Meg 2: The Trench Review – A Clichéd Story with a Fun Climax!

Starring the Jason Statham in the lead, Meg 2: The Trench is directed by Ben Wheatley and serves as the sequel to the box-office hit, The Meg, which gained tremendous popularity, especially in China, back in 2018. The the film follows the adventures of a daring research team led by Jonas (Jason Statham) and Jiuming (Wu Jing). As they delve into the mysterious depths of the ocean, they confront a series of perilous challenges, including a malevolent mining operation that adds an intense layer of suspense and intrigue to their underwater exploration.

Alright, let’s start with the positives! Meg 2: The Trench had a decent and pretty entertaining climax, like The Megalodons going out shopping on a tiny island, just like they teased in the promos and the trailers. I had some expectations, and yeah, it did deliver to some extent, but I was also hoping for more.

There’s only one place to see the BIGGEST movie of the summer. 💪 Get your tickets to #Meg2, only in theaters August 4: https://t.co/0NAe7blxmy pic.twitter.com/F4oP453rAB

— Meg 2 (@MegMovie) August 3, 2023

Instead, Meg 2 went deep into some sub-plots, like exploring the whole uncle-niece relationship between Jason Statham, Wu Jing, and Sophia Cai’s characters. Then they had this visually-striking underwater escape room adventure, and it gets spicy with co-workers showing their true colors, chasing their interests. It did have some clichés and all, but the writers Jon and Erich Hoeber, with Dean Georgaris, managed to keep it engaging throughout and kept the pace moving.

The film boasts decent performances, with the actors doing their best to tackle the occasional cheesiness and mediocre dialogue. Comedy in the movie hits its mark at times but falls short at others. Noteworthy heartening moments featuring the uncle-niece relationship do leave an impression. However, a significant issue arises when the movie glosses over the deaths of some supporting characters. People are killed and devoured, yet their friends’ reactions seem superficial, swiftly transitioning to laughter in the very next scene. This aspect detracts from the emotional depth that could have been explored further in the film.

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My overall experience with Meg 2 was decent; it elicited similar feelings as the first movie did. While it provided some entertainment during the time I spent with it, I couldn’t help but notice a recurring issue among these films. The makers seem to miss the mark on understanding that people are primarily interested in watching for the thrill of the sharks, being terrified by their sheer size. Instead, they often focus on weird subplots that don’t quite hit the mark. This pattern continued with Meg 2, except for the last 30 minutes, which were surprisingly fun.

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ Rating – 2.75/5

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