Five years after Jason Statham's first encounter with a giant shark, "Meg 2: The Trench" hits theaters with the promise of a bigger, action-packed sequel. Set six years after the events of the first film, the story follows the Hainan Oceanography Center, which discovers megalodons below the ocean floor. The Mana One research center invests in advanced technology, including submarines and exoskeletons, to explore the mysterious trench and study these underwater monsters.
Statham's character, Jonas Taylor, has now accepted his role as the father of Meiying Zhang, a 14-year-old rebel eager to explore the trench. Meiying's mother is absent in the sequel and Jonas shares parental responsibilities with Meiying's uncle Jiuming, who runs the research facility. The film features a group of mercenaries led by the villainous Montes, who has connections to Jonas.
Director: Ben Wheatley
Writers: Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Dean Georgaris
Stars: Jason Statham, Jing Wu, Cliff Curtis
While the sequel expands the world of the film and introduces new elements, it suffers from a bloated narrative, which stretches the plot in multiple directions. Director Ben Wheatley does well with horror-focused sequences, but falls short when it comes to delivering thrilling action in the convoluted third act.
The first half of the film, like its predecessor, focuses on underwater terrors and horror, tapping into the fear of unknown creatures lurking in the depths of the ocean. However, the lack of natural light in the trench sometimes makes it difficult for the audience to be seen during attacks by new creatures, which adds to the tension but also makes some scenes difficult to follow.
The final act of the film is heavily action-based, with fistfights and battles with the megalodons and human enemies. Unfortunately, the action scenes are poorly framed and over-edited, leading to a mediocre experience. The movie struggles to find a balance between the campiness of its concept and trying to be a serious action movie.
As the film nears its climax, it is weighed down by numerous loose ends resulting in an overly long and confusing action sequence. The poorly written human villains also detract from the overall experience, taking away from the thrilling spectacle of man vs. beast.
Despite its flaws, "Meg 2: The Trench" still manages to deliver some entertaining and hilarious moments, such as Statham jousting against megalodon sharks. These scenes raise the question of whether the franchise would have been better as a pure horror or a horror comedy. In the end, the sequel doesn't deviate much from the first installment, leaving audiences with a similar experience, albeit with a mix of both positive and negative aspects.
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