Kidzworld reviews the movie about the biggest shark ever. Is The MEG a good bet for collecting and gifting this holiday season? Read our Blu-ray/DVD review to find out more!
By: Lynn Barker
In The MEG, Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) is a deep sea rescue diver who gave up his profession when he failed to save everyone in a deep down disaster. He’s called in when a four person crew’s small research sub is disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the ocean. The pilot is Taylor’s ex-wife Celeste (Jessica MacNamee). On Jonas’ last mission, success was complicated by the attack of a humungous, 75-foot prehistoric shark called a Megalogon. Of course nobody really saw it or believes Jonas did. Now, it’s back!
"Creating the Beast" – Clip
Partial Rescue
Jonas Taylor is called to the bottom of the Philippine Trench to rescue the members of a deep diving crew when something huge keeps hitting their underwater station. He is unable to save everyone and is berated by project head Dr. Heller (Robert Taylor). Five years later off the China coast, cocky, rich investor Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson) tours an impressive, ultra-modern underwater research facility called “Mana One” run by Dr. Minway Zhang (Winston Chao) and his research biologist daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing) who dotes on her 8-year-old daughter Meiying (Sophia Cai).
Suyin comforts her daughterCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Deep Underwater World
A Mana One team has discovered an isolated deep underwater world kept intact by a very cold layer of water that masks its existence. They break through and explore in a small sub piloted by Celeste and fellow scientists Toshi (Masi Oka of TV’s “Heroes”), and the Wall (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson). Supervising and tracking them at the station are DJ (Page Kennedy), lab designer Jaxx Heard (Ruby Rose), Mac Mackreides (“Fear the Walking Dead’s” Cliff Curtis) and the dreaded Dr. Heller. The sub crew loses communication with the surface when they are rammed by something huge. Celeste is injured and damage is such that they can’t resurface and will run out of air.
The Wall and Toshi wait to be rescuedCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Jonas to the Rescue
Mac helicopters to get Jonas in Thailand. When he’s told that his ex-wife is one of the doomed crew, he comes along suspecting the research sub was hit by the same huge critter he encountered before. In the meantime, Suyin decides to attempt a rescue herself in another tiny sub. Taylor arrives and follows her in another one-man sub but the MEG attacks Suyin and she has to resurface.
Jonas to the rescueCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Jonas ends up rescuing the Wall and Celeste but Toshi stays behind voluntarily to attract the shark away from the others and pays the ultimate price. Suyin is critical of Jonas again leaving someone behind but there is mutual attraction between these two and young Meiying likes Jonas as well. Jack Morris is angry that so many expensive subs were lost.
Jack Morris is overconfidentCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
MEG Attacks!
The MEG charges the station and the scientists etc. realize it and other smaller sharks got out of the deep sea trench when an underwater thermal blast made escape easy. The crew hopes to get a tracking device on the MEG and finally shoot enough poison into it to kill it. This means very narrow escapes for Jonas and finally for Suyin who submerges in a supposedly impenetrable ultra-plastic cage to inject the poison. Other crew members are killed along with the giant shark. The celebration is short however, when it’s realized that the wrong, slightly smaller Megalodon was killed. Big MEG is still out there and headed for a beach full of Chinese tourists!
The MEG cruises under beach goersCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Survival?
Big money man Morris thinks he can kill the MEG with his own plan. Is he wrong? Will the MEG lunch on every swimmer at the beach? Who will live? Who will sacrifice for the others? Who will be a shark snackie?
Jonas and crew watch for the MEGCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Special Extra Features
There aren’t that many extras but they are fun.
- Chomp on This: The Making of The MEG features the director, actors and filmmakers talking mostly about their challenges and thrills shooting the movie at sea. Picking Jason Statham as the lead is discussed and we see the adorable young actress Sophia Cai talking about learning to swim and doing her stunts. Lots of fun!
Jonas makes friends with Suyin's daughterCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
- Creating the Beast focuses on the giant, prehistoric shark selected as the movie’s “monster”. We learn it was based on much scientific fact. Mankind is only left with fossilized giant teeth of Megalodons upon which to base what the rest of the critter looked like. We see how SPFX workers designed then created the MEG in computer. Interesting!
Suyin in her glass cage faces the MEGCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
- Short Extra about filming in New Zealand shows you the beauty of the area.
The MEG stalks JonasCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Wrapping Up
Although The MEG is packed with cliché horror and disaster movie characters; the hero who needs to make up for screwing up before, the scientist who wants to preserve not kill whatever “it” is in order to study it, the sort of slimy character who “mans up” and sacrifices him or herself, the money man who always puts profit over human life, the funny Black character comic relief dude, etc. etc., we kind of don’t care. We just wanna see giant shark-chomping action and this movie has it!
Suyin and Jaxx calculate the MEG's pathCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
We have more than a camp laugh fest here but not quite a totally serious monster/disaster film either. Despite the cliché factor, the cast succeeds in creating believable characters although the budding romance between the Suyin and Jonas characters seems a little forced. Little daughter Meiying is played for full precocious cuteness by young actress Sophia Cai.
This home entertainment set looks and sounds great! Extras here are limited but quite thorough and informative. As usual, I would have liked a gag-reel of goof ups and maybe a director’s commentary but what we are given is entertaining enough to go four stars on this Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set. Collect and give to your monster movie-loving pals.
The MEG Blu-ray Rating: 
The MEG Blu-ray and DVD Cover ArtCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Buy The Meg in stores now!
What Do You Think?
Are you into movies about giant monsters? Will you buy the movie for your home collection or for friends? Would you like to be an actor who has to pretend they see a giant monster? Share a comment with fellow Kidzworld visitors or write all about it on your profile page!
