Perfect for October is a creature feature from the deep. No, it is not the Creature From The Black Lagoon, but the return of Megalodons. Five years after the events of the first film, Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) has been involved in fighting environmental crimes while also helping Mana One in exploring a further deep part of the Mariana Trench where the Megalodon had been found. It turns out that this deep trench is the breeding grounds for megalodons and other prehistoric denizens including lizards labeled as Snappers and a giant octopus. Needless to say, these creatures all make it to the surface to wreak havoc, including at an ocean-side amusement park.
Thus, Taylor is out to save the day with explosive-tipped harpoons and such. He also exposes an illegal mining operation in the trench along the way and a juvenile Meg that had been in observed captivity. So, Taylor puts an end to the criminal activity and takes on the undersea threats as well. Be forewarned though, this movie sets up for a potential third installment.
The main action, of course, is the thrill and awe of taking on the behemoth sharks and the critters that join them on the surface. But the muddled story left many feeling cold. MEG 2: THE TRENCH, under the direction of Ben Wheatley, grossed $394.3 million worldwide with the U. S. taking $82.4 million of that. It could have improved that B. O. if the story had been more solid. RogerEbert.com stated, “At least until the final half-hour, when he’s finally free to unleash some monstrous chaos, this is one of the dullest films of the year, a plodding, poorly made giant shark movie that inexplicably lets the giant shark take a backseat to an evil underwater drilling operation.” And ScreenCrush announced, “Brief moments of pleasure are buried at the bottom of an ocean of exposition, dumb plot twists, and incomprehensible underwater action.”
Okay, but if you acknowledge it for the type of movie it is, you get reviews like Empire’s which said, “Despite elements that threaten to drag it down into the depths, Ben Wheatley’s Meg sequel battles a waterlogged script with playful pulpiness, delivering solid summer fin. Sorry, fun.” There you go, pulpy summer fun now moved over to outlets like Max. So, what do you say? Somebody is helping MEG 2 to become the top trending flick on Max. Is it you?
Now playing on HBO and streaming on Max is MEG 2: THE TRENCH. Take the dive.
