Jason Statham is one of my favourite action thriller actors and whenever I see him in films, I'm excited because I know it won't be boring and I'll enjoy some laughs. I remember watching The Meg (2018) and enjoyed the thrilling action and suspense. I didn't expect that that would be a sequel so imagine my surprise when I found this film on the streaming site I use.
The first film was released some five years ago and that's a long time to keep the details in my head. Other things have filled it up but I simply remembered that Jason did well in it and saved the day like most of his films. There was no point watching it again to refresh my memory. I delved straight into the sequel.
Based on Steve Alten's novel titled The Trench, Meg 2: The Trench (2023) is a sci-fi action film that opens with a prelude scene focused on the Cretaceous period, 65 million years ago, where some prehistoric water and land creatures existed and feasted on each other. From carnivorous sea lizards fighting over who gets to eat a fish to a T-rex surfacing from the forest to pursue the lizards and eating one of them and finally, a megalodon appears from the depths of the ocean scarily to bite down on the T-rex. It's a show of survival of the fittest.
The audience is brought back to the present time where Jonas Taylor (played by Jason Statham) is shown on a big ship taking evidence and helping to fight environmental crime. Next, a megalodon named Haiqi raised in captivity by Jonas Taylor (played by Jason Statham) and his team in Mana One is revealed gliding in water. Jiuming Zhang, a scientist and diver, goes into the water to check on Haiqi because she'd been acting erratically.
After determining all is well, the team led by Jonas Taylor and Jiuming Zhang go on a routine submersible exploration to depths of the ocean called the Trench. They quickly discover that illegal mining operations are going on, putting the environment and ocean creatures at risk. At the same time, part of the team on Mana One discovers one of the submersible machines has been sabotaged. Who could be behind this sabotage? Was there a mole within Mana One?
Review
The plot is straightforward, and the suspense and tension of this film are well-executed. It reminds me of the thrill of watching Jaws 2 and similar underwater predator action movies. The adrenaline-pumping scenes keep you on the edge of your seat.
Most of the scenes in Meg 2: The Trench take place in the depths of the sea where Jason Statham leads his research team. As expected, things go wrong and they fight against scary ocean monsters to survive!
The performance of the actors is splendid as they embodied their characters and excellently displayed the fears and reactions of facing predators in the ocean. Jason Statham as always is impressive in his fight scenes, his humorous remarks lessen the palpable tensions and his diving skills are second to none. I enjoyed his bromance with Wu Jing (as Jiuming Zhang), they are good together.
I wasn't impressed with Shuya Sophia who played the role of Suyin's (from The Meg) daughter. Her acting and dialogues seem forced as though she's shy around the other actors except for the scenes where she rescues people on the island. Maybe she's an upcoming actress but this film is definitely not her breakout role.
The only issue I have with this movie is the visuals. I don't know if the cinematographer or the equipment used is old-fashioned but the transitions, especially underwater, are confusing sometimes and the lighting is poor. It's a bit hard to keep up with the action as the visuals are not steady. I had to rewind some scenes again and again to catch the action.
Overall, Meg 2: The Trench is a delightful watch if you are in the mood for a suspenseful underwater sharky-scary movie. Jason Statham did great in this one. I'll give it 3 stars out of 5.
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Other images are screenshots from the movie
Posted using CineTV