Meg 2: The Trench, directed by Ben Wheatley, is a movie that mirrors the director's interest areas. Wheatley has always been prominent in the thriller and horror genres, creating engaging movies like Kill List, High Rise, and Sightseers.
Wheatley's particular interest in these genres has had a great impact on Meg 2, making it more thrilling, adventurous and ghastly than its predecessor, The Meg, directed by Jon Turtletaub. Jason Statham (Jonas Taylor) has been synonymous to action flicks in Hollywood. The movie plays to the actor's strengths with plenty of action scenes, making it interesting enough for lovers of the genre.
Ever since the release of Steven Spielberg's Jaws in the 1970s, Hollywood has been regularly coming up with movies that feature shark attacks. Meg 2 does take its inspiration from Jaws in terms of cinematography. Apart from showcasing the prehistoric creature Megalodon, the movie introduces and provides almost equal attention to a strange octopus and many lizard-like creatures, offering a confused diversion from the title of the movie. The creatures happen to be modelled after dinosaurs from Jurassic Park, making the additions seem repetitive and mundane.
Cliche dialogues and unsuccessful attempts at humour are another setback for the movie. DJ (played by Page Kennedy) happens to be the sole comic relief, but most of the dialogues and scenes come across as cheesy.
The plot
Jonas Taylor returns in the movie as an eco-warrior who is on a mission to capture people who have been dumping radioactive waste in the ocean. Soon, his team goes to the trench in order to check the unexplored areas in the ocean. Meiying (played by Sophia Cai), Taylor's daughter, joins the team without their knowledge, making a protective Taylor angry.
Unlike the first movie, there are three megs that are bigger than the one in the first movie. As the team escapes to Fun Island, the megs follow them, wreaking havoc and taking many lives there. But more dangers await them at Fun Island, including dangerous reptiles and a giant octopus. From an eco-warrior, Taylor turns into an action hero and single-handedly takes on the megs.
Despite the brilliant action sequences and graphics, the poor dialogue and the many loopholes in the plot make it less engaging. While Wheatley's sequel is more ghastly than The Meg, and has even superior cinematography and visual effects, it does not do full justice to the title as other creatures get equal or even more limelight than the megs.
Our take
Meg 2: The Trench may be appealing to genre enthusiasts, but it offers no competition to the other movies that dominate the box office currently, Barbie and Oppenheimer.
Movie name: Meg 2: The Trench
Director: Ben Wheatley
Cast: Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai , Page Kennedy
Rating: 2.5/5
