Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'The Meg'

Written by John 'Left Shark' Betancourt

​When you think of the ‘B-Movie’ as a whole, certain elements come to mind. You expect that a film with that moniker will feature a fairly low budget, and some sub-par acting and special effects that are accompanied by a less than stellar plot, and the whole movie may or may not serve as a vehicle to revitalize the career of an actor who has enjoyed some better days and when one considers the fact that these movies are often produced on the independent circuit and see limited distribution, we firmly believe that the B-Movie simply cannot exist in Hollywood because hey, tinsel town has other things on their agenda.
 
But the fact of the matter is, the B-Movie can exist with a big budget, because that kind of movie goes beyond the checklist I laid out a few moments ago. Part of what makes these films so magical is the sheer fact that the great ones are self-aware of what they are trying to accomplish, and they have fun with it in the process and don’t take themselves seriously in the slightest and after all these years, it would seem that the studios have figured out how to replicate all the fun and cheese that comes with these films because at long last, I finally had the opportunity to enjoy a big budget B-Movie, by way of The Meg.
 
Now in this particular motion picture we are introduced to a tough-as-nails search and rescue specialist named Jonas Taylor who has made every effort to disappear after a disastrous rescue mission wherein lives were lost, and Jonah was branded a mad man after making claims that some kind of massive creature attacked him and the crew he was trying to rescue while they were at the bottom of the ocean. But, years after this whole mess, the research team at Mana One comes to learn that Jonah was right, there is something large and powerful roaming the bottom of the sea and now the rattled Jonah will be pressed back into service to save lives and face off against the prehistoric predator that haunts his dreams, a seventy-foot shark known as the Megalodon.  

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So, let’s answer one big question on everyone’s mind when it comes to this movie, is it worth watching? Well the answer in my mind is a resounding yes because this motion picture is just a blast to watch for so many reasons. For starters, at no point does The Meg try and be anything more than what it is; a movie about a giant freakin’ shark wreaking havoc on the world and by staying true to that, the audience is treated to quite a wild ride, one that’s full of plucky humor and delightfully cheesy moments and really, the movie has something for everyone. If you’re a horror fan, there’s plenty of chomping moments to be found here and if you’re in it for the action, well there’s plenty of that as well.
 
In fact, it’s the action and adventure that elevates this film, an element that also brings us back to my point about it being a big budget B-Movie. Because with some serious cash to throw around, we get some fairly inspired moments at sea thanks to some top notch special effects that show off the majesty and the wonder of The Meg because the old girl is as big as advertised and her appetite is the stuff of legend which means the third act is nothing short of stunning as Jonah and the crew of Mana One do their best to keep Meggers from feasting on everyone enjoying a swim and it’s the kind of breathtaking sequence that leaves you hooting and hollering as it plays out on screen.
 
Yet, what truly allows for me to give this movie two fins up, are the little kitschy touches that more or less keep this motion picture tied to its B-Movie roots. I mean come on, the main character’s name is Jonas, which is so close to Jonah and that kind of play is downright fin-tastic and to top it off, the movie pays homage to every single Jaws movie out there (including the awful fourth one, The Revenge) and really, when all is said and done, this is a movie that you need to see as soon as possible, preferably with a chum. You just can’t go wrong with the cast, or a giant shark out to eat people and this is the kind of fun and silly film that stays swimming in your mind long after its come to an end because it’s downright jawsome. 

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