Meg 2: The Trench (2023) Review

 Jonas Taylor leads a research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival.

Ben Wheatley's 'Meg 2: The Trench' is a lot of fun if you leave your brain at the door. While Wheatley delivers entertainment in spades, his offering, like its predecessor's adaptation, shares very little with the source material. It shares as much with 'The Trench' (1999) novel as the 2018 film 'MEG' did with the 1997 book 'Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror'. If you go in with questions like what happened to Jonas' ex-wife or how did Suyin die, you'll be disappointed from the outset.

Cliff Curtis returns as Mac, along with Page Kennedy as DJ and little Sophia Cai as Meiying Zhang, now 14 years old. There are more extinct creatures, more megalodons, more action, with some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments from Statham, but particularly Wu Jing as Jiuming Zhang, Meiying's uncle, and from the rapport between Kennedy and Curtis.

Sergio Peris-Mencheta shines, oozing bad guy vibes as emotional and dangerous Montes. With little screen time, Sienna Guillory is notable. The supporting cast, right down to the disposable mercenaries, do a great job.

Harry Gregson-Williams returns with a fitting score along with the pop music covers, which complement the on-screen set pieces and action sequences, including giant sharks, octopuses, and extinct Snappers. Fans of the original novel will welcome the T-Rex flashback in the opening.

Adaptation niggles aside, it suffers from some of the same issues that Jon Turteltaub's bumpy toned offering did: poor pacing, some clunky dialogue, and a handful of iffy CGI shots. That said, for the most part the visual effects are impressive, especially the Snapper creatures, the trench sequences and there's some sweeping cinematography from Haris Zambarloukos. Thankfully, Wheatley keeps the colour of the water as consistent as Statham's pulse pounding action scenes and cutting one-liners.

Overall, don't expect the tone of 'Jaws' or Steve Alten's novels. Wheatley seamlessly takes the helm from Turteltaub, offering a more outlandish Meg versus Statham. It’s bigger, fun and full of chum. Recommended.