Sixty-five million years ago dinosaurs roamed the earth until a meteor shower collided with the Earth, killing off all the prehistoric creatures but leaving traces behind so that future Earth inhabitants could research and recreate them. Amongst the largest predators that roamed the Earth at that time were Tyrannosaurus Rex, Spinosaur, and Megalodon, the latter of which was the ruler of the seas. While measurements vary as to just how large the Meg was, we know it was much larger than any of the sharks in our oceans today.
In 1997 author Steve Allen wrote a book entitled "Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror", which quickly got a movie deal only to languish in production hell for the next ten years. Then in 2018, The Meg, starring Jason Statham (The Transporter), opened in theaters across the United States. Eventually grossing $530 million on a $150 million budget, the film was a financial but not a critical success. It was touted (rightfully so) as a "Creature Feature" akin to what Jaws was back in the 1970s. Despite all of that, true to movie studio form, the sequel, Meg 2: The Trench opened in theaters this weekend.
Five years after the Meg surfaces, Jonas Taylor (Statham) has become a vigilante, fighting environmental crimes such as illegal dumping in the ocean. He also assists with Mana One as they explore further into the Mariana Trench where the Meg was discovered. Jonas is also raising Meiying (Sophia Cai; Somewhere Only We Know), along with Meiying's Uncle Jiuming (Wu Jing; The Wandering Earth), after her mother's death. One day, a routine submersible exploration goes terribly wrong as the team finds an underwater lab just as an explosion rocks the trench. Suddenly, the group including Jonas, Jiuming, and stow away Meiying are walking the trench floor to the lab while trying to avoid all kinds of sea creatures they have never encountered before.
I'm not sure how the filmmakers convinced Statham to return as Jonas but thank goodness they did. He is joined by returning cast members Cai, Cliff Curtis (Live Free or Die Hard) as Mac, and Page Kennedy (S.W.A.T.) as DJ. Having these four in the sequel is important as they add some context to the story and give the feeling of familiarity, even though the lab, other cast members, and the threats are new including Skyler Samuels (The Gifted). Overall, the cast does a good job with what they are given to work with but Curtis and Kennedy give the comic relief the movie needs.
The special effects are hit or miss with some of them being huge misses. The flora, fauna, and sea life at the bottom of the trench are very well done but once they hit the surface they look rather fake. The story is also somewhat weak from the start and, as Jonas ends up fixing one crisis after another, the plot becomes more and more improbable and increasingly groan-worthy. The first movie had more character development, making it more interesting to watch, and even offered a (sort of) love story between Jonah and Meiying's mother. This sequel starts off pretty ok but quickly dives into the abyss (pun intended).
If you want explosions, guns, fights involving humans, and rare sea creatures, Meg 2: The Trench is a film you will want to spend your hard-earned money on. The action will keep you on the edge of your seat for most of the almost 2 hour running time. If you want more than that see something else as this doesn't offer much more, even when Mana One ends up (spoiler alert) the victim of a hostile takeover.
I'm sure I spoke for many moviegoers when I say, I pray they don't make this into a trilogy. I can only imagine how terrible the plot would be and how ridiculous the sea creatures would look in a third go-around.
Grade: C-
