#not a generic jason statham action movie underwater

[a-reader-and-a-writer]

I just got back from seeing Meg 2: The Trench.....

I had a free ticket and I still feel like I wasted my money 😑

[agentnico]

Meg 2: The Trench (2023) Review

Yep, they made a second one.

Plot: Jonas Taylor leads a research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitted against colossal, prehistoric sharks and relentless environmental plunderers, they must outrun, outsmart and outswim their merciless predators.

I was not a big fan of the first Meg movie. It did the typical Hollywood monster movie cliche of focusing too much on the human characters that nobody cared about, and too little on the big shark munching on people. Look, no one is expecting an Oscar-worthy motion picture here. We just want a fun silly summer blockbuster that features bonified action star Jason Statham battling a massive shark and somehow having an actual fighting chance due to nonsensical physics and because Statham is a badass who could fight a minotaur if he had to. With The Meg 2, though I didn't have high hopes, I was still interested as this one is directed by Ben Wheatley who has managed to build quite a strong little filmography in the British indie market, from the highly entertaining warehouse shooter Free Fire to the hallucinogenic A Field In England to challenging the status quo of the class system in High-Rise. As a director, Wheatley evidently enjoys sequestering violent, shortsighted characters in cloistered environments and watching how they claw at each other's throats. So even though at first I scratched my head at Wheatley tackling The Meg sequel, I soon realised that it made perfect sense. A bunch of characters that are ready to be chomped and eaten by a massive shark? Wait, may Ben Wheatley be the answer to that simple request we as movie fans are asking - Statham VS Shark?

Having seen The Meg 2: The Trench I am happy to confirm that it is a better film than its predecessor. However, it is not a good movie. More so the first 2/3 of the movie is a generic underwater survival movie that very much exists to fill up the runtime, but it is frustrating as there are hardly any megalodons in this first 2/3 of the movie. I mean they are there, but they mostly just do a lot of swimming and staring. Lots and lots of swimming, and lots and lots of staring. However coming to the last third of The Meg 2 and it becomes this entirely different beast that is this crazy mad load of bonkers featuring prehistoric sea creatures attacking this beach island, and it is silly, ludicrous and ridiculous and is exactly what I wanted. Heck, there's even a Kraken in this movie! A fricking Kraken!! And most importantly, we get Statham VS Sharks (plural)!! That last 40 or so minutes are super entertaining, and even all the cast become more lively and enjoyable to watch as they run about doing various survival shenanigans. If only that final third was actually the entire movie. All the stuff in the beginning is so unnecessary and in fact, the set-up for all the beach stuff could have been summed up in 5 minutes.

Jason Statham very much is here to cash in a paycheck, but dammit does this man have that badass charm and charisma that he easily carries the cast of this movie alongside Wu Jing, who in a way is the other main character that is there to target the Chinese audience market. Both Statham and Jing and fun to watch, and they both have plenty of opportunities to kick butt. There was also this guy called DJ (played by Page Kennedy) and he was actually hilarious. His one-liners were funny and the ongoing gag with his little survival backpack was actually really entertaining. Again though, this DJ character is in the movie from the start, but he doesn't really show off his true colours until later in the movie when all the boring trench stuff is done with.

Overall I enjoyed The Meg 2 more than I expected, but that enjoyment primarily came from the last part of the movie, where the movie finally embraces what it was selling to us in the trailers. Also, this now makes me wonder with all the massive sea monsters at the end of this movie, are we leading up to the inevitable crossovers of Megalodon VS Godzilla VS Kong? Look, all of those are owned by Warner Bros, so it's surely only a matter of time. As for The Meg 2: The Trench, it's a forgettable yet partially enjoyable summer blockbuster, yet the one thing I won't forget is Jason Statham muttering in his grizzly voice "it's a deviated septum".

Overall score: 5/10

[clapperboardtalk]

MEG 2 : THE TRENCH (2023)

Meg 2: The Trench (2023) - A Review with Bite (or a Nibble)

Title: Meg 2: The Trench

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi

Year: 2023

Country: United States/China

Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham), our favorite monster-punching oceanographer, is back for another round in Meg 2: The Trench. This time, he's leading a research team on a deep-sea dive, only to encounter not only the colossal prehistoric shark, the Meg, but also a shady mining operation. Think Indiana Jones meets Jaws, with a dash of Chinese action star Wu Jing thrown in for good measure.

The acting is, well, let's say "familiar." Statham delivers his usual brand of tough-guy charm, while Wu Jing provides the capable sidekick. The camerawork and CGI are serviceable, with some impressive underwater sequences.

Here's the deal: if you're looking for an action movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, Meg 2 might just be your cup of tea (or ocean trench, as it were). The action is over-the-top, the cinematography is decent, and the acting is...there.

However, be prepared to leave your scientific thinking at the door. This movie is about as realistic as a shark riding a jet ski, and the plot is about as subtle as a hammerhead to the head. The villain's motivations are about as deep as a kiddie pool, and the whole thing feels like a been-there, chomped-that experience.

Overall, Meg 2 is a 2 out of 5 star movie. It's not going to win any awards, but it might provide a mindless escape for action fans.

Netizens were divided. Some enjoyed the popcorn thrills, while others found it predictable and lacking in originality. The movie made a decent $397.7 million at the box office, against a reported budget of $130 million.

Fun fact: Did you know that the original title for the movie was "Shark 2"? Thankfully, they decided to go with something a little more evocative (and less generic).

So, should you watch Meg 2: The Trench? If you're looking for a thought-provoking cinematic masterpiece, this ain't it. But if you just want to see Jason Statham punch a giant shark in the face, then dive right in! Just don't expect to find any hidden pearls of wisdom at the bottom of this ocean.

[themovieblogonline]

Meg 2: The Trench Review: A Deep Dive into Disappointment

I will get you Meg 2: The Trench is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2018 monster thriller The Meg. Promising to plunge audiences into the depths of the ocean once more, this film reunites Jason Statham as the fearless Jonas Taylor as well as some familiar faces such as Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, and Cliff Curtis. Despite the potential for thrilling underwater adventures and epic battles with menacing sea creatures, The Trench fails to live up to its predecessor's excitement and falls short in multiple aspects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG91B3hHyY4 The Bad: From the opening scene, Meg 2 sets a tone of claustrophobic tension as the team embarks on their mission to explore the uncharted trench. The underwater visuals are visually impressive, with the CGI capturing the mystique of the deep ocean. However, the film struggles to maintain this level of visual splendor throughout its runtime. As the narrative progresses, the novelty of underwater exploration starts to wane, leaving viewers yearning for something more captivating. The characters in Meg 2 suffer from a lack of development, which is disappointing given the potential of the talented cast. Jason Statham, as the returning hero Jonas Taylor, seems to be on autopilot, delivering the same tough-guy performance as in the previous installment. His character lacks depth, and his interactions with the new team members feel forced and uninspired. Wu Jing's character, Jiuming, a skilled oceanographer, initially shows promise as an intellectual counterpart to Jonas Taylor. However, he is ultimately reduced to a mere sidekick, deprived of any significant impact on the story. Sophia Cai's Meiying Zhang, the youngest member of the team, serves as the obligatory "genius child," but her role feels like a token addition rather than a meaningful contribution. Page Kennedy's DJ attempts to provide comic relief, but his humor often falls flat and feels out of place, disrupting the film's overall tone. Similarly, Cliff Curtis's James "Mac" Mackreides lacks the commanding presence required for a character in his position. These underdeveloped characters fail to create a compelling emotional connection with the audience, making it challenging to root for their survival or feel invested in their fates. The script of Meg 2 is one of its weakest aspects. The plot suffers from predictability, with its beats feeling recycled from other creature features. The malevolent mining operation, while initially intriguing, becomes a clichéd plot device that leads to a standard "good vs. evil" conflict. The film relies too heavily on cheap jump scares, diminishing the tension and suspense that should have been the movie's forte. Moreover, the narrative pacing is uneven, alternating between sluggish exposition and rushed action sequences. This imbalance leaves little room for character development or a deeper exploration of the ocean's mysteries. The script also fails to address several plot holes, leaving viewers with unanswered questions by the film's conclusion. The Good: On a positive note, the action sequences in Meg 2 are intense and engaging. The showdowns with the monstrous sea creatures provide some thrilling moments that attempt to redeem the film. However, these brief highlights are insufficient to compensate for the overall lackluster experience. The cinematography and visual effects elevate Meg 2 to a certain extent, capturing the vastness and beauty of the underwater world. The creature design is menacing, and the CGI is generally well-executed, giving life to the ancient marine predators. Nevertheless, the reliance on computer-generated imagery at times makes the action feel detached from reality, reducing the impact of the perilous situations the characters face. The film's soundtrack, composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, complements the tense atmosphere with haunting melodies and pulsating beats. It effectively amplifies the suspense during crucial moments, enhancing the movie's eerie ambiance. Overall: Meg 2: The Trench struggles to live up to the excitement of its predecessor. Despite its potential for thrilling underwater escapades and a talented cast, the film falls short in character development, narrative originality, and emotional engagement. While visually striking at times, the lack of substance and repetitive plot hinder its ability to make a lasting impact. Fans of the original might find a few redeeming qualities, but ultimately, this movie is a disappointing deep-sea adventure that fails to reach the depths it aspired to explore. Read the full article

[usagoodnews]

Meg 2: The Trench Jason Statham races alongside deadly sharks

The cinematic world is about to witness heart-pounding action and suspense as Jason Statham returns to the big screen in the highly anticipated movie, ‘Meg 2: The Trench.’ Following the success of its predecessor, ‘The Meg,’ this sequel promises to take audiences on a thrilling journey deep into unexplored ocean depths where prehistoric giants still roam.

The Exciting World of ‘Meg 2: The Trench’

In ‘Meg 2: The Trench,’ we are transported back into the life of Jonas Taylor, the former deep-sea rescue diver portrayed by the charismatic Jason Statham. The movie picks up the story after the events of ‘The Meg,’ where Taylor thought he had defeated the ancient Megalodon. However, new challenges await him as he discovers an undiscovered trench harboring even deadlier creatures.

Jason Statham’s Thrilling Role

In this action-packed sequel, Jason Statham reprises his role as Jonas Taylor, a character he played with perfection in the first movie. Known for his remarkable on-screen presence and impressive action sequences, Statham brings life to Taylor’s character, making it believable and captivating for the audience.

Facing the Deadly Sharks

The central theme of ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ revolves around Taylor’s encounter with a terrifying new species of sharks. These aquatic predators, bred in isolation for centuries, have evolved into cunning and ruthless hunters. Taylor must confront his worst fears as he races against time to save humanity from these relentless and deadly creatures.

The Making of ‘Meg 2: The Trench’

Sequel Anticipation and Fan Expectations

As fans eagerly await the release of ‘Meg 2: The Trench,’ speculations and theories about the movie’s plot and surprises have been circulating on social media and fan forums. The excitement is palpable, and audiences are expecting a sequel that will surpass the original in terms of action, suspense, and visual spectacle.

Megalodon: The Prehistoric Giant

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ puts the spotlight on the Megalodon, a prehistoric shark species that once ruled the oceans millions of years ago. With scientifically accurate depictions and creative storytelling, the movie sheds light on the mysteries of this ancient giant and its potential existence in the deep, unexplored parts of the ocean.

Exploring the Deep Trenches

The movie takes audiences on a gripping journey into the abyss of the ocean, exploring deep trenches and the marvels they hold. The filmmakers have done extensive research to bring realism to the movie’s underwater world, making it both visually stunning and educational.

Ocean Conservation and Awareness

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ not only offers adrenaline-pumping entertainment but also raises awareness about the importance of ocean conservation. The movie highlights the impact of human activities on marine ecosystems and encourages viewers to protect and preserve the delicate balance of marine life.

The Impact of Movies on Pop Culture

Shark-themed movies like ‘The Meg’ and its sequel ‘The Trench’ have played a significant role in shaping pop culture. From iconic movie scenes to memorable quotes, these films have left a lasting impact on the entertainment industry and have become a part of global pop culture.

How CGI Brings Sharks to Life

Modern filmmaking heavily relies on Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) to create breathtaking visuals and lifelike creatures. ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ exemplifies the mastery of CGI, as it brings the prehistoric sharks to life with astonishing realism, instilling both awe and fear in the hearts of the audience.

A Comparison with the Original ‘Meg’ Movie

While ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ stands as a sequel, it’s essential to compare it to its predecessor. The article delves into the similarities and differences between the two movies, analyzing how the sequel builds upon the foundation laid by ‘The Meg’ and takes the story to new heights.

Realism vs. Entertainment: Striking a Balance

Filmmakers often face the challenge of balancing realism with entertainment value in movies like ‘Meg 2: The Trench.’ The article explores how the film maintains a thrilling and engaging narrative while staying grounded in scientific facts to resonate with a broad audience.

The Future of Shark-Themed Movies

The success of shark-themed movies has led to an increased interest in producing more such films. The article discusses the potential for future shark-centric movies and the responsibility of filmmakers to create entertaining yet educational content.

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ is set to captivate audiences worldwide with its heart-stopping action, suspenseful storyline, and mesmerizing visual effects. As Jason Statham takes us on another perilous adventure, the movie also serves as a reminder of the awe-inspiring beauty and fragility of our oceans. Through this gripping tale, we find ourselves immersed in an underwater world, reminding us of the importance of safeguarding our marine ecosystems for future generations.

Meg 2 the trench trailer releasing on 4th August.

It is directed by Ben Wheatley and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Its estimated budget has been kept at $129 million.

Read Also

Defending “Try That In A Small Town”: Jason Aldean Speaks Out Amid Criticism

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Trial: The Subject of a Captivating Netflix Documentary Trailer

Blue Beetle Movie: A Marvelous Addition to the World of Superheroes

[madlori]

So last night I watched “The Meg”

...and it surprised me. Sometimes. 

SPOILERS.

Main Character (Jason Statham) deep-sea rescue diver Jonas is of course Haunted by an Incident that happened 5 years ago in which he had to cut a rescue short and leave some people to die or else they all would have died, and he saw the Really Big Shark but nobody believed him so now he’s Bitter and Drunk. This is all pretty bog-standard Action Movie fare. 

Oh hey look at that, he’s pulled back into the fray because his ex-wife is part of an expedition to the bottom of the Marianas Trench AND BENEATH BECAUSE IT’S ACTUALLY DEEPER OMG and her vessel got trapped after being attacked by totally not the giant shark that nobody believed him about

OH LOOK HIS EX WIFE IS PRETTY AND BLONDE now this whole adventure is gonna be one long set up to get them back together hey I saw “The Abyss” you can’t fool me

EXCEPT WAITAMINNIT MAYBE YOU CAN because Blonde Ex-Wife after being rescued is barely in the movie and is a Love Interest Red Herring

WHAT’S THIS? THE ACTUAL LOVE INTEREST IS SMART CHINESE LADY?

AND she’s played by a Chinese actress who is actually being allowed to speak non-perfect accented English

ok you have my attention

Wow this is a motley crew of various characters all here for this action movie 

Wow a surprisingly small percentage of them are white

ONE OF THEM’S RUBY ROSE? And she designed this high-tech underwater research habitat? You have more of my attention.

I always forget how charming and naturalistic Rainn Wilson is an actor when he’s not being Dwight Schrute

I should write down right now how many and which of these people are gonna die

Okay there’s a Funny Black Man on the crew, the rules state that he is gonna die (sigh)

Sunyin (Smart Chinese Lady)’s emotionally remote father is also along on this adventure, he is DEFINITELY gonna die

Basically I predict that everyone not-white will die. This prediction is based on every other action movie ever. Except Sunyin, she’s subject to the Love Interest Exception Clause of the Everyone-Not-White-Dies Action Movie Bylaws because they have to kiss at the end.

Is Rainn Wilson evil or not? That affects his Dying Likelihood. He’s a tech billionaire so that could really go either way depending on how the filmmakers feel about Elon Musk

I’m kind of appreciating the way they keep emphasizing how messed up everyone is that one of their friends died in the trench during the rescue and don’t let it be a thing that happened and is never mentioned again as would be the usual thing

Okay wow they did that Sexual Tension Trope thing there a guy opens the door for a woman and she barges right in and somehow doesn’t look at him while she’s talking a mile a minute just so they can then have her suddenly notice that he is Only in a Towel With Abs A-Poppin and then get all flustered, like who actually does that, barge in talking without looking at the other person, but in this case I’m Here For It because this actress is so charming she’s selling it. 

THE FIRST GUY TO DIE IS THE HUGE WHITE GUY ALREADY MY PREDICTIONS ARE WRONG

Okay wow they just actually made a joke about how racism is why black people often don’t know how to swim, that’s...surprisingly woke for this setting

A shockingly low number of people have died by the halfway point.

Wow they killed the shark like an hour in, gee, do you think there’s maybe ANOTHER SHARK and WAY BIGGER

also it’s refreshing that the heroes made a plan, executed the plan, and the plan worked. it’s not their fault that there was a Second Bigger Shark corollary that rendered their plan moot

Okay, Sunyin’s father did die, called that one. It’s surprisingly moving. And they did his entire death scene in Mandarin, subtitled. 

This just in: Rainn Wilson’s evil. Definitely dying. I guess that answers the question of how the filmmakers feel about Elon Musk.

Chomp chomp karma’s a bitch, baby

Sunyin is a badass, yo. They gave HER the “insanely dangerous doomed to failure endgame kill-the-monster” task that would usually go to the hero

To be fair, the hero does get to hero it up too

WE’VE GOT TO CLOSE THE BEACHES

they’re leaning into the Jaws parallels here

The big beach of people swimming that the heroes have Got To Warn is entirely non-Caucasian and I am all about it

Another plus: they definitely rammed home the whole “humans suck and generally destroy everything about the natural world and discovery is great but also terrible” Ian Malcolm message

Okay the Huge Megashark is finally dispatched by an absolute horde of regular-sized non-prehistoric sharks who descend on its bleeding form and devour it and I’m kind of emotional about Our Shark Friends saving the day right now

WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOBODY ELSE DIED? Just the dad and the bad guy and that one white dude plus Hiro from Heroes who sacrificed himself in the first ten minutes? EVERYONE ELSE LIVES? Surely that’s some kind of violation of the Action Movie Bylaws. Oh no wait, the Jerky Doctor also died. But heroically.

Science nonsense: a creature that has lived for millions of years at insane Marianas Trench pressure couldn’t just...come to the surface. It would explode into gloop. But you know...big shark.

Jason Statham is pleasingly craggy in his advancing years. 

THEY DIDN’T KISS AT THE END? How Pacific Rim of them.

I liked this movie. If you enjoy this kind of thing.

[theredeemingfactor]

The Meg

So ... The Meg (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4779682/?ref_=nv_sr_1) comic in with an IMDB rating of 5,7 and a Redeemer Rating of 5,5. This is one of those times where I feel like the general crowd of IMDB followers has basically gotten it right. This movie is a bit of a 50/50. It is on many levels reasonably entertaining dumb action. At times I do feel like this movie takes itself a bit too seriously and tries to explore real emotions that have no real place in a movie like this one. When a movie is dealing with a shark the size of a small house we don't really need to get engaged with characters on too deep of a level or anything like that. A movie like this just needs to be ridiculous and entertaining. And this one is just that about half of the time. 

The plot. Not that it really matters. Giant shark kills and eats. Some people die, some get injured and some survive to kill the shark .. or do they. #questionable ending, #sequel? Or I could give you the serious version. Super underwater rescuer guy “fails” to rescue some people and claims that a 70 foot shark attacked them. A, on the surface, colleague calls him crazy and has him removed from the job and basically excommunicates him. But the, suddenly, a job that only he can do comes along, saving some people under water .. and one of them happens to be his ex-wife .. all while he meets a new love interest in the shape of widowed woman with child .. all while it turns out he was right and 70 foot sharks exist .. all while more things happen. 

The movie. Where to begin with this movie. It is essentially a, completely and utterly, paint by numbers dumb action movie. But never funny. And I think that that was a big mistake. An action movie, particularly one like this one, needs some proper humor to fill up the empty space between the action sequences. Space that this movie tried, and did not succeed, to fill with an approximation of drama and story. Ok, let’s discuss what I meant with “paint by numbers” for those of you who don't understand. Movie begins with setting the scene, our protagonist is given a hurdle of some kind to overcome later in the movie. Our antagonist is slowly built up and we are made to believe that the only person who can be the hero is our protagonist. And then the unending can they, can’t they, can they, can’t they .. rollercoaster that these action movies use. And then finally .. success .. and then of course the questionable ending. And, to make sure that the asian, in particular Chinese, movie going audience is buying tickets most of the movie takes place there and the new love interest is asian. But this all basically boils down to this movie being utterly predictable. Now let’s move on with the rest of the movie. Jason Statham .. great action movie star .. as far as I am concerned .. really great and super entertaining. But, and this a ginormous but .. there needs to be fight scenes along with his smart ass comments. Look at Snatch, 100% smart ass .. and equally entertaining. The Transporter, 100% bad ass fight scenes .. bad ass movie. Crank, a good mix of both .. supremely fun to watch. This movie’s action scenes are entertaining, but there is no room for a cool round house kick when the antagonist is a huge CGI shark. The action is really just a lot of yelling in front of a green screen. The script of the movie does not do much to help in that category, and for me it did even less with creating a meaningful story. This movie makes some sort of half hearted attempt at making me connect with the characters that get killed off .. but it fails. And that is because that attempt is half hearted at best. In the end, all that we are left with here is an entertaining antagonist that looks really well animated and kills people in exceptionally entertaining ways. And that is all this movie has. 

The redeeming factor. The big shark was cool. That is really all that this movie does have going for it. I wish that the factor of this movie was Statham, but he was a shadow of himself in this movie .. thanks mostly to the script. And so the thing that this movie has .. is a big shark. Pretty cool. 

The final word. This movie is just another rehashed of a good idea made super exaggerated in an attempt to reinvent it. I think that this movie could have been far better in many ways, and it chose not go that route. It could have been so much better. But as it wasn't, I can easily chose to not recommend this movie for watching. And that is my final word on this movie. 

[lifejustgotawkward]

365 Day Movie Challenge (2019) - #61: The Meg (2018) - dir. Jon Turteltaub

I love a good shark attack flick as much as the next cinephile, so I gave The Meg every possible chance to impress me with its CGI-generated predator. Unsurprisingly for anyone who read last summer’s reviews with such headlines as “A Frantic Dive to the Ocean Bed of Imbecility” and “Shark, Weak: Toothless 'The Meg' Snatches Mediocrity From the Jaws of Defeat,” Jon Turteltaub’s aquatic action film manages to be entertainingly goofy and occasionally borderline exciting yet is almost defiantly mediocre in its ideas and character development.

That Jason Statham portrays the world’s leading expert in deep-sea expeditions and is ultimately the only human who can take on the most gigantic sharks ever seen are to be expected; that he plays second fiddle to supporting characters is weirder, although it’s nice to see Li Bingbing shine as a fellow underwater adventurer, as well as the good (though mostly generic) roles for Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis, Winston Chao, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Robert Taylor (no, not that one), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and Masi Oka. Basically, if all you care about is getting to see Jason Statham stab a shark in the eye, then by all means, watch The Meg. Just don’t go in hoping for some overlooked genius of colossal proportions, or for a genre satire on par with the wackadoo entries in the Sharknado franchise.

[latestnews2018-blog]

'The Meg,' A Movie About A Humongous Prehistoric Shark, Is Ridiculous. But What Did You Expect?

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/the-meg-a-movie-about-a-humongous-prehistoric-shark-is-ridiculous-but-what-did-you-expect/

'The Meg,' A Movie About A Humongous Prehistoric Shark, Is Ridiculous. But What Did You Expect?

In a pivotal scene from summer’s latest blockbuster, “The Meg,” Jason Statham (playing rescue diver Jonas Taylor, looking fit as ever in an extra-tight wetsuit) hurls himself into the ocean with nothing but a speargun and swims toward a humongous prehistoric shark.

As his colleagues look on anxiously from the relative safety of their boat, Statham makes his way toward the titanic man-eating creature, humming the tune from “Finding Nemo” (just keep swimming, just keep swimming). His goal? Tag the beast’s fin so his team can track its whereabouts. 

Mind you, beyond having a taste for human flesh, this 75-foot shark known as The Megalodon is light- and sound-sensitive. So any quick movement can trigger its killer instincts. But into the ocean goes Statham anyway.

Yes, this movie is every bit as ridiculous as you’re thinking. But what did you expect?

For the past few years, theatergoers have been given an array of saltwater treats to tide us over between Shark Weeks. We’ve seen a wounded Blake Lively defeat a killer shark with the help of a seagull in “The Shallows” (2016) and watched as Mandy Moore and Claire Holt faced the horrors of the deep after their diving cage drifts to the ocean floor in “47 Meters Down” (2017). 2018 gives us “The Meg,” which calls back to another absurd yet iconic open-water flick, “Deep Blue Sea” (1999), about genetically modified sharks who stalk LL Cool J and company in an isolated underwater facility.

If you liked that one, you’ll be all for this Statham vehicle. 

“The Meg,” an American-Chinese Warner Bros. collaboration directed by Jon Turteltaub and based off a book by Steve Alten, focuses on oceanic research facility Mana One, run by scientist Dr. Minway Zhang (Winston Chao) and his oceanographer daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing) and financed by kid-like billionaire Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson). Zhang and his team are attempting to dive farther into the depths of the Mariana Trench, where they believe there is an undiscovered ecosystem. So they send a submarine with a crew of three to test the waters and soon discover that, yeah, there are new life-forms on the deep, dark ocean floor, including a gigantic, smart, relentless shark who attacks their sub.

After the attack, the three find themselves trapped underwater, stranded with little oxygen. That’s when Taylor (Statham) comes in to hopefully save the day. Alas, like a moth to a razor-toothed flame, he too gets wrapped up in the discovery and destructive nature of the prehistoric Meg.

“Man vs. Meg isn’t a fight,” he says at one point, “it’s a slaughter.” 

Throughout the movie’s hour and 53 minutes, there’s action (helicopters galore!), terror (tiny dog vs. giant shark!) and love (wet and shirtless Statham!). Plus, 10-year-old newcomer Shuya Sophia Cai steals every scene she’s in as Suyin’s daughter Meiying, a curious little girl whose one-liners and mischievous looks melt even the heart of steely Statham.

VCG via Getty Images

American film director and producer Jon Turteltaub, child actress Shuya Sophia Cai, actress Li Bingbing, English actor Jason Statham and Australian actress Ruby Rose attend the premiere of “The Meg” on Aug. 2 in Beijing.

The best part comes toward the climax of the film when The Meg is headed straight for the shore where hundreds of vacationers are wading in the water, sitting in neon inflatable tubes or lying on rafts. A la “Jaws,” it starts out with a dog named Pippin enjoying a swim before all hell breaks loose. The Meg enters the scene, dragging floats, eating swimmers and generally terrorizing children. It’s somehow visually stunning, incredibly scary and absolutely hilarious all at the same time.

(Just keep your eyes on ice-pop kid and you’ll get it.) 

In terms of the shark itself, the film’s special effects are pretty solid, despite the fact that the animal appears primarily as a fin rising up on the horizon. But don’t worry, you get your classic Statham vs. His Enemy moment, because what would this film be without an iconic underwater brawl scene? 

All in all, “The Meg” is exactly what you want it to be: a thrill ride full of deep sea adventure and beyond-cheesy dialogue. (“Not only did we fail, but we failed science,” Dr. Zhang sincerely mutters to laughs from the audience.) 

If you’re looking to be entertained from start to finish, well … the movie’s opening scenes try too hard to get you invested in its lackluster ― and soon to be dead? ― characters. So give it 30 minutes or so before throwing in the beach towel; the last hour is the show you were waiting for. 

“The Meg” hits theaters Friday. 

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘1621685564716533’); // Edition specific fbq(‘init’, ‘1043018625788392’); // Partner Studio fbq(‘track’, “PageView”); fbq(‘track’, ‘ViewContent’, “content_name”:”‘The Meg,’ A Movie About A Humongous Prehistoric Shark, Is Ridiculous. But What Did You Expect?”,”content_category”:”us.hpmgent” ); fbq(‘trackCustom’, ‘EntryPage’, “section_name”:”Entertainment”,”tags”:[“@health_erectile”,”@health_depression”,”@health_ibs”,”@health_models”,”movies”,”jason-statham”,”the-meg”,”deep-blue-sea-film”],”team”:”us_enterprise_culture”,”ncid”:null,”environment”:”desktop”,”render_type”:”web” ); waitForGlobal(function() return HP.modules.Tracky; , function() /* TODO do we still want this? $(‘body’).on(‘click’, function(event) HP.modules.Tracky.reportClick(event, function(data) fbq(‘trackCustom’, “Click”, data); ); ); */ );

[fashiontrendin-blog]

'The Meg,' A Movie About A Humongous Prehistoric Shark, Is Ridiculous. But What Did You Expect?

http://fashion-trendin.com/the-meg-a-movie-about-a-humongous-prehistoric-shark-is-ridiculous-but-what-did-you-expect/

'The Meg,' A Movie About A Humongous Prehistoric Shark, Is Ridiculous. But What Did You Expect?

In a pivotal scene from summer’s latest blockbuster, “The Meg,” Jason Statham (playing rescue diver Jonas Taylor, looking fit as ever in an extra-tight wetsuit) hurls himself into the ocean with nothing but a speargun and swims toward a humongous prehistoric shark.

As his colleagues look on anxiously from the relative safety of their boat, Statham makes his way toward the titanic man-eating creature, humming the tune from “Finding Nemo” (just keep swimming, just keep swimming). His goal? Tag the beast’s fin so his team can track its whereabouts. 

Mind you, beyond having a taste for human flesh, this 75-foot shark known as The Megalodon is light- and sound-sensitive. So any quick movement can trigger its killer instincts. But into the ocean goes Statham anyway.

Yes, this movie is every bit as ridiculous as you’re thinking. But what did you expect?

For the past few years, theatergoers have been given an array of saltwater treats to tide us over between Shark Weeks. We’ve seen a wounded Blake Lively defeat a killer shark with the help of a seagull in “The Shallows” (2016) and watched as Mandy Moore and Claire Holt faced the horrors of the deep after their diving cage drifts to the ocean floor in “47 Meters Down” (2017). 2018 gives us “The Meg,” which calls back to another absurd yet iconic open-water flick, “Deep Blue Sea” (1999), about genetically modified sharks who stalk LL Cool J and company in an isolated underwater facility.

If you liked that one, you’ll be all for this Statham vehicle. 

“The Meg,” an American-Chinese Warner Bros. collaboration directed by Jon Turteltaub and based off a book by Steve Alten, focuses on oceanic research facility Mana One, run by scientist Dr. Minway Zhang (Winston Chao) and his oceanographer daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing) and financed by kid-like billionaire Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson). Zhang and his team are attempting to dive farther into the depths of the Mariana Trench, where they believe there is an undiscovered ecosystem. So they send a submarine with a crew of three to test the waters and soon discover that, yeah, there are new life-forms on the deep, dark ocean floor, including a gigantic, smart, relentless shark who attacks their sub.

After the attack, the three find themselves trapped underwater, stranded with little oxygen. That’s when Taylor (Statham) comes in to hopefully save the day. Alas, like a moth to a razor-toothed flame, he too gets wrapped up in the discovery and destructive nature of the prehistoric Meg.

“Man vs. Meg isn’t a fight,” he says at one point, “it’s a slaughter.” 

Throughout the movie’s hour and 53 minutes, there’s action (helicopters galore!), terror (tiny dog vs. giant shark!) and love (wet and shirtless Statham!). Plus, 10-year-old newcomer Shuya Sophia Cai steals every scene she’s in as Suyin’s daughter Meiying, a curious little girl whose one-liners and mischievous looks melt even the heart of steely Statham.

VCG via Getty Images

American film director and producer Jon Turteltaub, child actress Shuya Sophia Cai, actress Li Bingbing, English actor Jason Statham and Australian actress Ruby Rose attend the premiere of “The Meg” on Aug. 2 in Beijing.

The best part comes toward the climax of the film when The Meg is headed straight for the shore where hundreds of vacationers are wading in the water, sitting in neon inflatable tubes or lying on rafts. A la “Jaws,�� it starts out with a dog named Pippin enjoying a swim before all hell breaks loose. The Meg enters the scene, dragging floats, eating swimmers and generally terrorizing children. It’s somehow visually stunning, incredibly scary and absolutely hilarious all at the same time.

(Just keep your eyes on ice-pop kid and you’ll get it.) 

In terms of the shark itself, the film’s special effects are pretty solid, despite the fact that the animal appears primarily as a fin rising up on the horizon. But don’t worry, you get your classic Statham vs. His Enemy moment, because what would this film be without an iconic underwater brawl scene? 

All in all, “The Meg” is exactly what you want it to be: a thrill ride full of deep sea adventure and beyond-cheesy dialogue. (“Not only did we fail, but we failed science,” Dr. Zhang sincerely mutters to laughs from the audience.) 

If you’re looking to be entertained from start to finish, well … the movie’s opening scenes try too hard to get you invested in its lackluster ― and soon to be dead? ― characters. So give it 30 minutes or so before throwing in the beach towel; the last hour is the show you were waiting for. 

“The Meg” hits theaters Friday. 

[theconservativebrief]

Since Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film Jaws first ushered in the era of the summer blockbuster 41 years ago, sharks have been among summer cinema’s favorite perennial villains. They rank right up there with the alien from Alien and Sadako from The Ring in terms of habitually recurring evil forces with a single-minded purpose: to destroy everything in their path.

There’s something so elemental and irresistible about the shark movie that over the course of the past few decades, it has become one of Hollywood’s most well-trodden paths to terror. The genre now spans a wide range of films, from classics like Jaws and Deep Blue Sea (yes, Deep Blue Sea is a classic) to serious indie projects like The Reef to sillier D-movie affairs like the Sharknado, Mega Shark, and Shark Attack franchises. And if you’re among its many fans, you know that the only thing that can cure shark movie fever is more shark movies.

A friendly shark chomp from The Last Shark (1981).

Lucky for you, there’s always another shark movie on the way. The genre’s newest man-eating — or in this case, Jason Statham-eating — entry swims into movie theaters this weekend, with the opening of the tongue-in-cheek mega-shark movie The Meg — just days before the sixth and final installment in the Sharknado franchise arrives with Sharknado 6: It’s About Time.

The poster for Shark Exorcist (2015), in which a Satan-worshiping nun summons a demon to inhabit the body of a great white.

But why sharks? Ordinarily, the prospect of watching Statham try to survive an oceanic disaster scenario would be only a so-so draw for moviegoers. But if you throw in a battle to the death against a giant megalodon — the huge prehistoric shark which has, in recent years, outsized the great white shark in terms of appeal — then obviously, we’re hooked.

In real life, sharks are mainly non-aggressive creatures who barely resemble the evil killing machines they morph into onscreen. They’re anything but an unstoppable force — humans kill a staggering 100 million sharks each year, or 11,000 sharks every single hour, a jaw-dropping statistic that mainly results from the high demand for shark fin soup in some parts of the world. You’re statistically more likely to die from a lightning strike or a toppling vending machine than from a shark attack.

So why are we so fascinated by shark movies, even though they barely represent reality and their plots tend to be incredibly repetitive?

Oh, there are so many reasons.

This scene from Shark Attack 3: Megalodon (2002) has become an internet-meme mainstay.

You may believe sharks are limited to the sea, but you are wrong.

Thanks to the magic of cinema and the relative ease with which a shark fin can be CGI’d to pop out of something and move ominously toward the viewer, we don’t just have sea sharks. We also have sand sharks. Avalanche sharks. Sharks in a sharknado! Sharks in a sharkcano. (That one really happened.) Sharks in a blizzardnado! Sharks on land! Sharks in shark lake. Sharks in swamps. Sharks in the bayou. Sharks in apartments! Sharks at Sea World! Sharks on the Jersey Shore. Sharks at the Golden Gate Bridge! Sharks at the supermarket! Sharks in Japan. Sharks in bathtubs and puddles. Even sharks in the sky.

Just your routine apartment shark, as seen in My Super-Ex Girlfriend (2006).

Megalodon takes out the Golden Gate Bridge in Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (2009). A shark takes to the skies in Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.

Much like the 2006 Samuel L. Jackson film Snakes on a Plane relied on the surprise factor of slithering reptiles wreaking havoc at 30,000 feet, a crucial component of shark movies is sharks’ seemingly inherent knack for appearing where and when you least expect them: Just where are the sharks going to be lurking today?

Spoiler alert: They are everywhere.

If you don’t think your average shark is a super genius hell-bent on avenging the atrocities perpetuated against its species by the human race, you’ve never watched Jaws 3-D (mama shark seeks revenge against SeaWorld for killing her baby), Jaws 4: The Revenge (shark seeks revenge against Lorraine Gary’s character Ellen Brody, ostensibly for killing its shark family but more broadly for the sad and rapid demise of the entire Jaws franchise), Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus (shark seeks revenge on Jaleel White for Jaleel White’s entire acting career), or Deep Blue Sea (shark seeks revenge against scientists for experimenting on it).

To wit: Please enjoy the following GIF from Deep Blue Sea, in which a shark holds a stretcher-bound Stellan Skarsgård captive underwater so that it can throw him against an underwater window in order to spite his grieving girlfriend:

Deep Blue Sea (1999). Yep. That happened.

I mean, come on, who among us hasn’t wanted to throw Stellan Skarsgård against a window? Bring on the shark uprising!

The shark can do what no other villainous horror movie creature really can: In addition to engaging in epic bite-offs against other creatures, it can combine with those other creatures to create animalia supervillains. Sure, Hollywood will invent a demonic vampire here and there, but you can’t really give a demonic vampire tentacles. That’s simply not the case with a shark. In the world of shark movies, if you create an undead demon sharktopus, that’s just the first act.

Would you like your shark with one head or two? How about three? Would you like an actual prehistoric mega shark? How about a giant robot shark?

Spidey-shark concept illustration by Calene Luczo

Few, if any, animals have enjoyed such creative big-screen depictions as the noble shark. There are demonic sharks! Sharks with tentacles! Zombie sharks! This shark-horse! Ghost sharks! A shark that walks on land! And coming later in 2017, there will be flying sharks controlled by Nazi zombies!

In other words, if part of the fun of any shark movie is rooted in the nervous anticipation of where and when a dangerous shark might appear, a significant number of shark movies up the ante by combining their shark threats with other things. Not only does this approach allow the sharks to travel farther and kill harder, it ensures an endless supply of shark movies, because Hollywood will never run out of shark-based combination hazards. Killer koala shark from Down Under? Done.

Shark movies can be as minimalist or as full-scale as you want or need them to be.

As Blake Lively illustrated in 2016’s The Shallows, shark movies can be a one-woman-versus-one-shark show where the shark is a threatening but largely implied presence. They can involve just two people facing off against a small but deadly herd of sharks (47 Meters Down, Open Water), a tiny ensemble of stranded swimmers trying to avoid getting picked off one by one (The Reef), or a full-scale cast with big-budget shark action like Shark Night 3-D or Dark Tide.

The giant shark from last year’s The Shallows wasn’t even huge by shark movie comparisons. Javier Zarracina

And one of the best things about shark films, regardless of their scope, is that shark size has no correlation to shark excellence — as anyone who actually saw Shark Night 3-D or Dark Tide can attest. The bigger shark doesn’t always have the better bite. In fact, films like Open Water and The Reef can succeed without showing any sharks at all. Believing they’re there is all that matters.

On the other end of the spectrum, the first appearance of a shark — it’s always bigger than you were expecting, no matter the film — never gets old:

Jaws (1975).

This is a pretty obvious reason, but it remains the most compelling of all. Stories pitting man against the terrors of the deep have always been a mainstay of human folklore, from the biblical fable of Jonah and the whale to nautical tales of the great kraken, from Moby Dick to The Old Man and the Sea to Lovecraft’s tentacle monster Cthulhu to Disney’s Pinocchio.

Super Shark (2011).

Each of these narratives involves great sea creatures that provide opportunities for heroes to face their fears, come to terms with their humanity, and, you know, be manly men who fish and hunt and conquer the wilderness.

But as formidable opponents, many of these sea creatures lack a significant, shall we say, bite. Giant squid generally stay too far below the surface to really pose a viable threat to humans. Even a big swordfish is no match for a skilled modern fisherman — and the swordfish wouldn’t want to eat you anyway. As for whales, the bigger they are, the more peaceful and harmless they seem to be. Even the ones with teeth are passive and don’t really want to hurt you (unless they’ve been subjected to lifelong animal cruelty).

Sharks, by contrast, are big. They have teeth — sometimes really big, really sharp teeth! They come into the shallow parts of the ocean where humans like to swim and play. Because they are drawn to loud noises and activity in the water, it’s possible, if not probable, that they could be lurking in the water where your loved ones are splashing around. They’re durable and intimidating, and even though in real life sharks are almost never aggressive toward humans, the biggest ones have the power and the potential to chomp you in two.

The Last Shark.

In sum: Like all man-versus-nature tropes, man-versus-shark movies — and man-versus-sharks-versus-other-creatures movies — can reveal important truths about human nature and serve as fascinating, in-depth character studies. Unlike most other man-versus-nature tropes, they do it with a side of terrifying, razor-sharp teeth.

Sharks combine mankind’s desire to conquer nature with its fear of and fascination with the mysteries of the ocean. Even in this modern age, when we’ve been able to plumb the depths of the seas, we still know surprisingly little about sharks. Jaws’ famous description of a shark’s “cold, dead eyes, like a doll’s eyes” in the film’s USS Indianapolis monologue (which was based on the real sinking of a US World War II Navy ship and subsequent shark attacks on its sailors) is still a testament to how unknowable they are.

In essence, in fiction if not in real life, sharks are the perfect scary force of nature: an ever-present threat waiting to happen, in a deep blue setting that humans are still learning to navigate.

But when all is said and done? As with all great horror movie villains, ultimately we’re always rooting for the shark.

Original Source -> Why we love shark movies

via The Conservative Brief