If you were to name a few movies that would be up for an Oscar early next year, Meg 2: The Trench, released on August 4th, would not be on that list. However, with a rise of experimentally surprising films like Everything Everywhere All at Once sweeping the competition, it is not out of reach for Meg 2 to get its moment in the spotlight this year.
This film is no Jaws, it’s better. Do you want sharks? Check. Bigger sharks? Check. A big climactic battle with a Kraken-sized octopus? Check.
Five years after the events of the previous film, Meg 2 continues the story of environmental crime-fighting Jonas Talyor, played by Jason Statham, as he leads an expedition into the depths of the Mariana Trench to research a Megalodon. The premise may sound simple, uninspired, or even like recycled garbage, but if there is one thing that can bring people to theaters, it is an action-packed heartfelt shark extravaganza.
“That was definitely a top 10 movie of all time,” I said after exiting the theater. With so many depressing films leaving you sad or “part ones” leaving you on a cliff-hanger, I felt satisfied and entertained, which is something that doesn’t happen often.
This movie is no Spotlight, Parasite, or Nomadland. It doesn’t leave you fearing for your safety, questioning morality, or pondering the state of society, but that is the charm of this movie. It leaves you feeling just as chill as the main characters as they casually enjoy a drink on a beach.
The success of the Fast and Furious franchise has led Warner Bros to expand on the same fan-favorite theme of family in their Meg series. In The Fast and Furious franchise, protagonist Domonic Torretto uses cool cars and crazy stunts to protect the world from unlikely events while putting the heartfelt theme of family front and center. Torretto’s famous line, “I got family,” inspired the chemistry between the cast of Meg 2.
While the Fast and Furious franchise implies that our main characters are close as family, Meg 2 shows us how they become a family through their trials and tribulations. With the likes of Wu Jing, Cliff Curtis, Page Kennedy, and more, this film is a recipe for a great time at the cinema.
The standout character in the movie was DJ, played by Page Kennedy, who stole every scene he was in. Near the end of the film, for example, it is revealed that DJ had been trained in martial arts when he completely wipes out a group of enemies. “Whooo. Yeah baby, get some!” he says.
While he may not have been given the most extraordinary lines to work with, like “Really, Mac? So, we’re just going to follow some giant sharks to an unknown sector?…” he did get a cackle out of me and my friends due to Kennedy’s hilarious line delivery.
Although I didn’t initially consider Kennedy to be one of the stand-out comedy actors of our generation, this, coupled with his incredible one-take-action scene, led me to believe that his career will only continue to skyrocket. Although many people believe that the best supporting actor award at the Oscars next year will be Ken in Barbie played by Ryan Gosling, or Robert Strauss in Oppenheimer played by Robert Downey Jr., they are neglecting the great work of Page Kennedy. Mark my words, he will most certainly receive Best Supporting Actor at the 2024 Oscar Awards.
Many top-rated critics also heavily endorse this film and its impeccable genius. “Meg 2 is confident in its schlock, piling on one ridiculous conceit after another at such a pace that the audience can’t help but be swept up in it. That is a harder needle to thread than many filmmakers seem to think — it’s not enough to just be stupid.” said top Vanity Fair critic Richard Lawson. As Lawson wrote, this film takes what far too many people believe to be bad elements and flips that on its head.
You can’t help but be engulfed by the MEGA action of the film because the CGI is truly out of this world. It definitely doesn’t look like it was displayed at 480p. The film constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat and doesn’t slow down, just like that damn Meg. Lawson conclusively says that this film is far more difficult to make than a film like Oppenheimer.
Meg 2: The Trench is a fun, bombastic spectacle that is exactly what the Academy Awards is looking for. I have no doubt that this film’s easy-to-follow premise, chemistry-filled cast, and mega scope of a story, will help it sweep awards season next year.
