‘The Meg’ stays clean and tries to have some fun
Remember the VHS knockoffs at Blockbuster…the films you didn’t know even existed? Well, that’s The Meg.
Jason Statham stars in a Jaws inspired B-movie about a group of scientists who discover a hidden world in the depths of the oceans and inadvertently released a 75-100 foot long Megalodon into our world. Statham is the reluctant hero with Rainn Wilson (The Office) is the billionaire who has financed the elaborate underwater sea lab, with Cliff Curtis (Fear the Walking Dead) heading the team of experts.
Summer fun?
Well, sort of.
The Meg does get muddled in mild attempts to a story against the backdrop of the giant shark cliches.
But fun?
At times The Meg is funny, entertaining and visually palatable. Most of the time, The Meg is a dressed up B-movie, cashing in on the audience’s tolerance of subpar films in 2018.
This is no horror film, void of the grotesque and crude gags which Hollywood uses as a crutch. Also absent in The Meg is the senseless profanity and gratuitous nude scenes. The film is relatively safe for family viewing and could become a bit of a favorite for those wanting a “thriller” the whole family can watch.
With all of that said: The Meg is just not very good.
I don’t think director Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure) gets bogged down trying to make anything more than an entertaining B-movie and essentially he succeeded.
Shuya Sophia Cai breaks out as the adorable little girl with some great moments and the cast does a fine job with the mediocre script they were handed.
The Meg earns 2 stars out of 5 stars
Despite the rating, there is little cussing and no nudity with just some mild innuendo which could make The Meg a good choice if your expectations aren’t too high.
