Meg 2: The Trench

I laughed till my stomach was in knots. Right at the beginning, I realized I didn't remember a thing from the first part. Well, maybe Jason Statham was singing that happy song... So I was surprised to see something being mined in some kind of thermal fissure... a trench that's home to giant squid and bloodthirsty... iguanas? A good half of the film consists of goofing around under pressure (Statham just needs to breathe properly and he won't implode!) and bantering with Jacky Woo for the delight of the Chinese audience. Then the final romp on Fun Island is thoroughbred bloody fun. Statham harpooning a helicopter rotor blade takes on an almost Conan-like mythos. He announces something about dolphins, the credits, the song. Good for me. (02/21/2024)

An idiot firmly attached to the Chinese titties full of giggles and with her head buried up to her ears in her ass. There are digital beasts running around in a colouring book backdrop, and it's probably meant to thrill you, scare you, or whatever. Yes, I was horrified by the idea that there are potentially viewers who experience suspense or entertainment at something like this, I'd rather stick my hand in the fishbowl and have my thumb chewed off by a moray eel instead. I like Statham's work, but if some no name Chinese guy took over his role here, nothing would happen. Jason, you're better off in Ritchie's stable, you're too good for this shit. (10/24/2023)

This was a disaster! If Jason Statham hadn't taken the lead role, this could have easily been another entry from the Asylum film studio. What was this? It was truly painful to watch. Don't get me wrong, the first one wasn't exactly a masterpiece, but at least I didn't feel like I was bleeding from all my bodily orifices while watching it. The number of inconsistencies and absurdities in one place was something I hadn't seen in a long time. The first half, set at a 7.5 km depth, really tested my patience (I had to laugh out loud... I really want that stuff that was being sold on set; it must have been a strong concoction). The action scenes were terribly shot; the cuts gave me a headache, and you couldn't see anything. The CGI was also subpar. One could at least hope that things would improve when the story moved to the beach. But no... it actually got worse :D. The ending with the squid and the trio of giant megs was the final straw. If it weren't for Statham, I’d probably give it a Boo! rating. For me, it’s a 2.5/10. (09/29/2023)

The Trench rides on a similar (CGI) wave as the first one, which offered quite brisk action entertainment. While the first film featured only an overgrown and hungry shark, the second also features a giant octopus - as if they were ironically poking fun at the "iconic" Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus. As in the case of the first one, you must not expect anything meaningful; you are once again treated to a few physical mindfucks, but also to the coveted action, which, on the whole, is not boring. The underwater sequences evoked Underwater had decent drive. Meg 2: The Trench is an inherently silly film for the severely undemanding viewer for just one viewing, but it is fully aware of it. (08/07/2023)

Until you look into the dark with a flashlight and walk on the ocean floor, I remembered the recent and forgotten Underwater and wondered why it does not add to the number of attractions and exaggeration. And then Jason Statham activates his cheats and brings an even bigger fireworks display than I dared to hope for. The confessed loving approach to B-movies, which drives the main character to Superman-like abilities, may not be possible to overcome, and trying to do so on a similar scale may also be a bit of a shame. (08/12/2023)