The Meg Swallows The Competition This Weekend With “Meg”a-Size Fun! (Movie Review)
I know The Meg is based off a book, which we’ll cover in a moment, but one look at its insane trailer, crazy cast and cute name had me instantly at hello. I don’t even care if the movie is a turd or a shipwreck of events. I have to go see it if for nothing else than to get my DC Batwoman err I mean Ruby Rose fix, but I digress. I just like saying Ruby Rose for some reason. It flows off your tongue effortlessly and it’s fun to say and count all her tattoos too. Didn’t I say I digress a second ago? Well this time I really do mean it. The Meg is really just a movie about a big @$$ shark. It is being released in my favorite summer month of August. It features something that I never see here in Austin, TX…beaches and water. What’s not to love about it already? Am I right? Damn right I am!
The Meg is billed as a science fiction, action, horror film. That’s a mouthful to say. Why can’t we just declare it’s a shark movie and be on our way? You get the “drift” anyway. It’s directed by Jon Turteltaub off a screenplay by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber. As I already made mention of up above it’s based on a book called Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Allen, which was published in 1997. In addition to the aforementioned Ruby Rose the film also stars the charismatic Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Winston Chao and Cliff Curtis from TV’s Fear the Walking Dead. The Meg’s premise basically sees us following a group of scientists trying to ultimately stop a big shark from terrorizing a…ahhh…beach in Singapore. How big is this shark? I’m so glad you asked! Put your flip flops on and I’ll show you around.
Sorry guys the main focal point of The Meg is not Ruby Rose, but instead it’s the shark. It’s not just any shark though. Oh no! It’s a mammoth 75-foot Megalodon shark. Now I’m sure you can see where the film gets its name from. If not, then you should probably stop reading this now because nothing is ever going to sink in. So yeah! Long thought to be extinct this humungous shark resurfaces from its ocean floor bed and attacks a research submarine. We’re also supposedly led to believe as seen in the opening sequence that Diver Jonas Taylor (Statham) has encountered this massive, frightening beast before. Therefore, he’s called in to not only to help in rescuing the crew of this submarine escape the grasp of this shark, but reluctantly also stop “Meg” from storming the mainland and eating all the people on the beach. Yes! Ha! I mean no! That’s terrible. Come on people. It’s a cheesy, summer shark movie. Have fun with it!
The interesting thing to note here before we go on was initially the rights to the book were acquired by Disney back in 1997. I would say thank goodness that didn’t happen, but regardless we still only have a PG-13 cut of the film with Warner Bros. here. Relax though it’s actually quite bloody and gory when it wants to be. If you let yourself have fun with it, you also don’t notice the lack of F-bombs or anything remotely close. Jason Statham also helps serve as a distraction there as his usual charismatic charm and wide, playful smile will make you forget just about anything leaving you with no choice but just to have fun and laugh with it all. Scenes involving this little Asian girl and him are also quite heartwarming too. So there’s that as well!
The action as you could expect from a movie of this genre is larger-than-life. It’s not realistic at all and is more akin to the fun you probably had with the first Pacific Rim. This one is all about accepting what you came to see, checking your brains and expectations at the front door and having fun with it all. It’s popcorn entertainment and in this scenario The Meg does not disappoint. It delivers upon the insane, the one-lines, cliches (at times like Deep Blue Sea) and entertainment value that you can only find in a shark movie of the same. You picking up what I’m dropping? Lastly, the supporting cast is lively, engaging and quite a bit of fun to be around. There was never really a dull moment to be had. Now granted at times The Meg can take itself a little too seriously in the drama department, but it does so with good intentions and appropriate measures. It gives people second chances and after all isn’t that what life is all about? If nothing else, there’s always the VFX. I am sitting here watching a Syfy shark movie while writing this and thanks be to God The Meg is on a completely different level of looks and feel.
So what say you? Escape the summer heat with a dip in The Meg. It’s cool, refreshing and fun!
Brian White
Owner/Writer/Reviewer/Editor, Dreamer, Producer, Agent of Love, Film Lover, Writer of Screenplays and a Devoted Apostle to all things Ford Mustangs (the real ones with V8's!). Some of my favorite films include FIGHT CLUB, MOULIN ROUGE, THE DARK KNIGHT, STAR WARS alongside television shows such as SEINFELD, 24, SANFORD & SON and even the often loathed in the geek community BIG BANG THEORY. Outside of my three lives I live I also enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and our three girls (of the furry kind).
