As we wrap up the season of sharks, we potatoes are absolutely thrilled to plunge back in time to a fun film that has swum its way into our hearts! "The Meg," the 2018 action-packed nonsense film about a vicious Megalodon. This film is a hilarious, and outrageous ride! A fun and silly film that continues to crack us up no matter how many times we revisit it!

But before we dive in, we want to give a gentle reminder that while this story is truly not that serious, it also touches on some complex themes of survival, courage, trauma, and the unknown. There is also death, gore, and violence. We urge you to approach with caution, but it is truly not a very serious film, and we feel that it is generally safe for most thrill-seekers that are of the appropriate age.

A quick heads up! This movie is very straight forward and highly predictable, so we will be keeping it shorter, less descriptive and more concise than usual to do our best to avoid giving away too many spoilers, but there are still likely to be some, so please take that into consideration and read cautiously.

Now, let's begin the dive!

We open with a tense underwater rescue mission, with suspenseful, orchestral music that sets the tone for the prologue. Here we set the stage for the story with a dramatic event, as we zoom into the depths of the Mariana Trench, where a team of researchers encounters something unimaginable!

We get introduced to Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham), a seasoned rescue diver who experienced a traumatic encounter with a mysterious creature while attempting to save a group of researchers. This harrowing experience leaves Jonas questioning his sanity and reputation, as he claims to have seen a gigantic sea creature…a Megalodon!

We potatoes found this initial encounter to be fun and interesting. Jonas, being a skilled professional, is forced to make a difficult decision, and as a result…he is unable to save everyone. His trauma and the skepticism he faces from his peers add depth to his character, while at the same time making us laugh a bit because of how tropey it all is!

Fast forward five years! We are transported to Mana One, a state-of-the-art underwater research facility funded by the eccentric billionaire Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson). Here we meet the main researcher, and creator of the Mana One, Zhang (Winston Chaos) his daughter Suyin Zhang (Li Bingbing), an oceanographer, and her young daughter Meiying (Shuya Sophia Cai).

The team at Mana One is on the brink of a groundbreaking discovery! A deeper section of the Mariana Trench, hidden by a thermocline cloud! As they embark on this “historic” dive, they unwittingly awaken the prehistoric predator from its slumber. We will be wrapping up from here to avoid as many spoilers as we can!

The moment we see the colossal Megalodon, we potatoes have to say that we were impressed with the visual effects! The sheer size and ferocity of this ancient shark are brilliantly depicted, making it intimidating, but still maintaining the outrageousness of a Megalodon existing in our modern era in the first place. The visual effects are top-notch, bringing the underwater world and its monstrous inhabitant to life in a stunningly realistic way!

Jonas is reluctantly pulled back into action when the dive team gets trapped in the trench, and he is the only one with the skills and experience to save them! We potatoes couldn’t help but chuckle at this, this is a fairly predictable film.

The film balances moments of intense action with quieter scenes that often feel unintentionally funny. The relationships between the characters, especially Jonas and Suyin, is their attempt at adding a romantic layer to the story that does not feel at all heartfelt. Their bond amidst the chaos create a narrative that feels amusing and a bit half-assed. Their chemistry is greatly lacking, but this is a very small part of the film, and does not detract from the fun and general nonsense. So we potatoes are willing to overlook it while we get a good laugh out of it.

But! We also need to talk about the comedic relief provided by our favorite character DJ (Page Kennedy) as well as Jaxx (Ruby Rose). Their witty banter and humorous moments lighten the tension! We potatoes found ourselves laughing out loud often. DJ is hilarious, and kind of makes the movie for us!

As the Megalodon wreaks further havoc, the film explores themes of survival, greed, human ingenuity, and the limits of our knowledge. The researchers' determination to study and understand the creature, even as it poses a deadly threat, highlights our relentless curiosity. However, it also serves to caution us about the consequences of meddling with nature. Which of course we humans continuously ignore.

"The Meg" draws attention to what unchecked greed can do and the often foolish actions of those driven by it. Eccentric billionaire Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson) epitomizes this through his reckless pursuit of fame and fortune, prioritizing himself and his greed over safety and ethical considerations.

His decision to fund the risky exploration of the Mariana Trench and subsequent dismissal of expert warnings exemplifies his idiocy. As chaos unfolds and the colossal Megalodon threatens lives, Morris's shortsightedness and disregard for the consequences become glaringly apparent. His actions are absurd, and self-centered which highlights the destructive and broad impact of greed and the general folly of the supremely wealthy valuing profit over human life and environmental balance.

As we reflect on "The Meg," we're reminded that at its heart, it's a story about facing our fears, the consequences of greed and disrespecting the natural world, all wrapped in a package of hilariously overdone tropes. It's a tale that attempts to drive home the idea that greed, and human selfishness will be our undoing even when it's utterly ridiculous. We potatoes enjoy this movie a lot! If you are someone that is captivated by a silly adventure, gigantic sea monsters, gore and a good laugh, then this is the film for you!

So! Here's to a rather silly film that is an all-around fun watch that reminds us that the ocean is a vast and mysterious place, filled to the brim with danger, so please always be cautious! Cheers to a tale that has swum its way into our hearts, teaching us to face ourselves, our fears and dive into the unknown with courage and a sense of humor! But! Most importantly, cheers to you!

We give this movie 3 out 5 Shark Attack Cocktails!

The Meg Drinking Game

Take a sip anytime:

1.     Jason Statham is a stereotypical gruff, tough guy

2.     Mr. Morris (Jack) is an idiot

3.     Suyin's acting is questionable

4.     DJ says or does something funny

5.     Megalodon is on screen

6.     A helicopter is on screen

7.     Submersible on screen

8.     There's a sonar screen on screen

9.     There's blood in the water

10.  A vessel gets bumped

11.  A vessel gets damaged by the Meg

12.  A person or creature dies

13.  Anyone says "What was that??"

14.  Anyone says "Meg" or "Megalodon"

15.  Anyone cites non-sense science

16.  Anyone falls overboard

17.  Anything goes wrong

18.  You cringe or laugh

What did you think? Did you like the movie? Did you hate it? What movies should we watch? Any and all thoughts are welcome! Let us know here in the comments and always remember to be safe and drink responsibly!