Nov 122023
 

Meg 2: The Trench is a movie that could’ve been a whole lot of fun but I found it to be a sludge to sit through and at times, early on mainly, took itself too seriously before finding its campiness for the finale.

 

 

Meg 2: The Trench
(2023)


Genre(s): Action, Science Fiction, Suspense/Thriller
Warner Bros. | PG13 – 116 min. – $39.98 | October 24, 2023

Date Published: 11/12/2023 | Author: The Movieman


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MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Ben Wheatley
Writer(s): Steve Alten (novel); Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber and Dean Georgaris (screenplay) (story)
Cast: Jason Statham, Jing Wu, Sophia Cai, Cliff Curtis, Page Kennedy. Sergio Peris Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, Sienna Guillory


DISC INFO:
Features: Featurettes
Slip Cover: Yes
Digital Copy: Yes
Formats Included: 4K Ultra HD
Number of Discs: 1


Audio: English (Dolby Atmos), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Video: 2160p/Widescreen 2.39
Dynamic Range: HDR10, Dolby Vision
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Codecs: HEVC / H.265
Region(s): A, B, C


Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.


THE MOVIE — 2/5


Plot Synopsis: Jonas Taylor (JASON STATHAM) leads a research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitted against colossal, prehistoric sharks and relentless environmental plunderers, they must outrun, outsmart and outswim their merciless predators.

Quick Hit Review: From my memory, I wasn’t terribly enamored with 2018’s The Meg but at least found it moderately entertaining as a big budget B-movie shark attack flick. It’s nothing amazing but enough campy moments to have a bit of fun. At least from I recall. While watching this sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, I had difficulties remembering who was who outside of Jason Statham and Cliff Curtis. The film also saw the previous film’s co-star, Li Bingbing, did not return and instead found her character dying off screen (no official reason why, seems like she’s focusing on environmental issues than acting).

The story this go around seems to take itself a bit too seriously for the first two-thirds and a fair portion taking place in dimly lit environments, including a long sequence underwater that was so dark, it was difficult trying to tell what was going on; I’m thinking this was to cover up for some shoddy visual effects. That said, finally in the final act we do get some of the campiness I expected from a movie like this but at that point I had pretty much checked out.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES – 2/5


This release comes with a slip cover and a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. There are only two featurettes: The Making of Meg 2: The Trench (13:02) and Up From the Depths: Even More Beasts (9:40), both provide a little behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, however Statham is missing from these.

 

 

VIDEO – 4¾/5


Warner Bros. unleashes Meg 2 onto 4K Ultra HD where it’s presented with a 2.39 widescreen aspect ratio and a 2160p high-definition transfer. For the most part the film looks good, detail is well defined and colors are generally bright especially during the third act whereas the bulk of the first half takes place in the darkly lit submarine or in the waters of the Trench. Still, even those dark scenes didn’t betray any signs of artifacts or pixilation.

AUDIO – 4½/5


The disc includes a Dolby Atmos track that comes to life during the key action sequences however I can’t say I was entirely blown away about this lossless track. While the audio is evenly distributed through every available channel, the LFE channel on the other hand seemed a bit quiet save for a few moments that did provide a little depth.

 

OVERALL — 2½/5


Meg 2: The Trench is a movie that could’ve been a whole lot of fun but I found it to be a sludge to sit through and at times, early on mainly, took itself too seriously before finding its campiness for the finale.

 

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