In 2018, The Meg debuted in cinemas, featuring a prehistoric megalodon existing in the modern day, terrorising the seas and making its way to a resort. While the Warner Bros. Movie wasn’t well received by critics, it did become a cult favourite among moviegoers who wanted something different, enjoyed that it didn’t take itself too seriously, and overall, was just a fun and thrilling movie to watch.

Meg 2: The Trench aims to bring back more of that oversized shark chomping and human munching goodness, this time with Ben Wheatley in the director’s chair, and starring the returning Jason Statham, Sophia Cai, Cliff Curtis, and Page Kennedy, while Wu Jing, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, Sienna Guillory, and Melissanthi Mahut join the mayhem.

Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) leads a research team with Jiuming (Wu Jing) and others on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. During their voyage, a mercenary group with their leader (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) 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.

Jason Statham is once again one of the biggest highlights of this film. He has his signature stern and serious personality, but with a soft side to him, and is never one to shy away from a big action sequence whether he’s showcasing his martial arts or taking on colossal sharks. Sophia Cai also returns from the original film as Meiying, now a few years older, and despite still being young, she doesn’t hesitate to jump into the deep end, risking her life to save others.

Wu Jing is one of the biggest stars in Asian cinema right now, so his inclusion will certainly appeal to his fanbase in China and across Asia. While Jason Statham does get more of the spotlight, Wu Jing still has plenty of memorable moments whether he’s interacting with a shark or in one of the many over-the-top action scenes.

Cliff Curtis and Page Kennedy return as Mac and DJ respectively, adding even more personality and humour to the chaos. DJ in particular has a lot of memorable and comedic moments, with his trusty backpack full of survival gear with something for every occasion. That backpack is kind of like Batman’s utility belt and it’s always interesting to see what he pulls out of it next.

Spanish actor Sergio Peris-Mencheta portrays the main villain and leader of the mercenary group. He portrays the maniacal villain trope incredibly well by trying to come across as serious, instead ending up looking humorous but still threatening and adding to the chaotic energy of the film. Everyone in the film gets their memorable moments, even the supporting cast and extras.

The on-screen chemistry between the culturally diverse cast meshes together so well, creating some very entertaining moments. It seems rare that human characters in a monster film are actually fun to watch, but somehow both Meg movies actually achieve that. Of course, they are not to be outdone by the true stars of the film, the megalodons.

The first film only had one megalodon, but this time, there are more. Not only are there even more megalodons to deal with, but there is also a giant octopus and even smaller dinosaur-like creatures that travel on land, so now, simply being out of the water isn’t safe either. The CGI for all the beasts big and small, plus the environments and set pieces, all look fantastic and incredibly realistic, similar to the Jurassic Park movies. It’s nice to see CGI actually done well, especially when these days a lot of CGI in movies and TV shows looks more rushed and low budget.

While giant shark movies aren’t an original concept, the Meg series stands out on its own, creating a unique identity. It does an incredible job of creating that fear factor of being vulnerable underwater with the creatures under the sea, whether it’s in the deep dark ocean or broad daylight on a tropical beach. The tropical beach scene does feel like a repeat of what we saw in the original film, especially because it’s also set in Asia with some familiar faces, but this idea could possibly be a recurring theme and part of the franchise’s identity if there were to be more movies.

The action scenes are no doubt fun, thrilling and exciting with plenty of jaw-dropping, entertaining, and comedic moments. Not only does everyone have to watch out for the megalodons, but a mercenary group that has their own agenda, and the different colossal creatures that are also at odds with each other.

The overall plot is mainly an excuse to have the heroes, villains and the monsters of the sea create mayhem on the big screen, but the plot itself is actually interesting and could do with a little more exploration. The first half of the movie also feels a bit slow-paced, but thankfully, it quickly kicks things into gear in the second half. The music has something for every occasion, whether it’s a tense scene in the dark of night, enjoying the sun-soaked sands, or soaking them with the blood of various creatures.

What Meg 2: The Trench does really well is not fixing what was criticised in the original movie, but instead, do more of what the fans loved. It may feel like a B-grade horror movie, but it’s one that’s done really well. Not every movie needs to take itself seriously and can just simply be a fun action monster flick with a good balance of horror and comedic elements, plus fantastic looking CGI. Meg 2: The Trench is no doubt a fun monster flick to sink your teeth into.

Written by: Sammy Hanson