The Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation.

They certainly upped the stakes with this one! Though it's still... predictable. And there's comedy to the point the desperation never truly comes through - at least at the end. During their walk to the underwater station I was thinking they might capture it better this time around. It's one of the things the previous movie seemed to be lacking too. So unlike Jaws.

Maybe there's just too much going on at the same time for you to be able to zone in and really appreciate - or feel thrilled by - the individual moments. Though you can't say the action scenes don't look good! Statham's got real Jetski skills too, and the suits look awesome. The level of tech in the beginning of the film's impressive, and the special effects are - even if you can't really call them 'realistic' - impressive too.

It almost feels like an action game sometimes. Like Far Cry, maybe...

Seeing Jason Statham and Jing Wu together's cool too. They're both action icons in their own right.

Sergio Peris-Mencheta makes a bad-ass nemesis too, and Skyler Samuels and Sienna Guillory seem suitably cold and calculating initially... until they just die.

I would've liked to know what came after - and would've liked at least one of them to end up behind bars - or at the hands of her enemies.

And how did they resolve the incident when it was all over? How many lives were lost at the beach resort?

Some news stories, or some law enforcement - something to show that it wasn't just an isolated incident - would've been nice to round things off.

It looks cool (I mean it really looks cool - the visual coolness is a big upside) but feels superficial otherwise - like with that aforementioned inconclusive and isolated ending I reckon, just like the last one did.

Still enjoyed it though.

And Jason does have one kick-ass line.

See you later, chum.

 rated 3.5/5: not bad at all