2/5 stars

Jason Statham returns for an additional thrilling journey in Meg 2: The Trench, alongside Chinese language motion star Wu Jing.

Gung-ho eco-warrior Jonas Taylor (Statham) should face not solely a colossal prehistoric megalodon, but in addition a plethora of historical monsters lurking within the depths of an oceanic trench as his diving workforce turns into stranded.

British director Ben Wheatley, identified for his indie horror movies like Kill Listing, takes the reins of this US-China co-production. Nevertheless, his inventive freedom is proscribed on this commercially-oriented journey.

Whereas the script pays homage to iconic ’80s favorites just like the Jaws franchise and Jurassic Park, Meg 2 disappoints with its lack of thrills.

Wu portrays billionaire philanthropist Jiuming, the brother of Li Bingbing’s character from the primary movie. He owns a complicated oceanographic institute in Hainan, housing their very own captive Meg.

Why The Meg is probably the most profitable China-US co-production ever

Along with Taylor, Jiuming embarks on a daring diving mission to discover the depths of an oceanic trench past the thermocline.

Nevertheless, an encounter with an unlawful mining operation leaves their submersibles disabled, thus trapping the crew 6 kilometers beneath the floor amidst hostile historical predators.

It’s exhausting to think about an motion movie that includes Statham and Wu with out intense martial arts sequences, however on this case, Wu is proscribed to Jackie Chan-style slapstick stunts.

Statham manages a couple of punches, largely aimed toward CGI fish.

Even the marauding sea monsters take a backseat to a tiresome story of company greed, highlighting the movie’s essential flaw: Meg 2 fails to showcase its strengths.