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Review: The Meg

Is 20 years too long to wait for a movie? Can two decades worth of anticipation ever be satiated, especially when it comes to the glorious concept of a giant-shark movie? Can such a big-budget film work given the countless low-budget flicks made about that very same topic? Should Hollywood have even tried to adapt Steve Alten's ultimate beach book to the big screen, given the novel came out in the 90s?

That's a lot of questions to ask one's self going into a Saturday afternoon matinee. Fortunately the answer to all these questions is the same, single word.

YES!

Right out the gate, this Jason Statham vehicle is a very loose adaptation of Alten's novel, much like Spielberg's Jaws is a very loose take on Peter Benchley's seminal book. And, as with Jaws, the accuracy of book to film doesn't matter.

Do we get a giant shark eating people? Yes. Are there some solid set pieces involving sharks and carnage? Yes. Is the film a fast, fun and entertaining ride? You bet your ass.

Does moving the setting from North America to China matter? No. That was done strictly for international audience appeal. The business part of show business. I've dabbled enough in filmmaking to know how things work, and accept it. Bottom line: I don't care who falls victim to the giant shark as long as someone does. I'm an equal opportunist here.

My one complaint isn't how corny the movie gets at times, or the melodrama. I'd be pissed if these elements were lacking. This is a big-budget B-movie, nothing more. No, it's the lack of gore. There's apparently an R-rated cut of The Meg, and I'd loved to have seen it in theatres. That's what a movie like this needs to be. It better come with the Blu-Ray, is all I can say.

But I enjoyed the movie we got, and intend to see it again. So that makes it a Good in my book.
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