Meg 2 doesn't really feel like a follow up film, to its 2018 counterpart. Indeed, the latest instalment feels more like a platform for various action "stunts". The giant,prehistoric shark's are essentially window dressing, for a variety of frenetic action sequences, where things blow up, are torn apart, shot at, harpooned, people gobbled up Jaws and Jurassic Park style and what I can only describe as acrobatic, aquatic scenes with jet ski's and the like, all take place. They even throw in a giant squid, to spice things up. Or put more simply, this is a messy mash up, of derivative, often dispirit ideas. Unsurprisingly, the results a bit chaotic, with no compass to direct the viewer, in terms of the story, such as it is. Its quite watchable, in its own way but it never really goes anywhere. In summary, watchable on a very visually superficial level. Lots of action but little in the way of an established story, to pull the whole thing together.

The Meg 2: The Trench is exactly what I expected, and honestly, what I wanted from a movie about giant sharks: campy fun with over-the-top action, sleek visuals, and just enough chaos. The cinematography stood out, especially the camera transitions and underwater shots, which were beautifully done. The special effects carried their weight too, making the whole experience visually exciting. The pacing worked well. The first act transitioned smoothly into the second, where things started to intensify setting things up well and the intensity ramping up toward the finale. The acting was decent, maybe overacted at times, but it matched the tone of the movie. Sure, the script had its flaws (I mean, swimming normally at 25,000 feet below sea level? Come on), but those issues didn’t ruin the experience unless you’re the type of viewer who’s only there to nitpick. This movie isn’t meant to be serious or realistic, it’s a popcorn flick through and through. If we judged every movie on plausibility, most would fail spectacularly. The Meg 2 is fun for what it is: a one-time watch that lets you escape into its ridiculous world for a couple of hours.

<em>'Meg 2: The Trench'</em> is rubbish. It's just the original with added (lousy) human antagonists and, eh, a giant octopus? I was zoned out by that point if I'm honest, it's no Kraken from <em>'Pirates of the Caribbean'</em>, that's for sure. Jason Statham is forgettable in this too. That's a big problem, given he is the glue that ought to hold these films together. In fact, the best person in this flick is Page Kennedy, who is amusing and has one cool fight scene; good (if minimal) character development, that. Sophia Cai and Cliff Curtis remain the best of the rest. It's just all so dull, I was totally uninterested by the end; I felt my eyes roll hard when they revealed Fun Island, which is practically a carbon copy of what happens at the end of <em>'The Meg'</em>. With all the negatives noted, it still didn't overtly annoy me; so (narrowly) avoids a lower score. I forgot, until now, that Ben Wheatley also directed <em>'Free Fire'</em> (5/10) and <em>'Kill List'</em> (3/10)... sheesh. Fingers crossed that one day I'll see one of his movies and enjoy it.