I am a huge fan of action star Jason Satham and will watch anything he does. Typically he is more known for his martial arts action flicks so when I heard he was doing a shark flick I was a bit intrigued. Being a professional diver before his acting career makes him perfectly fit for his role in his latest film The Meg based on the book by Steve Alten and co-stars Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson, Robert Taylor, Cliff Curtis, and Bingbing Li, but does this film offer up something that will make a splash to the genre or will it sink quickly?
The Meg follows expert sea diver and Naval Captain Jonas Taylor who encountered an unknown danger in the unexplored recesses of the Mariana Trench that forced him to abort his mission and abandon half his crew five years earlier. Though the tragic incident earned him a dishonorable discharge, what ultimately cost him his career, his marriage and any semblance of honor was his unsupported and incredulous claims of what caused it - an attack on his vessel by a mammoth, 70-foot sea creature, believed to be extinct for more than a million years. But when a submersible lies sunk and disabled at the bottom of the ocean - carrying his ex-wife among the team onboard - he is the one who gets the call. Whether a shot at redemption or a suicide mission, Jonas must confront his fears and risk his own life and the lives of everyone trapped below on a single question: Could the Carcharodon Megalodon - the largest marine predator that ever existed - still be alive ... and on the hunt?
From the trailers I honestly expected a pretty silly flick that could be a lot of fun or end up being a total train wreck. What I got was a fun shark film packed with action and over the top fun that works all around. Sure there is a ridiculous nature to some of it, but they attempt to play it serious which gives it that tone it needs to deliver. Despite this and the ongoing carnage that is being wreaked throughout they still manage to keep it lighthearted with plenty of laughs too. I would have much preferred the R rating and gore for this kind of thing, but it still works. Make no mistake that this movie is silly, but I had a good time. Most everyone in the cast do a fine job with Statham kind of out place at times in a film that offers a more light tone than I assume he went in for. Of course there are the usual clichéd moments and bad decisions made by some characters, but there are also those speaking up like the audience to tell them they are making dumb decisions which makes you more likely to buy into it all.
Much like JAWS this film would not work if the shark didn’t and it not only works it steals the show many times as it should have. Every moment that shark is on screen is fun to watch and adds some fun over the top action worth seeing on the big screen. They do some crazy things with it that takes it out of the realm of realism more often than not, but you are also watching a film about the Megalodon so you kind of have to let it go. I was surprised that they found a good story from this novel to screen that actually makes some sense to the existence of the Megalodon. Like most I would always prefer practical effects, but they knocked it out of the park there with some great visuals of not only the Meg, but tons of other sea life. The attention to detail made all the difference and I for one had a ton of fun with this film.
For those that love a good shark attack film then just get in the water with this one and let it chomp down on your brain and bring the fun right up until the very end. They aren’t breaking down the wall in the genre, but instead just jumping over it and doing their own thing and it worked for me as silly as it was.
In addition to the film this release includes bonus content including featurettes taking you behind bringing this film to the big screen. Dive in and take on the Megalodon with The Meg available now on digital and then on 4K Ultra, Blu-ray and DVD on November 13th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Review by Bobby Blakey - Bobby reviews way more movies on his own website than the genre-specific ones I post here. Check out Bobby's awesome website and his live show he co-hosts with his wife, Drusilla, at Hollywood Matrimony.
