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An error has ocurred. Please try againAlso, it's not like I've seen every single film that takes place under or on water so don't tell me I've left something out, maybe I just haven't seen it or felt the need to see it, but if you feel strongly about a title by all means convince me/sell me on it!
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The Meg (2018)
Biased book fan - don't skip this film, but don't be surprised if you leave a bit let down
I am a SUPER fan of Steve Alten's novels. I have read them multiple times, the Meg series, and I am about 3/4 through Generations currently.
With that being said, I ultimately was disappointed with The Meg. And it's not just the changes from book-to-film, I understand those are bound to happen. What is most tragic to me is the sense of adventure lacking in this movie and the fact that you can tell this movie was cut to ribbons and stitched together fairly decently.
I don't really know where to start, but here goes. The movie opens with a deep sea rescue mission. Statham and his team are down "there" trying to get people in distress out of a deep sea submersible. How did they get there? What happened to the sub? Even facts as simple as where exactly are they is lost here. On-screen text tells us we are in the Phillipine something or other, but isn't the Meg supposed to be in the Mariana Trench? I could just be misremembering but I still took issue with the lack of getting a feel for where we are and who we are supposed to care about in this opening scene. It's obvious from the jump that at least some of these people are dead meats for the sake of Statham's back story.
Before I lose my train of thought completely I think Statham is great in parts and shows why he can totally carry a movie. The little girl is fantastic, she is cute, has comedic timing and is just a treat whenever she's on screen. I also enjoyed Rainn Wilson because I'm a stooge for The Office but when he makes the heel turn, it's from nowhere because up until that point we haven't seen ANY sign that he is anything other than a compassionate billionaire. There needs to be a sign of him constantly seeming disingenuous but we don't get that. Everyone else is pretty meh in my opinion, stone-faced as it were.
Super spoiler - the shark they catch, the one that gives them a run for their money at first, isn't the main Meg. We don't know the lineage or if these sharks are related at all but we do get a great scene of the REAL Meg making a meal of it's smaller buddy at the expense of their boat. The reveal that there is another, bigger Meg is fine but confusing in terms of film because are we to believe that's the one that attacked in the opening or the other, smaller Meg?
The thing the books have and that I can't stress enough why you should seek them out is GORE. Descriptive imagery and fascinating scientific information make you feel like you are in this world where Megalodon's are actually back atop the food chain. Alten's dialogue can be cringe-inducing at times but it's a minuscule price to pay for otherwise page-turning media.
Overall, The Meg is a solid "Dad Movie" it's exciting but not too exciting and I think it's better than any other shark film except the original Jaws. It has humor, a medium amount of action and the CGI is effective. Statham is bad-ass and the rest of the cast is sufficient enough to help with the heavy-lifting. I almost forgot, Cliff Curtis is excellent as usual. I'd recommend it but I just can't rate it any higher because of personal bias.