The Meg

Dir: Jon Turteltaub

2018

****

Early negative reviews of 2018’s The Meg suggest that some people were under the impression the film was going to be something other than a big-budget B-movie. I’m not sure how anyone could be confused on this issue, as The Meg has been anything but dishonest about what it is. Indeed, I’m relieved that The Meg is everything I thought it would be and more. Seriously, a ridiculously over the top film about a giant pre-historic shark starring Jason Statham? I was sold before I even bought my ticket. I went to the late-night showing and bought the biggest tub of popcorn the cinema sold and I loved every minute of it. I’ve heard many people mention that they thought it ripped off 1999’s Deep Blue Sea somewhat but I’m not sure that many people realise that The Meg is an adaption of Steve Alten’s 1997 novel Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror. Disney bought the rights to the novel the very year it was released, at a cost of one million dollars. The project was put on ice when Warner Bros released Deep Blue Sea in 1999. Author Steve Alten was so frustrated with the lack of movement on the project that he wrote his own draft screenplay that he took to executive producer Nick Nunziata who then in turn handed it to Guillermo del Toro after the pair worked together on Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Del Toro then took the screenplay to Lawrence Gordon and Lloyd Levin, who brought on Speed and Twister director Jan De Bont to helm. The project stalled once more due to budget concerns. The rights reverted to Alten again and it became one of those infamous ideas in cinema-land that got stuck in development hell. It didn’t look like it would ever happen, until 2015 that is when , it was announced that the film was now moving forward at Warner Bros, with a new script penned by Dean Georgaris. Eli Roth was attached as director before he was replaced with Jon Turteltaub. Roth left due to creative differences with the studio, namely that he wanted the film to maintain both its R-rating and a $150 million budget. It's also rumored that Roth, on top of writing and directing, also wanted to play the lead role of Jonas, but the studio believed he didn't have the star power. The film started shooting in October 2016 and ended in January 2016. The film then had a whole years worth of special effects added to it – and it shows (in the best possible way). While the film does feature elements of Jaws and Deep Blue Sea - how could it not? – this is very much its own beast. It is of course a ridiculous premise but not as ridiculous as you’d expect from an Asylum Studio monster film or indeed Deep Blue Sea (sharks can’t swim backwards). I liked the characters and the cast wasn’t a bunch of a-listers for the sake of big names, they were instead a group of likable people who played their parts well. My favorite shark-themed b-movie up until now has been Shark Attack 3: Megalodon but The Meg has certainly given it a run for it’s money. While the massive beast is scary he also has a lot of character to him. It really is shark versus Jason Statham, literally and in personality. The key to making a great shark movie is getting the balance between fun and horror, knowing when to be serious and when to be playful – The Meg gets this spot on every time. You are frightened and sad when a character is chewed up but you can laugh at the overall ridiculousness of it all. The one thing that did surprise me was the lack of gratuity. This isn’t a film about taking characters out one by one just for the sake of it, in this sense it may disappoint the more graphic horror film enthusiasts. However, the promotional material always suggested as much, so no one should have been surprised by this. Jason Statham did indeed steal the show, he is now the Orson Welles of the alternative action film, but Li Bingbing played the romantic interest who gives as good as she gets refreshingly well, Rainn Wilson (who I don’t always like I have to say) played the not so villainous villain brilliantly and Cliff Curtis certainly wasn’t afraid to get his feet wet. Ruby Rose (who nearly drowned on set), Page Kennedy and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson also provided spark to the supporting cast, and it was nice to see Masi Oka again on the big screen. I think my only criticism is with a few of the changes in the adaptation. In the novel, the shark is pure white, almost luminescent from living so deep down in an environment with virtually no light. The Meg also only attacked at night as living in the deep water made its eye sensitive to light. When it does attack during the day it is automatically blinded. I have no issue with these changes whatsoever, even though they’re quite realistic should the Megalodon still be alive, they work so much better in the film. The big change that does feel like a big shame was the ending and how The Meg is killed. In the Book, Jonas kills the Meg by driving the mini submarine down its throat and landing in its belly. He then rips out the Meg's heart from within. Granted it would have been pretty hard to film that, it’s a shame, but I did like the film’s version, especially the help Jonas receives from the other sharks. Overall, The Meg is magic, a blockbuster budget but with a B-movie heart.