Prime Video’s Shark Spectacle: The Meg 2 Makes Waves

Jason Statham has squared up to some formidable foes in his time, but a second round with a prehistoric predator in 2023 proved a step too far for many reviewers. Audiences, on the other hand, have been lapping up the chaos, propelling The Meg 2: The Trench up the Prime Video streaming charts. As the weekend approaches, it’s not out of the question that this aquatic romp could muscle its way into the platform’s top five.

The original Meg was never shy about its B-movie credentials. Statham, in full action-hero mode, channelled a bit of Jaws’ Brody with a dash of Quint’s bravado, taking on a monstrous fish with a taste for spectacle. Critics may have been less than impressed, but the film’s $529 million box office haul left little doubt about its crowd-pleasing appeal. A sequel was inevitable, and with it came the expectation that everything would be dialled up to the extreme.

Back for More: Statham vs. the Deep

Five years after the first outing, Statham returned to face another behemoth lurking in the Mariana Trench, this time in a loose adaptation of Steve Alten’s 1999 follow-up novel. The plot, as ever, takes a back seat to the carnage, but for those keeping score, the official synopsis sets the scene:

"Dive into uncharted waters with Jason Statham and global action icon Wu Jing as they lead a daring research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitted against colossal Megs and relentless environmental plunderers, our heroes must outrun, outsmart, and outswim their merciless predators in a pulse-pounding race against time."

Spielberg’s Jaws famously kept its mechanical menace mostly out of sight, partly due to technical hiccups with the infamous “Bruce.” That restraint gave the classic its edge. The Meg series, by contrast, is all about letting the digital sharks off the leash, and the sequel doesn’t hold back on the spectacle.

Audience Appetite vs. Critical Bite

While the film’s critical rating sank to a dismal 27%, viewers seemed far more forgiving, awarding it a 72% score. One particularly enthusiastic review dubbed it

“An absolute blast of high budget camp,”

while another observed,

“If you want a movie that isn’t trying to be a comedy but is just hilariously ridiculous, you have come to the right place.”

Not everyone was so taken, of course, with a fair few one-star assessments branding it the

“worst movie of the year,”

and

“one of the most stupid movies made in the last decade.”

Statham’s reputation for unsubtle, full-throttle action is well established, and his fans know precisely what’s in store when his name tops the bill. The Meg 2 delivers exactly that, with no pretence of nuance or restraint. There’s been no official word on a third instalment, but given the franchise’s knack for defying expectations, it would be unwise to rule anything out just yet.