The Meg (Review)
The Meg Might Not Be Jaws, But It Still Has Bite.
Jason Statham fights a giant, prehistoric shark in The Meg. If you’re not going to see this movie strictly for a good time, then I have no idea what you might be thinking. In that regards, The Meg is probably one of the best movies of the year. Don’t get me wrong, it’s absolute garbage, but it’s brilliant in how it embraces the absurdity of the plot. In other words, this is a popcorn chomping, 3D, blockbuster extravaganza.
I love shark movies. Sure not all of them are good, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying them. Having said that, The Meg is actually a really well-made film. Think Deep Blue Sea more than Sharknado. Which is pretty surprising considering the premise. It just goes to show that the right ingredients can turn any movie into a good one, and The Meg seems to have managed to pick up the perfect cast and director to pull it off. Even though said director and much of the cast might be better known for making pretty bad movies.
Let me start by saying that The Meg is one of those movies that truly justifies the grading scales here at Stars & Popcorn. It’s one of those spectacularly fun films that is absolute trash. While so many shark movies build up a sense of dread of the unseen. The Meg takes a very different approach. Instead of a horror film, The Meg is more of an action adventure. It has all those terrible one-liners and jaw-dropping stunts that we love so much from the genre. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still very much a B-Movie creature feature, but it doesn’t try to be terrifying. There are moments when the characters are trying desperately to get away from the prehistoric monster, but when the shark chasing you is almost 90 feet long, it’s not really going to sneak up on you any time soon. Of course, that doesn’t stop it from doing exactly that a few times, but this beast is a far cry Bruce in Jaws. The Meg still plays its premise with a straight face, but in doing so it forces the audience to take it seriously. This also helps the jokes to land much better than they probably deserve to.
Of course, Jason Statham is the center of this film. However, he’s got a pretty impressive supporting cast featuring the likes of Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson, and Bingbing Li. Not only that but there are a few other familiar faces you might recognize. In The Meg, he plays a former submarine captain (aptly named “Jonas”) who is called in to help rescue members of an underwater research station. The thing is that the team is kinda poking around where they’re not wanted and during the attempt accidentally release a Megalodon. Luckily, they take responsibility for their mistake and set off to kill the beast. Even I scoffed at this premise, however, The Meg does a tremendous job at getting the audience to suspend their disbelief. It’s a stupid movie, but it’s incredibly easy to watch and absolutely delightful.
I’ll admit that when I saw Jon Turteltaub’s name attached to The Meg, I was less than excited. His filmography is pretty average, to say the least, with films like 3 Ninjas, National Treasure, and Cool Runnings. It’s not that he made bad films, all of them were fun movies to watch. It’s just that none of them were really “good.” The Meg though is great. It’s a fantastic time in theaters and pure escapism at its best. It’s got cheap romance, over the top action, and a shirtless Jason Statham scene or two. Turteltaub seems to have perfect giving audiences what they want over the years and all the experience has led to this. While a lot of movies might be so bad they’re good, this is just flat out fun.
Like I said before, if you’re going to see The Meg strictly for a good time, you’re not going to be disappointed. It’s easily one of the best B-Movies I’ve seen in a long time. It’s a film that is very much aware of what it is and it’s reach never exceeds its grasp. While there have been a lot of really great action films this year, The Meg is probably the one I’ll remember the 2018 summer the most warmly for. Honestly, if you’re going to see it you should go all out. I recommend overpriced popcorn and soda, and a pair of 3D glasses. Once the action starts, you’ll be glad to have it. I know I’ll definitely be trying to see The Meg in theaters again.
