'The Meg' is a Fresh Addition to the Shark Horror Genre

A new shark movie has arrived! This time it's not just a simple shark, it's a prehistoric 75-foot-long shark, the Megalodon or, The Meg. Jason Statham and Chinese actress Li Bingbing star in this science fiction action thriller directed by Jon Turteltaub, where after a humongous deep-sea submarine has been attacked by a massive creature below Marianas Trench, Jonas Taylor (Statham) must then lead a crew to rescue them from danger. In the process, they accidentally opened a pathway for The Meg to go out in the ocean open, and it proves to be an unstoppable threat.

The Megalodon; Photo Credit: United International Pictures

The Meg offers new thrills for shark movie fans like me: it has high-tech underwater gadgets and amazing underwater stunts. Although it doesn't go shark-banging from the get-go, it was non-stop action as soon as The Meg made its grand entrance. And with Jason Statham as the lead, he sure won't budge against this humongous creature. His stunts are amazing, as if he's born to swim for this film. Li Bingbing is also a good lead actress, showing her skills that perfectly match Statham's abilities.

The third act is the highlight of the film when The Meg swims to one of the densest beaches in China, called Sanya Bay, where people in neocolored swimsuits and apparels go for vacation. It's populated, meaning there's more food for The Meg. However, it's a bit disappointing because there were only a few casualties despite the huge crowd. For a shark movie, it's not as brutal we expect it to be. We want more blood, gore, chomping and terror. These are the reasons why we watch shark movies.

In modern shark terror films, it sadly falls in the middle of so-bad-it’s-good Sharknado, and the refreshingly badass The Shallows. Being in the middle, however, won't do much for the film. In movies like this, it should either be outstandingly bad or good. Still, The Meg brings a whole new level of shark action that is high-tech and stunt-heavy, with the same old shark fun from other shark films. I wouldn't mind a sequel.