August Keller
Most audiences will go into The Meg with the lowered expectations and many will still be disappointed. Though this chummy flick is clearly meant to be taken with a light heart, there are too many sloppy decisions preventing The Meg from being passable. Parts of the film are built correctly; such as Jason Stathom & Rainn Wilson (who both know how to ham it up) or a fun sequence or two that appropriately blend action with humor. Unfortunately, this is mostly washed out by waves of half-hearted narratives and redundant (& messy) sequences, delivered at a breakneck pace. Furthermore, there are members of the cast that are fundamental misfires (which only exemplifies the inattentive guidance of this project).
Ultimately, the biggest issue with The Meg is that instead of giving audiences space (or motivation) to invest in the experience with appropriately fleshed out film-making, the movie provides a hodgepodge of half-baked, loosely-related tropes hastily crammed together. Yes, there is a monster on the hunt with lives at stake but The Meg hardly focuses on a particular situation long enough for anyone to care. Because of its general lack of detail, connection, wit, vision or craftsmanship, The Meg ends up feelings like woefully missed opportunity. Even if viewers are looking for no more than a campy ride, their time is better spent elsewhere.
Writing: 2/10
Direction: 2/10
Cinematography: 2/10
Acting: 2/10
Editing: 3/10
Sound: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Production Design: 2/10
Casting: 5/10
Effects: 4/10
Overall Score: 3.4/10
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