Meg 2: The Trench [2023]

October 4, 2023

As you already probably know, I’m a huge shark movie fan. I’m willing to give a chance to any movie featuring these prehistoric predators. Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of crappy ones trying to capitalize on the popularity of the subgenre. The Black Demon, Maneater, and The Reef: Stalked are just some of the examples. Sadly, I have to report that the movie we’re going to be talking about today belongs to that category. The only difference is the budget but you could argue that exactly that makes all the difference. Meg 2: The Trench is a visually stunning but also disjointed, dumb, and stereotypical shark movie without many sharks.

It does have that “big movie vibe” with a couple of truly stunning action scenes. But will this be enough to counter all the bullshit you’ll have to put up with is the real question. To sum things up this is that mindless big-budget China-market-oriented movie you’re going to forget almost instantly. I had high hopes for it once I realized it was going to be directed by Ben Wheatley. Yes, the same Ben Wheatley who directed Free Fire and Kill List. And while The Meg was a highly entertaining action movie giving us exactly what we expected and wanted, the sequel is just a bland commercial experience.

The script is uninspired and it follows the exact same formula to move the plot forward. Meiying gets into trouble and now Jonas must save her. I shit you not this is a huge part of the story. At one point, I was seriously considering adding this one to the so bad it’s good section but I changed my mind at the last minute. It is literally a Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus rip-off and that’s all I’m going to say. At least that movie was entertaining. Meg 2: The Trench has these boring scenes that drag on into infinity. So, it’s best that you lower your expectations before hitting that play button. Also, it would be a good idea to have Kong Skull Island ready to go as that was the movie they were trying to emulate.

It’s been exactly five years since the discovery of the hidden section of the Marianna Trench populated by ancient beasts. The giant sharks also known as Megalodons are now a subject of extensive research. Oceanic Institute in Hainan, China is leading these efforts to further understand the behavior of these mighty beasts. At the same time, research at the Marianna Trench continues as we follow Jonas and Jiuming dive further down. However, this time they will stumble upon something totally unexpected.

I think that one of the main reasons why Meg 2: The Trench turned out the way it turned out was the desire to capitalize on that massive Chinese market. You feel that in almost every scene of the movie and also in the lack of any graphic content. There are just a couple of scenes towards the end that are surprisingly brutal. They also provide a stark contrast to the family-friendly entertainment that was on offer up until that point. The entire movie suffers from these sudden tonal shifts I simply cannot explain.

First we’re sabotaging boats than we’re off to mind control some giants sharks until eventually ending up exploring the Marianna Trench. And then the real shit starts happening and even more subplots are introduced. Now, I have nothing against our communist brothers but I was expecting a bit more balanced approach. I can’t help mentioning Underwater, a Lovecraftian epic I highly suggest you check out. Although I think that all the recent Jurassic Park sequels are a much better fit. Finally, speaking of sequels considering the fact that Meg 2: The Trench was highly successful at the box offices around the world we can definitely expect one.