As per usual, Prime Video kicked off January by adding a ton of new movies to the streaming service, including a much-maligned shark movie sequel that has now surfaced among the streamer's top watches — and I really can't see why.
The movie in question is "Meg 2: The Trench," Ben Wheatley's supersized follow-up to "The Meg," the 2018 blockbuster thriller starring Jason Statham. Released in 2023, "Meg 2" puts Statham's diver Jonas Taylor back in the water and sees him facing a barrage of new beasts, in what should have been more blockbuster fun.
I say should because, as someone who saw it in theaters that summer, "The Trench" is not a worthwhile watch, and it was (rightly) panned critically upon its release. Despite that reputation, though, this sequel could well be finding fresh fans on Prime Video, as "The Meg" sequel has swum into the streaming service's top 10 movies list; it's currently sitting in ninth place, putting it ahead of "Playdate."
Considering streaming "Meg 2: The Trench" on Prime Video? Here's a little more info about this shark movie sequel, and a round-up of what critics had to say about it (spoiler: it isn't good).
What is 'Meg 2: The Trench' about?
Ben Wheatley's "Meg 2: The Trench" takes place years after the events of the original film, and reunites us with rescue diver/eco-hero Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham), as he faces deep-sea disaster all over again.
Together with Suying Zhang's brother, Jiumung (Jing Wu), he leads a research team on a new dive to the depths of the ocean. An illegal mining operation disturbs the seabed and transforms that mission into a high-stakes battle for survival with countless deadly critters from below the waves....
In addition to Statham and Wu, "Meg 2: The Trench" also features Shuya Sophia Cai, Sienna Guillory, Page Kennedy, Cliff Curtis, Melissanthi Mahut, Skyler Samuels, and Sergio Peris-Mencheta.
Should you stream 'Meg 2: The Trench' on Prime Video?
Even as a fan of questionable shark movies and a staunch defender of "The Meg" as a silly sci-fi thriller, I couldn't in good conscience recommend streaming "Meg 2: The Trench."
This follow-up is nowhere near as entertaining. It tries hard to up the ante by introducing bigger, badder prehistoric predators (and more of them), only to end up as a bigger, badder sequel itself. If you can tolerate the poor visuals and will be satisfied by the carnage that unfolds in the final moments, you might have fun, but I found it to be a bloated mess when I first saw "Meg 2: The Trench" in theaters.
It's overlong and nowhere near as fun as this kind of schlocky creature feature ought to be, but it does at least have some laughs and outlandish thrills sprinkled in here and there. But, if I'm honest, if you watched the opening 30 seconds of the trailer, you've probably already seen my favorite part of the film.
Don't just take my word for it, either: most critics believed "Meg 2" should see this franchise go extinct, too. At the time of writing, the movie holds a measly 27% score on Rotten Tomatoes (from over 180 accredited reviews).
Reviewing for Deadline, Todd McCarthy wrote: "Meg 2" rather wears out its welcome very early on as it begins feeling like a tedious, repetitive joke," adding: "After you’ve watched Statham zoom across the seas enough times to satisfy your taste for jeopardy and speed, all you can do is capitulate to the foolishness and laugh — at it, with it or both."
Likewise, Brian Tallerico gave it a 1-star rating at RogerEbert.com, blasting "Meg 2: The Trench" as "one of the dullest films of the year, a plodding, poorly made giant shark movie that inexplicably lets the giant shark take a backseat to an evil underwater drilling operation. This thing just has no teeth."
Finally, Wendy Ide called it a "dinosaur-shaped dud" in her 2-star Guardian review, writing: "It's hard to imagine that a film in which Jason Statham kicks a juggernaut-sized prehistoric shark in the teeth might turn out to be a colossal bore, but here we are."
There are some "Meg 2" fans out there, and the movie does have a significantly higher rating from audience members, but generally, I'd urge you not to stream "Meg 2: The Trench" on Prime Video — there are definitely better things to watch.
If that means you're now on the hunt for some new streaming recommendations, check out our round-up of the best movies on Prime Video for tons of watchlist-worthy picks.
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