If good shark movies are considered an endangered cinematic species, then good shark movie sequels are all but extinct. The genre’s many B-movies offerings (Sharknado, 2-Headed Shark Attack etc.) are notorious for churning out silly amounts of sequels, and even the more mainstream titles (Jaws, Deep Blue Sea etc.) often indulge in extra instalments of their own too. However, in both instances, they’re rarely any good.
The latest film hoping to swim against the stream of subpar shark sequels is Ben Wheatley’s Meg 2: The Trench. Taking over directing duties from Jon Turteltaub, who helmed the original 2018 film, Wheatley reunites Jason Statham with the prehistoric predator for a second helping of shark cinema, but has he bitten off more than he can chew?
Well, Wheatley’s sequel certainly hasn’t drifted too far from its predecessor, as it sees Statham’s Jonas Taylor return to the titular trench originally discovered in the first film. Leading another exploration dive into the depths of this dangerous and largely uncharted underwater ecosystem, it’s not long before the mission goes south — literally. Subsequently, Jonas and his team find themselves in a desperate fight for survival as they are hunted by a group of megalodons, and that’s only the beginning of their problems. Unfortunately, the film is plagued with many of its own, too.
Yes, this sequel seems to forget that audiences are expecting to see Stath vs. Shark: The Rematch, and instead of delivering this much-anticipated aquatic action, bizarrely the film chooses to focus on character drama instead. Apart from being incredibly frustrating, especially considering the film has three massive megalodons at its disposal, the human drama simply doesn’t work, as none of the characters are developed enough to warrant this kind of attention.
There are some notable absences too, as despite surviving the shark attacks of the first film, Ruby Rose and Jessica McNamee’s characters are nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, Page Kennedy and Cliff Curtis, alongside Statham of course, are the only original cast members to return. Naturally, there are some new additions to the cast too, but amongst this reshuffle of characters the film truly loses sight of what it is, or more accurately, what it should have been: a fun blockbuster creature feature.
Regrettably, what limited megalodon action it does deliver is deeply underwhelming. While further exploration of the trench is an idea with plenty of potential, the film’s lengthy section set here is unforgivably dull. Its murky, dark waters are eventually illuminated by an abundance of undiscovered aquatic life, but as a playground for its shark action, it never feels like a good fit. This setting, and the film as a whole, fails to capture the staggering scale of its main attraction, and seldom creates the spectacle that the world’s largest shark should easily conjure. The design and VFX used for the megalodons don’t help either, having decreased in quality from the previous film. A distinct lack of tension and suspense in these sequences further adds to the film’s issues, meaning that there’s absolutely no atmosphere present. As a result, when combined with the tedious and forced human drama, the film simply can’t combat the sense of boredom it’s created.
The third act – which is almost identical to the first film’s, but just in a different location – at least attempts to reel audiences back in. It’s here that the action finally ramps up and Meg 2 gives viewers the chaotic compilation of shark carnage that they’ve been denied up until this point. However, it’s far too little, far too late. It’s somewhat of a shame that just as the film works out what it’s meant to be, the action that it musters is mostly disjointed and largely ineffective in achieving it. The exaggerated antics might be enough to win over some viewers, but with a bloated runtime just shy of two hours, it can’t make up for the prior and disastrous cinematic shipwreck. Long before the culmination of this third act, it’s vividly apparent that the film’s taking on too much water and not even Statham’s reliable and ruggish charm can keep it afloat.
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