I’ve had a bit of time to stew over my thoughts on the sequel to 2018’s The Meg, based on the novel series by Steve Alten.
While the first film was a bit of a departure from Alten’s texts, The Trench shares the same title as the second book in the series and has a large chunk of its plotted lifted too.
I always thought Ben Wheatley was a strange choice as director, but he seems to understand the assignment and whilst Statham is the supposed star of the film; its really the Megs who people have come to see. He knows the sequel quota giving us four megalodons this time around plus a giant octopus to boot.
Statham does feel more relaxed this time and is given more opportunities to flex his action muscles. Jing Wu is also an able co-lead plus Page Kennedy’s DJ is the superb comic relief this time around, with a handful of laugh out loud moments.
The Trench starts off promisingly with one of our prehistoric beasts taking down a T-Rex, basically just because it can. The plot does drag in the middle as our ensemble gets trapped at the bottom of the ocean for a prolonged period, with the Megs circling them.
Once they all get to the surface though the film shifts gear, as the true horrors of the trench are unleashed and delightful chaos ensues.
Its slightly uneven, but enjoyable ride and shows there’s plenty of miles left in this story with Alten’s novels promising even more whacky beasts lay in wait, if The Trench proves a financial success.
Meg 2: The Trench is available now in UK cinemas.
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