Meg 2: The Trench (2023) - 2+/10

I was hoping for some more brainless fun with giant sharks. The first one wasn’t good, but it was fun, especially with the right amount of THC. Simple story, giant sharks, action that push the boundaries of believability but retain some viability. But with this sequel, not only does it dive deeper but it drowns its own absurdity. It’s biggest problem is that this one sacrifices too much sharks for silly human bs. There are not enough sharks. Only replaced with stupid and convoluted human garbage - like some random bad guy out of prison b/c Statham sent him there (?) is at the bottom of the bottom of the ocean, working secretly with the “good guy” organization with whom he is in a relationship with, survives death twice only to then chase down Statham with a huge machine gun and deathwish. Sure, what?, but c’mon!

But one of the biggest problems is the sharks fall out of the picture. This is Meg 2, for more f’n megs, not Meg’n’Friends. Why did we need prehistoric lizards in this half assed Jurassic World garbo (those things couldn’t even have survived down there let alone emerged and survived). I’m actually into the giant squidtopuss, but it also doesn’t get any time. Perhaps all the cgi budget went into the little raptor-dog-shits.

It was silly without being fun(ny), action-filled while being completely inert, full of ridiculous shark possibilities but no bite.

I assume Ben Wheatley took the job for the money and studio clout/favor. But his previous works (Free Fire, High-Rise, A Field in England, Kill List, etc.) has such vision and intention. I hope to see more of THAT guy and less of this.