Directed By Ben Wheatley

Starring – Jason Statham, Jing Wu, Sienna Guillory

The Plot – Jason Statham and Wu Jing lead a daring research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitted against colossal Megs and relentless environmental plunderers, our heroes must outrun, outsmart, and outswim their merciless predators in a pulse-pounding race against time.

Rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images, adult language and brief suggestive material

MEG 2: THE TRENCH – OFFICIAL TRAILER – YouTube

POSITIVES

While the first two acts of the movie are full of frenetic focus, the third act is everything that was promised, leading to a full-fledged fun climax with all of the carnage and bodies to hurl across the screen. The arrival of the film on land marks a welcoming change in direction for the story that is not only realized in the abrupt tonal shift of the proceedings, with a more laid back and silly tonal consistency over the film’s last half hour, but also the moment where the sharks themselves remind you that this is their movie, and everyone else is on borrowed time while living in it. Though the film’s visual flare is limited a bit by the PG-13 rating that absolves a lot of blood from kills that are otherwise marred by brutality, the creativity of which the script disposes of its many vacationing background extras never fails to entrance, which only enhances the urgency and vulnerability of the engagement that has otherwise been almost entirely absent to this point. In addition to the third act, it should come as no surprise that Statham is once again the single best aspect of this movie, committing himself to the project in a way that inscribes legitimacy towards its appeal. While Statham could play a role like this in his sleep, his performance never feels phoned-in or uninterested, despite the material that gives him very little to flex his acting or comedic chops, in turn cementing the only actor or character throughout the duration of the film that has the kind of three-dimensional on-screen presence capable of capturing audience attention. Finally, the addition of some on-land creatures like those of the lizard-like Snappers are a welcome benefit, especially in dwindling the kind of safe zones on land, where they can often reevaluate. The Snappers prove to be not only a dangerously fast adversary, but also the kind that are often intentionally forgettable in the context of corresponding shark scenes, allowing them to pop out with the kind of rage and spontaneity that could startle sedated audiences.

NEGATIVES

This film is one big disjointed mess in everything from its distracted focus in screenplay, to its jarring consistency in presentation, leading to a sequel that somehow disappoints in the confines of a mediocre predecessor. On the former, there is appreciation to be paid towards a sequel that refuses to be a mock copy of that original movie, in structure and scope, but the script’s desire to furnish this as an ecological thriller sees its titular underwater predator shelved for a majority of the experience, leading to a first half that borders on boring as it explores a corporate war amid espionage that we are suddenly thrust into, while updating where our protagonists have been since the last film. During this time, the tonal consistency practically mirrors everything I hated about the last film, in that it’s taking itself far too seriously, despite marketing conveying anything but, and what few attempts at humor it does conjure, are humiliated by underwhelming execution in dialogue and corresponding punchlines that elicit more groans than chuckles in their durress. As for the technical components of the film, the action sequences (What very few there are during the first half) are plagued by poor lighting, claustrophobic camera work, and bottom of the barrel editing so badly inflicted that they obscure any kind of registering impact to the characters invested in conflict. Part of me can appreciate that the production tries to emulate as much authenticity from the sea bed as possible, but when it undercuts the necessity of depiction, it creates an everlasting disconnect with the audience it’s continuously appealing towards, leaving an abundance of momentum unfulfilled in scenes that should feel ripe with riveting tension. On a side note of that editing, one such instance on land involves two characters running from one of the aforementioned Snappers, with one of the humans getting a noticable head start. However, in the very next cut, it shows the two characters arriving to their destination side-by-side, without any realization of how none of this is possible in the context of everything that we’ve been shown. As for the artifical creatures themselves, they are condemned lifelessly shallow by C.G deposits so unconvincing and lethargic that they don’t summon anything but laughter in their arrival. Even in underwater scenes, where the surrounding darkness could help conceal some of these unbelievable textures, the designs and color correction of the mammals stand out like a sore thumb, leaving Wheatley’s direction stunted by the absence of naturalism that feels overwhelmed within this kind of scale. Lastly, the supporting characters outside of Statham are given no kind of accidental relevance or temporary appeal because of the paper thin characterization that the nearly two hour run time can’t be bothered to pay time or energy towards. This is felt particularly prominent in Guillory’s newfound antagonist, who is not only every kind of one-note James Bond world domination kind of villain that you’ve ever experienced, but also a tragically underutilized addition to the proceedings. Considering her character is controlling all of the actions of evolving conflict, the lack of time spent with her is especially concerning, leaving the struggle for power with Statham’s side feeling so evidentially one-sided, while also articulating that anyone, let alone the veteran brilliance of Guillory, could’ve been cast in this role, and it wouldn’t of made any difference.

OVERALL
“Meg 2: The Trench” is an entertainingly flat and unfocused sequel that falls many leagues under the sea of a mediocre predecessor. Even with the benefit of Statham slashing sharks within a third act that thankfully flies off of the wheels, the film’s first two acts are plagued by the kind of questionable creative motives that somehow make a shark movie boring by the elements of necessity that the script forcefully restrains itself on, in turn leaving this summer blockbuster floundering by the depths that, creatively and literally, it can never overcome.

My Grade: 4/10 or D-