In a sentenceJason Statham versus a giant shark should involve considerably less waiting for people to finish talking
Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) faces a giant shark whose size makes any encounter a risk. Suyin (Li Bingbing) and Morris (Rainn Wilson) are among the people drawn into the danger, alongside James ‘Mac’ Mackreides (Cliff Curtis) and Jaxx (Ruby Rose). Jonas has to confront the animal at close quarters, while the people around him bring their own tensions and relationships to the crisis. As the threat brings him into the water, human disagreements share space with the problem of stopping a creature far larger than the people trying to deal with it.
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Jason Statham is good company, and the shark supplies a few tense encounters. But The Meg spends too long on flat dialogue and unconvincing drama to earn a recommendation.
Jason Statham facing a giant shark is a sound enough reason to make The Meg. Jon Turteltaub gets a few tense and amusing encounters out of the idea, but surrounds them with dull conversations and drama that asks for more concern than it earns. We cannot quite recommend it, even on the modest terms of a creature feature. At 113 minutes, it spends too long making us wait for the attraction named in the title.
Jason Statham is the strongest reason to persist. His Jonas Taylor has a weary confidence that makes the ridiculous danger easier to accept, and his physical commitment keeps the action interesting when the effects cannot. We laughed at his air of having another tiresome job to sort out, even with that animal to contend with. He takes the threat seriously enough for the suspense to work without insisting that we regard the whole enterprise with solemn respect.
The screenplay by Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber and Dean Georgaris gives him little help between encounters. Its dramatic stretches ask us to invest in relationships that the dialogue barely develops, while the romance slows a film already prone to hesitation. Li Bingbing gets disappointingly little to work with as Suyin. Rainn Wilson finds some welcome amusement in Morris, but cannot keep the surrounding dialogue lively. The shifts from comic nonsense to earnest feeling repeatedly leave the cast trying to persuade us that a conversation matters when the writing has supplied no reason.
Tom Stern’s cinematography does not consistently make the shark’s bulk felt beside a human body, which is a substantial failing here. The computer-generated creature can command attention without making its movements convincing enough to frighten us. Grant Major’s production design contributes to the glossy finish, although the surroundings have little character of their own. The better encounters concentrate on the person at risk and allow the animal’s size to become a practical problem rather than merely something to look at.
Steven Kemper’s editing finds more tension within individual encounters than across the film as a whole. A passage of shark action can hold our attention, only for the next exchange of dialogue to let it slip away. Harry Gregson-Williams’s score helps the action along, but cannot repair those repeated losses of momentum. By the time the film returns to danger, it has often given itself unnecessary work to do in recovering our attention.
The 12A certificate is no excuse for the shortage of fear. A shark thriller can make us dread an approach, a pause or the space around a swimmer without showing much injury, but this one rarely sustains that dread. Its few taut encounters show that Jon Turteltaub can make the ridiculous threatening when he keeps the action simple. Too much of the rest seems cautious about both frightening us and letting the absurdity become properly funny.
Anyone drawn mainly by Jason Statham may find enough to justify the quieter stretches. Expect neither sustained suspense nor a comedy that makes the most of its ridiculous premise. If the shark is the deciding factor, our advice is to choose something with fewer conversations.
The reviews lean towards disappointment, though most critics find at least some entertainment in The Meg’s giant-shark premise. Praise centres on Jason Statham, whose charm and physical commitment keep several reviewers interested when the dialogue and drama do not. The shark encounters earn qualified approval for their scale, absurdity and occasional tension. Even some sceptical reviews acknowledge that individual suspense sequences work, but enthusiasm for the spectacle rarely extends to the whole film.
The main divide is over how much fun survives the weak dialogue, uneven tone and stretches spent with uninteresting characters. Opinions on the effects and pacing vary, and verdicts range widely. Consequence enjoys the cast’s commitment and welcomes the attention paid to the characters; The Ringer finds the film lifeless despite Statham. Between those positions, the recurring complaint is straightforward: a film about an enormous shark ought to provide more excitement than this.
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Read the full review →The review finds the film entertaining but shallow. It singles out the over-the-top shark spectacle as its main appeal.
Read the full review →Schwartz finds the film successful as a Jason Statham vehicle, despite its adolescent quality beside Jaws. He praises Statham’s screen presence for commanding attention even when the computer-generated shark is on screen.
Read the full review →Strong finds the film overcomplicated and short on thrills, leaving its potential largely wasted. She singles out Statham’s world-weary charm as the main source of laughs.
Read the full review →Ide finds the film an enjoyable but silly romp, weakened by a cliché-ridden script and tonal problems. She praises Jason Statham’s jaunty charm, which helps carry the film despite its flaws.
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JawsFor patient suspense that makes a stretch of water feel unsafe.
TremorsFor capable comic performers taking an absurd creature problem seriously.
The Host · not reviewed yetFor a creature feature whose human relationships deserve the time they take.
Rogue · not reviewed yetFor leaner waterside suspense and a firmer sense of physical danger.
CrawlFor close quarters, rising water and a welcome shortage of idle conversation.
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