Creature films have existed for decades, yet audiences’ responses have never been exhaustive, considering how these films always bring fascinating beings to life. Many of our early years were influenced by films such as Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and the iconic Anaconda film series. One such film that springs to mind is The Meg, which starred Jason Statham and was an excellent weekend popcorn thriller.
Since the first film was loosely based on Steve Alten’s novel “Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror,” you knew there would be a sequel. Meg 2: The Trench, based on Steve Alten’s 1999 novel “The Trench,” is one of the year’s most anticipated films. Seeing Jason Statham, the action hero, perform stunts of this caliber at the age of fifty-five is enough incentive to watch the film. That being said, Meg 2: The Trench‘s official trailer has just been released, and here’s our breakdown for greater comprehension.
Apex Predators for 65 Million Years
The trailer begins in the Mesozoic Era (Age of Dinosaurs), with a couple of omnivorous dinosaurs hunting an enormous bug. However, something stronger always chases the prey, and a T. rex arrives just in time to demonstrate its strength and why it is the apex predator of the land. It charges to the coastline and snatches its prey with its massive maws, but we have yet to see the actual Apex Predator.
Just when we thought nothing could escape the T. rex’s grasp, a gigantic megalodon shark surges from the sea and devours the colossal T. rex, not just its neck or legs, but the entire body, as if it were a snack to satisfy its appetite. As the words “For 65 Million Years, One Species Ruled the World” scroll across the screen; we witness Megalodon terrorizing not just the ocean but even the seashores.
Back to the Mysterious Trench
The trailer then cuts to the present day, briefly following the events of the first film, The Meg. We see a ripped man performing pull-ups in a dark room and recognize him as Jonas (Jason Statham), the main protagonist of the first film. “We’re detecting increased aquatic activity 25,000 feet deep in the trench, and whatever is down there is trying to make its way to the surface,” says James Mackreides, who leads the trench exploration team from a rig in the middle of the ocean.
Soon after, we see Jonas meet the team, which includes Wu Jing, the Chinese box office superstar. He gears up with equipment that appears potentially dangerous even to the previous Megalodon shark as he effortlessly punches and kicks the solid stones into dust.
We observe gorgeous flora and fauna sparkling in the dark sea as the team carefully descends into the unexplored area of the trench, but the beauty is short-lived when an unearthly predator hunts one of their crew members.
As they make their way inside the submersible, they see the true Apex Predator, Megalodon, and can’t help but remark, “That’s the biggest meg I’ve ever seen,” to which Jonas adds, “Biggest meg anyone’s ever seen.”
The Ancient Calamity Descends
The team miraculously manages to make it to the station without being devoured by the massive killer shark, but the Megalodon has arrived at the ocean’s surface, and they have never picked on one as large as this one. To make matters worse, the clip following shows three Megalodon sharks swimming at high speeds as though they are looking for human prey near the shoreline.
While the team attempts to take on the megs on their own, it becomes increasingly challenging as they are more aggressive and stronger than the previous ones. As seen in the trailer, Jonas has a difficult time running away from a meg, and he dashes at high speeds as it bites through the wooden route and nearly gets him. Furthermore, these megs are not the only ones that have escaped the trench, and as seen in the previous clip, Wu Jing uses a shovel to hit an ancient creature that resembles a lizard. Jonas points out the behavior of these creatures by saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this before. They’re hunting in packs.”
While the trailer has been full of amusing moments thus far, the next one may surprise you even more. The addition of Scream Queens’ Skyler Samuels to the ensemble of Meg 2: The Trench is intriguing, but the trailer breaks viewers’ hearts when she taps on the glass wall inside the rig and boasts that it is Meg-proof, only to be eaten alive by the mighty creature.
The trailer proceeds with high-octane action scenes and some sick stunts, such as Wu Jing jumping straight on top of a giant squid from the helicopter and Jason Statham dodging the jaws of the Megalodon sharks while riding a small motorboat. The trailer concludes with Jonas riding the wave and launching a sharp javelin into the giant shark’s throat, attempting to end its life.
Meg 2: The Trench will hit theaters on August 4.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
