Horror auteur Ben Wheatley goes Hollywood with Meg 2: The Trench. I don't blame the guy for trying -- after all, this is the kind of blockbuster that, if done right, could propel a director into the big league -- but it's clear from the start that Wheatley is way out of his depth on a film of this magnitude.
I wasn't expecting anything more than a fun brainless blockbuster, but while Meg 2 is undeniably brainless, it isn't much fun. The first half of the film takes place mainly underwater, in subs, in a deep sea mining facility, and on the ocean floor, as tough guy Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) and his marine research pals explore the titular trench, fall foul of sabotage, and are attacked by a variety of hungry sea creatures. Unfortunately, Wheatley clearly has no idea how to handle a big action scene, meaning that following what is going on is nigh on impossible. I saw the film in 3D, and the wearing of the glasses made the picture really murky, which only added to my confusion.
The action eventually moves to the surface, with Jonas and his friends escaping numerous gun-toting bad guys, before doing battle with three Megs, a giant octopus and some dog-sized dinosaurs that have made their way to a nearby island resort. Up until then, things had been dumb, but what follows is off-the-scale stupid, with characters acting in the most unlikely manner, zero sense of logic, and a general feeling that the director has bitten off more than he can chew.
3/10.
I wasn't expecting anything more than a fun brainless blockbuster, but while Meg 2 is undeniably brainless, it isn't much fun. The first half of the film takes place mainly underwater, in subs, in a deep sea mining facility, and on the ocean floor, as tough guy Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) and his marine research pals explore the titular trench, fall foul of sabotage, and are attacked by a variety of hungry sea creatures. Unfortunately, Wheatley clearly has no idea how to handle a big action scene, meaning that following what is going on is nigh on impossible. I saw the film in 3D, and the wearing of the glasses made the picture really murky, which only added to my confusion.
The action eventually moves to the surface, with Jonas and his friends escaping numerous gun-toting bad guys, before doing battle with three Megs, a giant octopus and some dog-sized dinosaurs that have made their way to a nearby island resort. Up until then, things had been dumb, but what follows is off-the-scale stupid, with characters acting in the most unlikely manner, zero sense of logic, and a general feeling that the director has bitten off more than he can chew.
3/10.