The Meg Movie Review

The Meg (2018)

Watch the trailer
Written by: Dean Georgaris and Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber (screenplay by), Steve Alten (based on the novel by)
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
Starring:  Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis, Ruby Rose, Robert Taylor, Jessica McNamee, Page Kennedy
Rated: PG-13

Plot
Five years after escaping an attack by what he claims was a giant underwater beast, rescue diver Jonas Taylor must confront his fears to save scientists trapped in a sunken submersible.

Verdict
This doesn't raise the bar for shark movies like Jaws did, nor is it a  film school type movie like Jaws, but it is a lot of fun. Jason Statham plays his usual braver than humanly possible hero, and the action is effective. With a few surprises and plenty of humor this is poised to be a summer blockbuster. It's got action, laughs, and a lot of tropes. All that makes this a wild and fun ride that doesn't disappoint.
Watch it.

Review
This has more than a few action movie tropes, but they are used effectively. This starts off with Jason Statham doing Jason Statham things. He's on a dive to rescue people from a disabled submarine and time is running out. He's forced to make a quick decision, and then the movie cuts to five years later to a state of the art underwater facility. Here we get the concept of the movie. What if the Mariana Trench isn't the deepest point in the ocean? The scientists in the movie propose a gaseous barrier is in place concealing an even deeper part of the ocean. Scientists breaks through the layer and get stuck on the bottom of the ocean and only one man can save them. He gave up deep sea rescue five years ago. He's too crazy. What about the last time he attempted a rescue? It's pure action movie trope, but it's kind of fun. Their last best hope, that one man is Statham's character Jonas.

A megladon is found in this hidden part of the ocean. With a megladon on the loose what happens? You know what unfolds, and in true movie form Jonas is the archetype of courage and strength. At one point he needs to harpoon the megladon but the best way to do it is without a boat, cage, or anything but a wet suit. The marine biologist thinks he'll be okay, so he's up to the task. There are a few solid one liners and a few jump scares. Actually there are four jumps scares, I know this because a woman in the theater screamed at every jump scare except the last one which was kind of surprising. Her reactions made this all the more fun.

Jason Statham plays Jonas.

There's a neat part with a shark cage. The movie assures us this cage is safe and can't be broken, even by the meg, as, it's poly carbonate. The fact it can't break becomes a plot point when the meg begins eating it whole with a crew member inside. Only one man can stop it. Everything that can go wrong does, but the movie has some fun too. This has a neat twist that is revealed in the best possible way.

Li Bingbing plays Suyin, Ruby Rose plays Jaxx.

The Meg mixes humor and drama, often successively. That gives the movie a lot of levity and helps the fun factor. The frequent one liner jabs between the characters builds camaraderie, even if it seems strange that they bring an engineer and the IT guy on a shark hunt. Rainn Wilson is the billionaire funding the operation. As you expect, he's comic relief. There are a lot of tropes in this, but it brings them together so well. There's a romance, a smart kid, an ex-wife, the skeptical doctor who said Jonas was crazy, and a wise cracking side character.
The adrenaline pumping action reels you in, and I like how this ends the final battle. It seems like it's over, but you're thinking surely that can't be all. Then mother nature lends a hand. The final scene is a bit of a fake out. I liked it.