Meg 2: The Trench was released on August 4, 2023. Directed by Ben Wheatley, the sequel to ‘The Meg’ was a box-office success and grossed over $385 million worldwide. However, it received mixed reviews from critics and fans alike, and this review will elaborate on that.
Categorized as a sci-fi action film, Meg 2 includes illegal underwater operations, betrayals, shark attacks, a giant octopus that resembles Kraken, and even dinosaurs. It promises a lot of action in a two-hour movie but hardly manages to capture the attention of fans except in the last half.
Meg 2: The Trench Cast
- Jason Statham as Jonas Taylor
- Wu Jing as Jiuming Zhang
- Shuya Sophia Cai as Meiying
- Melissanthi Mahit as Rigas
- Sienna Guillory as Hillary Driscoll
- Skyler Samuels as Jess
- Cliff Curtis as Mac
- Page Kennedy as DJ
- Sergio Peris-Mencheta as Montes
Meg 2: The Trench Plot & Summary
Set five years after the events of the first film, Meg 2 begins with a fight scene featuring the eco-warrior Jonas Taylor fighting a ship’s crew who were dumping toxic waste into the ocean. The scene then shifts to the Oceanic Institute Hainan, where Jiuming Zhang is developing an exo suit to explore The Trench. He is also studying a female Meg called Haiqi, who was trained in a reserve in Hainan.
Jonas Taylor, Jiuming, Meiying, Rigas, Sal (Kiran Sonia Sawar), Lance (Felix Mayr), and Curtis (Whoopie Van Raam) lead a routine search in the trench. DJ and Mac observe the group from the Mana One station. While 20000 feet deep in Area 19, the team’s submarines are pursued by Haiqi, who escaped captivity, and two other Megs. Lance dies off-screen, with his screams describing the inexplicable, Curtis’ air is depleted due to the constant stress, so she sacrifices herself, and Sal becomes the victim of a suit implosion.
The remaining team, Jiu, Meiying, Jonas, and Regis, stumble upon an illegal mining operation led by the villainous Montes on the orders of Driscoll. Fearing that his operation has been found, Montes kills his crew with a bomb explosion to cover his tracks. Jess reveals herself as a traitor who is working with Driscoll and her love interest, Montes. She sabotages the rescue pods, but Taylor manages to save the remaining team.
However, the Dive crew discovers that the rupture they created in the trench led to the escape of several dangerous aquatic creatures. Making matters worse is Montes’ thirst for revenge, who was previously imprisoned by Taylor, and Driscoll’s arrival to the action with a bunch of mercenaries.
Meg 2: The Trench Review
Let us start with the positives. Meg 2 made use of its camera crew brilliantly to capture The Trench scenes and the chase scenes. It shifted from person to person to gain their perspectives, and it closed in during certain tense scenes to capture the emotions. Lighting was also not an issue; the macabre red shades from the stations gave the ocean depths a fearsome look.
One of the best camera angles was from the megalodon’s mouth as it chomped and gulped a few helpless beach enjoyers. Those who desire classic Meg action won’t be disappointed by the sequences. Unfortunately, they have to wait more than 80 minutes to finally see what they came for. Compounding that is irrelevant banter that makes the first half slow-paced.
Meg 2: The Trench is mostly about the trench rather than megs. Moreover, there isn’t anything interesting to witness in it which the viewers don’t see at the end. The gist of the Mana One exploration program in the movie is that it mistakenly sets deep-sea creatures loose. A whole hour is taken by the heroes to defeat the baddies only to make matters worse.
People are really fascinated by the idea of death in this movie. Jonas coaxes Regis to shoot him when told by Driscoll, Jiuming tells Taylor he should have left in the submarine without him, and Mac exclaims that Jiu would have certainly died when they blew up a bunch of Snappers. Ignore the obvious and cliche statements while watching Meg 2: The Trench.
There is not a shred of emotion from Taylor when he reports to Jess that three members of his crew are dead. Ironically, the mission man was the one flipping out on Jiu about how it is his duty to protect Meiying and save his crew prior to the meg attacks that didn’t let him save his crew.
The final half-hour of Meg 2: The Trench is filled with action sequences. On the one hand, we have Jonas Taylor fighting two megalodons with three explosives harpoons. On the other, Mac and Jiu steal a chopper amidst a swarm of Snappers to rescue Meiying. A number of close shaves follow that will make viewers gasp audibly while witnessing the monstrous chaos.
The Movie Culture Synopsis: Is Meg 2: The Trench Worth Watching?
Compared to its predecessor, Meg 2 makes the giant sharks take a backseat to develop an irrelevant story about mining operations. Instead of beginning the movie with the trench scenes, the first half hour is about Jiu’s family history and Taylor’s over-protectiveness of Meiying. The 14-year-old girl doesn’t even listen to any of his orders such that it makes their whole discussions pointless just like any other dialogue in the film.
If you are planning to watch the Meg sequel, skip to the last hour of the movie. The movie’s disjointed story, bland dialogues, and pacing will put off many viewers. There are no faults in the acting or the action scenes – the only saving graces of the film. Jason Statham stars in yet another gritty role, with Wu Jing being a good supporting role.
