Director Ben Wheatley said “The Meg’s” sequel will be “bigger” and he delivered.
Based on a screenplay by Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber, “Meg 2: The Trench” continues the story of Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) as he leads his research team with Jiuming Zhang (Wu Jing) to a dive beneath the ocean, deeper than anyone else has gone— or so they thought. What follows is a string of unfortunate coincidences that places their lives at risk— a research expedition gone wrong.
Finding a mining operation under the ocean that threatens their own operation, the stakes soar higher, especially as 14-year-old Meiying (Sophia Cai) reveals that she secretly joined the dive.
Wheatley describes the film as “taking ‘The Meg’ and supercharging it— bigger creatures, bigger action, bigger monsters, bigger environments, bigger equipment— the whole thing. Bigger,” and it shows even in its “overcharged” plot.
At each turn, there always seems to be a larger danger than before, with viewers barely having time to catch their breath in an hours-long cycle.
This time, the megalodons are not in the limelight as the sole, great threat, though others may find the suspense and action-packed sequences a breath of fresh air. Just how “big” is too much is up for the viewers to decide.
However, with realistic visuals and keyed up sounds, the suspense-filled story becomes easier to sell, bringing the thrill beyond the screens.
Moreover, after each action scene lands comedic punches to soften the blows, making the whole viewing experience better.
Overall, “Meg 2: The Trench,” takes one’s breath away for a good while then returns it with a quip.
Carefully injecting humor to suspense and thrill, viewing it can be quite like the highs and lows of surfing on a summer afternoon, just with sharks— perfect for those looking to spice up a laid back weekend.
“Meg 2: The Trench” arrived in Philippine cinemas on August 2. It is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Discovery company.
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