Lurking in the depths of the Pacific Ocean is something very, very scary—according to former deep-sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham), who now spends his time in a drunken stupor on Thailand’s waterfront after a questionable decision cost him his career and his marriage. Summoned by billionaire Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson) to Mana One, a deep-sea research facility 200 miles off the coast of China, Jonas discovers that his ex-wife (Jessica McNamee) is trapped in a tiny submersible 11,000 meters down, beneath a layer of hydrogen sulfide in the Mariana Trench that apparently covers an even deeper canyon. And that’s where a megalodon, supposedly extinct for millions of years, is prowling. “There’s something out there!” “It’s huge!” “And it’s moving fast!” Accompanied by experienced oceanographer Suyin (Li Bingbing), whose father (Winston Chao) is Mana One’s head honcho, Jonas goes after the computer-generated 75-foot-long leviathan. Based on Steve Alten’s pulpy MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror (1997), The Meg is unimaginatively directed by Jon Turteltaub. Absurdities abound, including passing off sinewy-hunk-in-superb-shape Statham as someone who’s been drink-debauched for the past five years. Yet, Statham shows more genuine emotion here than in past cinematic outings, particularly with young Meiying (Shuya Sophia Cai). There is totally predictable chaos reminiscent of Jaws when the Meg heads towards a tourist haven, terrorizing hundreds of beachgoers. A schlocky by-the-numbers sea-monster movie, this is an optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “Chomp on This” making-of featurette (12 min.), and the behind-the-scenes segments “Creating the Beast” (10 min.) and “New Zealand Film Commission” (2 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a lame creature feature.] (S. Granger)
The Meg
Warner, 113 min., PG-13, DVD: $28.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $35.99, Nov. 13
The Meg
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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