"None of this was in the job description!"
In spite of the promotion's best efforts to convince us that The Meg would be a lightweight fun confection, the actual movie - for the most part - plays it straight and benefits as a result, even if it gives the whole proceedings a somewhat expected and familiar turn. (A couple of hokey direct Jaws references do creep in at the start of the third act in particular and seem jarringly out of place - no prizes for guessing the name of the dog featured in the trailer). It is a clear straightforward three-act film - a rescue mission, team vs Meg, the final showdown - and in its actual release form a disappointingly bloodless affair. With a big-league budget, the effects are ambitious and polished for a movie of this type, giving the film a scope and level of detail usually reserved for blockbuster sci-fi, and enabling some decent set pieces. Statham is a good fit for the lead character and he conveys some surprisingly genuine warmth for a typically one-note role. Enjoyable but forgettable, The Meg feels like a classic compromise: make a relatively toothless PG-13 to aim for a wide market to recoup outlay, and avoid being a full-blooded thriller that would limit but satisfy the older audience and not justify the high budget.
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