'The Meg' fits the bill for any creature feature film, but the bonus is Jason Statham. In my opinion, he alone raises the bar for this type of film at least a couple of levels beyond most of the generic movies and this is a refreshing take on the genre. A few of the characters are developed just enough to like. There is also a bit of comic relief and some shady characters too. All the ingredients are present and accounted for. This is an enjoyable ride, no concentration or deep thinking is necessary.

I will be upfront with anyone who hasn't watched this yet. Mindset-wise if you go in thinking more along the lines of Deep Blue Sea rather than JAWS you'll probably have a good time. If you want serious, deep storylines and Oscar-caliber performances you probably should avoid it because this isn't it. Also on that note, why the hell would you go see this movie in the first place if you want that?

This movie is just stupid fun with tons of funny moments. The comedy aspect of it actually caught me off guard. I expected a few funny moments here and there like most films of this ilk, but this is just straight up funny throughout. There are plenty of grandiose action sequences. A character you just flat out hate because he's such an atypical ass-hat and some beautiful CGI. The film itself is very well shot and I even had a hard time telling whether the FXs were practical or CGI in spots. They blended stuff together well. I thought the acting was solid for what this film is. It's about what I expected.

Like anything, there were a few things here and there that could have been better. But, none of those things were enough to hinder my enjoyment of it. I personally would have liked to see it be a tad bit gorier. I think that might have pushed this up a notch especially with the type of story this. On the other hand, that's more of a preference than an actual hindrance type thing.

This was exactly what I wanted out of a Summer Blockbuster style film. It's a fun theater-going experience. It's the type of movie you want to see on the big screen with a great sound system. What I would consider a perfect popcorn flick.

My Rating: 7/10