2018's sci-fi/horror actioner The Meg wasn't exactly what you'd call critically acclaimed (46% on Rotten Tomatoes), but there was some fun to be had with the ridiculous premise, and seeing Jason Statham punch a giant shark in the chops was clearly a draw for a lot of people based on the not-too-shabby box office takings.
When it was announced that Ben Wheatley (High Rise, Kill List) was coming on board to helm the sequel, there was some hope that the filmmaker might be able to elevate the material and deliver a better movie overall.
Unfortunately, it seems to be quite the opposite.
The review embargo for Meg 2: The Trench lifted yesterday, and the movie is currently sitting at 25% on Rotten Tomatoes with 63 reviews counted. Not a great start, but considering the sequel was at 0% for quite a while, it's a definite improvement!
These type of movies do tend to be at least somewhat critic-proof, though, and The Trench is looking at a fairly respectable $30 million domestic debut.
Do you plan on catching Meg 2 on the big screen this weekend?
Sienna Guillory (Clifford the Big Red Dog), Skyler Samuels (The Gifted), and Sergio Peris-Mencheta (Snowfall) also star in supporting roles. Peris-Mencheta will play the villain, "a hard-edged mercenary," Guillory is the head of an applied sciences division, while Samuels is "an adventure-loving member of the submarine crew."
Surviving Mana One crew members Cliff Curtis, Sophia Cai and Page Kennedy also return.
The first movie's writing team (yes, it was a group effort) of Jon and Erich Hoeber and Dean Georgaris penned the script.