If you’re a fan of sci-fi movies involving sharks like Jaws or The Shallows then The Meg is the movie for you. Directed by Jon Turteltaub, The Meg brings action, suspense, and of course killer sharks. The story revolves around billionaire Jack Morris as he attempts to explore a deeper section of the Marianas Trench in the Oceania region. During the mission it is revealed that The Megalodon shark (that has been extinct for over two million years) is alive. This leads expert diver Jonas Taylor to come to the rescue. The movie contains plenty of violence, jump scares, and bloody scenes to go around.

The visual effects are incredible. To accurately portray a shark that has been extinct long before us is difficult on its own, but the VFX team does an amazing job at making it as realistic as possible. Not only are the visuals impressive but the sound effects give off a Jaws-like tension. As the movie progresses, the sounds create an atmosphere that lures you deeper into  the eerie mood of the movie. On another note, the dialogue can be dull and predictable at some points that can make the movie less exciting. Although it does contain a few puns and laugh-out-loud moments.

The characters are somewhat developed with a bit of backstory but not too much to make the audience bored, despite the fact that some minor characters are unnecessary and the story would be just fine without them. One of the best storylines is the father-daughter relationship between Dr. Zhang and his oceanographer daughter Suyin. It was probably the most well-developed narrative during the film.

Of course Rainn Wilson (best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on The Office), who played billionaire Jack Morris, gave the audience some of the best comic relief and quips throughout the movie. Jason Statham, who played the diver Jonas Taylor, probably gave the best performance of the movie. All of his action scenes gave suspense, thrill and excitement of seeing him dive underwater to rescue people and fight giant, prehistoric sharks. Other notable actors in the movie include Ruby Rose, Li Bingbing, and Winston Chao.

Overall, The Meg is a movie you should see if you’re interested in sci-fi or marine biology type films. Otherwise the movie is not worth your time. Although the visuals and sound effects are good, it doesn’t quite balance out the bland dialogue, unfinished storylines, and unnecessary characters. The scientific terms can possibly confuse you and cause you to pay little attention to the movie. Don’t set your expectations too high for this movie. Remember there’s always another movie you can see.