The Meg 2: The Trench RealD 3D Review

MOVIE REVIEW

The Meg 2: The Trench is the 2023 sequel to 2018's The Meg. It continues the story of Jason Statham's character Jonas Taylor as he works to expose a greedy company for dumping radioactive waste into the sea. That is, until he gets chosen by scientists to do a deep sea dive into the trench from the first movie (you know, the one underneath the Mariana Trench). Everything goes according to plan essentially. But eventually, they find themselves getting sabotaged from the inside, leaving Jonas and his crew at the bottom of the ocean. What ensues next is not only a fight to the surface against some human individuals with their own agendas, but against more of the gigantic aquatic creatures that live in the trench which, you guessed it, contains Megalodons.

I'm put into a bit of a weird spot with The Meg 2. On one hand, it's not an objectively good film, and from a plot standpoint, it's a bit more slow than the first film. That being said, a bit like Wrath of the Titans, that simplicity seems to help the movie rather than harm it. It follows the basic three act structure without much interference, and it gave me more of what I wanted from the first movie: some mindless creature action that isn't undercut by any sort of emotion. The film isn't without its shortcomings, for sure. But I felt they were a bit more forgivable this time round because, well, it focuses more on delivering the goods.

If you want to nitpick The Meg 2, you could point to plenty of things. For one, the pacing is a little sluggish at times. Whereas the problem with the first movie was that it moved to fast and it was constantly looking for excuses to fill its two hour runtime, this entry takes quite a while to get moving. And until you get to the good parts, most of the dialogue comes off as wooden as you expect. You'll get through it fine, but it makes a two hour tour out of what could've easily been an hour and a half romp. There's also much less emotional stakes here than compared to the first film. While my major complaint with The Meg 1 was that it took itself too seriously at times, I'd be lying if I didn't say it didn't lead to a bit of satisfaction at the end when the shark is finally killed. Here, the characters are all brushed aside to make way for the story which, while I certainly appreciate, does make the film feel a touch more empty than the first film. The characters are a lot more cartoonish this time around, the villains mainly, and their choices at times can seem a bit dumb. And of course, like any critic would say, it delves into the same basic "shark attack" climax we got from the first movie.

Still, isn't that what most paying audiences want? Sure, like most average creature flicks, you've got plenty of stupid stuff to get passed. But I think the good stuff The Meg 2 brings, for the most part, makes up for those elements. The story itself, slow as it may be, is still an interesting one, Jason Statham still brings his charm, and of course, the action is much crazier and a bit more frequent than that of the first film. The climax is a bit reminiscent of the first film. But it amps up the action, the carnage, and the 3D effects up to 11 so there's no doubt you'll be entertained. There are a couple times where the film does try to build some emotion. But unlike The Meg 1, those moments don't overstay their welcome. Instead, the movie lets its inherent campiness that center stage and it works all the better for it.

All in all, I personally had a pretty fun time with The Meg 2, and more so than the first film. While I'd be lying if I said it didn't have it issues, it brought me pretty much what I was looking for: an escapism where I could watch sharks attack people and Jason Statham try to stop them. Does it go on for longer than it needs to? Yes. Is the plot a little more stupid than the first film? In a few ways. But as long delivers the thrills and excitement, that's enough for me. Do I recommend it? Well, it's called The Meg 2. Take it for what it's worth.

OVERALL FILM RATING: 3/5

3D REVIEW

The first Meg was a surprisingly fun and brilliantly crafted 3D endeavor. And I'm still trying to find out why Cinemablend and especially 3Dor2D gave it such low scores. Maybe it was the brightness, or more specifically lack thereof, in a few scenes. But whatever the case, I still stand by that The Meg 1 is another example of a great 3D blockbuster. So it really leaves the second movie with a lot to live up to. Does it manage to do so? I say, for the most part, yes.

Just like the first film, the depths presented here are absolutely striking. Whether above sea or below it, the environment looks realistic and deep throughout. Let's start with the "above sea" stuff. Here, we get views from on top of a cargo ship, islands with crowds of people and beach-related structures, and the oil rig from the first movie. There's a neat little shot early on in which Jonas cuts a hole in the side of a cargo container and we can see right into it before the camera zooms out revealing Jonas's location. The oil rig contains all the same narrow passages, handrails, and wide ocean views you expect. Those island shots I mentioned earlier are especially mesmerizing during the action in the last 45 minutes of the movie. Not only do we get shots that make good 3D composition with the environment including things like trees, rocks, shelves in storage buildings, grass, helicopters, and fire, but we also get huge lizards slithering around the screen that you'll definitely be wanting to keep an eye on (or two eyes in the case of 3D). And even indoors, the rooms all look pretty spacious and sometimes allow for some decent composition when you look out a window into the ocean. Similar things can also be said about the insides of submarines and underwater stations. The being said, these areas typically don't give off some of the amazing composition that the first movie brought. And they do take up much of the first act of the movie. Still, that's not to say at all the 3D doesn't have something to offer in these places.

As you would expect, it's underwater, or right on top of it, where the 3D is at its finest. Under the sea, the composition is quite astounding. Moving around the frame is everything from submarines to lights to particles to fish to giant lizards to, you guessed it, Megalodons. There's also a few nice shots of squid that greatly impress, especially one of it moving in a cloud of ink. Great 3D choreography in more stationary shots is brought to the table via scenes of glowing coral, people in pressurized suits, to the outside of an underwater station. And all of it lit surprisingly well, even more so than the first movie. There's a chase scene with half a dozen or so creatures, including Megalodons, that charge and attack some of our main characters as they try and make it into the station. There's a couple of good shots of escape pods that also make their way on camera. More around the surface, the Megs still hang around, and so do boats and crowds of swimming people. Being an ocean movie, the film also gives us the classic "above water" shots that allow the surface of the sea to either slightly protrude or come out of the screen while also going back heavily into it. The ocean beach climax, though, is where the 3D really becomes crucial to the fun. There's Jonas jet skiing from the Megs, some gunfire, squid tentacles coming up, grabbing and destroying everything they see, Megs chasing people and destroying a pier, and just like with the last movie, there are shots that allow you to tell the distance between the Meg and the surface of the water. There's one very cool shot that shows the Meg chomping down on people captured from inside the Meg's mouth. I've said it once and I've said it what feels to be a million times now: ocean movies and 3D always go hand in hand.

As to be expected from a campy creature feature in 3D, there's ample pop outs to be had. Sure, the first good portion of the movie has a minimal amount of them, aside from a person or small piece of environment. But when the action starts, they come with absolute flair. In fact, the very first scene in the movie, which is a flashback to millions of years ago, features a dragonfly flying right in your face, lizards going back and forth into and out of the screen, and a Meg attack that splashes water and blood right into your lap. Aside from that, though, things we also get include: explosions including giant squid tentacles, smoke, and water, giant lizards who apparently really love the cinema auditorium, water splashes, Meg attacks, a helicopter blade, guns, flying debris, bubbles, and spears. And those are just to name a few things.

I don't know if I can quite put The Meg 2 on exactly the same level as the first one. While this film's 3D is certainly very well done and up there with the best 3D presentations to hit the silver screen this year, it does take a little while to get truly impressive, whereas the first movie was a 3D roller coaster from beginning to end. Still, that doesn't mean 3D isn't the best way to get the most out of this over-the-top shark movie. It absolutely is. In fact, I'd maybe go so far as to say the best parts in The Meg 2 outweigh the best parts of the first film. If you're looking to get some excellent 3D thrills, The Meg 2 is certainly your ticket. And if they ever decided to release this one on 3D Blu-ray, you can bet I'd be there to get it on day one.

3D RATING: GREAT

OTHER SOURCES THAT REVIEW THIS MOVIE'S 3D:

Cinemablend's To 3D or Not Review: https://www.cinemablend.com/3d/to-3d-or-not-to-3d-buy-the-right-meg-2-the-trench-ticket

FINAL THOUGHTS

There's really not too much to say about The Meg 2. If you like a good campy creature feature that doesn't ask you to think too hard and gives you some hearty shark action, chances are you'll probably roll with what this film has to offer. Personally, I enjoyed it well. Sure, if you want something with a little more character development and emotional depth, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem might be more your speed (something I never thought I'd say about a TMNT film). But for those of you who just want to have some cheesy fun, The Meg 2 fits the bill. And if you're looking for a ticket, do yourself a favor and look for one that takes you to a 3D showing. That's the best way to get the most visual flair from this thrilling action adventure. Impressive depth? Check. Great pop outs? Check. Little to no technical issues? Check. All in all, it's great 3D ride and one that certainly worth the few extra dollars.

DID YOU LIKE "THE MEG 2: THE TRENCH" IN 3D?

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