the Meg
Mini Non-Spoiler Review
[August 8th, 2018]
[PG-13, 1hr 53min, Action, Horror Thriller, Sci-Fi]
Seeing all the marketing materials for this film, it looks set to be a typical B-movie monster-slash-shark flick with the B-movie action lead Jason Statham leading the charge against (a) prehistoric shark that's being released out of its cage into the world fill with mankind ... and that's what you get exactly.
It is exactly what it says on the tin, with a simple premise that's adeptly adapted in this entertaining bloody romp. Bare in mind that although the original book is definitely superior in storytelling, this movie adaptation certainly understand what its potentials are and tries to live up to them to the best of their abilities. The aforementioned lead is the shining gem alongside the CGI megalodon as the film hits its highs every time they let them off their leashes and collide in high-octane set pieces with the excellent VFX let us appreciate its monstrosity and the chaos it brings while the former's limitless ability to do action sequences in and out of the water unlike any other just gives you your money's worth. The supporting cast is fine in helping to portray the magnitudes of the threat they are facing here. I have to say that that Chinese girl playing as Fan Bingbing's daughter is charming and adorable.
Inconsistencies in tones and pacing issues definitely plagued the movie when they jumped from having tense thriller to nonstop action to slow heartwarming scenes that do not seems natural in the progression of the storytelling. The director is not adept enough to tell the story properly without looking janky and they can't find the perfect balance between taking themselves too seriously or taking shots at the genre they are playing in. It's a good effort in and of itself but it could've been more, they could've done more with what they had in their hands.
The slow pace of the first two acts might have been made up when the third act explodes and getting themselves into the next gear but you can see they are running a bit long and it could've been benefited with more cuts and shorter runtime.
All in all, you should know what you're coming for when you step into the cinema for this shark flick!
P.S. That third act twist ... ! Spoiler! when the second Megalodon came out of the water like that is still well executed although you can see it coming and the rest of the film after that is what sold the film! ! Alert !
P/P.S. I appreciate the homage and Easter Eggs they sprinkled through the film. Just look at my title!
All in all, you should know what you're coming for when you step into the cinema for this shark flick!
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