"We're not critics. We're professional fan-girls." --- This blog is dedicated to movies and the entertainment industry. We use random selection to bring into light the best and worst of streaming films and entertainment news.
20 – Popular
Theory (2/9) Director: Ali
Scher Writer: Ali Scher,
Joe Swanson Actors: Sophia
Reid-Gantzert, Lincoln Lambert, Chloe East, Cheryl Hines, Marc Evan Jackson,
Kat Conner Sterling Genre: Adventure,
Comedy, Family Rated: PG Length: Unknown
Length IMDb Blurb: Erwin, a girl genius, is the youngest student in
high school. Unfortunately she struggles with social isolation. When she meets
fellow science guru, Winston, they team up to invent a chemical that changes
the high school hierarchy forever. Popular Theory looks cute, but I have seen it before. In the 90s, it was called Love Potion No. 9 (1992),
and I watched it so much that I wore out the VHS tape. Back in the day, it was
my favorite rom-com. The trailer for Popular Theory leads me to believe
that it’s basically a reboot for teens. Some of the scenes are pulled almost
completely from the 1992 film. I wanted to put it a bit higher on the list, but there are
some creative flicks coming out this February, so it feels like something to
mention, but not push. 19 – Lights Out
(2/16) Director: Christian
Sesma Writer: Chad Law,
Garry Charles Actors: Dermot
Mulroney, Scott Adkins, Jaime King, Frank Grillo, Kevin Gage, Mekhi Phifer Genre: Action, Thriller Rated: R Length: 1h 30min IMDb Blurb: A drifting ex-soldier turns underground fighter
with the help of a just released ex-con, pitting them both against a crime
boss, corrupt cops and hired killers. When I see Frank Grillo (The Grey, Boss Level, Copshop)
in an action flick, I take notice. I’m not a hardcore fan of his, but I can’t
deny that he brings something fun to anything action. He’s just got that action
hero way about him. Of course, Lights Out still looks a little basic, so
I couldn’t really have it any higher on my list. 18 – Float (2/9) Director: Sherren
Lee Writer: Jesse
LaVercombe, Sherren Lee, Kate Marchant Actors: Robbie
Amell, Andrea Bang Genre: Drama,
Romance Rated: PG-13 Length: 1h 40min IMDb Blurb: After she nearly drowns, a young woman unexpectedly
falls for the small-town lifeguard who rescued her. Based on the novel by Kate
Marchant. As rom-coms go, Float looks pretty decent. It’s adorable,
and I can feel the chemistry between Robbie Amell (Upload, The Tomorrow People,
ARQ) and Andrea Bang (Kim’s Convenience, A Million Little Things, Fresh)
throughout the trailer. It will almost undoubtedly be a bit on the trope-y
side, but cute none-the-less. 17 – Land of Bad
(2/16) Director: William
Eubank Writer: William
Eubank, David Frigerio Actors: Milo
Ventimiglia, Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth, Ricky Whittle, Luke Hemsworth Genre: Action,
Thriller Rated: R Length: 1h 50min IMDb Blurb: A rookie air force combat controller and a seasoned
drone pilot support a Delta Force team as they try to shift a mission gone
wrong into a rescue operation. The cast for Land of Bad is outstanding. That said,
the writers/director leave a bit to be desired and the plot is a touch on the
overdone side. Still, I have faith in it. I think there’s every possibility
that Land of Bad could be something special. 16 – Red Right
Hand (2/23) Director: Eshom
Nelms, Ian Nelms Writer: Jonathan
Easley Actors: Andie
MacDowell, Orlando Bloom, Garret Dillahunt, Brian Geraghty, James Lafferty,
Jeremy Ratchford, Scott Haze Genre: Action, Thriller Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 51min IMDb Blurb: Cash is trying to live an honest and quiet life,
but when Big Cat forces him back into her services, he proves capable of
anything to protect the town and the only family he has left. I did several double takes before I realized the lead in
this film was Orlando Bloom (Gran Turismo, Zulu, Pirate of the Caribbean).
It caught me very off-guard. This is simply not the kind of flick I expect to
see him in. That said, I’m here for it. I’m especially excited to see Eshom and Ian Nelms (Squirrel
Trap, Night of the Dog, Small Town Crime) at the helm of Red Right Hand.
I’ve seen how they handle crime and comedy, and they have an eye for that kind
of direction that I think would lend brilliantly to an action/thriller. 15 – No Way Up
(2/16) Director: Claudio
Fäh Writer: Andy
Mayson Actors: Phyllis
Logan, Colm Meaney, Will Attenborough, James Carroll Jordan, Sophie McIntosh,
Jeremias Amoore, Grace Nettle, Manuel Pacific, David Samartin, Scott Coker Genre: Action,
Adventure, Drama Rated: R Length: 1h 30min IMDb Blurb: Characters from different backgrounds are thrown
together when the plane they're travelling on crashes into the Pacific Ocean. A
nightmare fight for survival ensues with the air supply running out and dangers
creeping in from all sides. I love disaster films, but it’s very easy for them to become
repetitive. After all, how many plane crash movies are there? And we all know
none of them are ever going to be better than Cast Away (2000). What I like about No Way Up is that there’s something
to set it apart from the others. Being alive after a plane crash on a desert
island, or even in the middle of the sea is one thing. On the bottom of the
ocean? Especially after the whole world learned, just this past summer, exactly
what could happen to people that go down too far? That’s a different animal
altogether. It’s still a disaster film, so I’m sure there’ll be tropes
utilized that are the same in just about all of them, but I’m still excited. 14 – How to Have
Sex (2/2) Director: Molly
Manning Walker Writer: Molly
Manning Walker Actors: Anna Antoniades,
Mia McKenna-Bruce, Lara Peake, Enva Lewis, Samuel Bottomley, Shaun Thomas Genre: Drama Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 31min IMDb Blurb: Three British teenage girls go on a
rites-of-passage holiday - drinking, clubbing and hooking up, in what should be
the best summer of their lives. I’ll be honest, How to Have Sex is not the kind of
movie that usually draws me in. That said, there’s something about it that
really draws me in. As I continued through my list of trailers, I kept
returning to this one. It’s all instinct where this flick is concerned. I wish I
could point out exactly what it was that made me believe How to Have Sex
was something to look out for, but I can’t. Sometimes there are just
indecipherable patterns. None-the-less, I’m looking forward to it. 13 – Orion and
the Dark (2/2) Director: Sean
Charmatz Writer: Charlie
Kaufman, Lloyd Taylor, Emma Yarlett Actors: Carla
Gugino, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasia Demetriou, Jacob Tremblay, Angela Bassett,
Colin Hanks, Werner Herzog, Ike Barinholtz Genre: Animation,
Adventure, Comedy Rated: TV-Y7 Length: 1h 30min IMDb Blurb: A boy with an active imagination faces his fears on
an unforgettable journey through the night with his new friend: a giant,
smiling creature named Dark. Personally, I’m more into Orion and the Dark than I
am The Tiger’s Apprentice, but I can’t ignore the target demographic.
Since my daughter falls right into that category, I showed her both trailers
and let her choose the order. Obviously, I trust Dreamworks. The How to Train Your
Dragon (2010-2019) flicks are among my favorites. That said, even I have to
admit that Orion and the Dark doesn’t seem quite up to their normal
standards. Still, the story has some great lessons and an age-appropriate plot
that still seems to appeal to adults as well. 12 – The Tiger’s
Apprentice (2/2)
Director: Raman
Hui, Yong Duk Jhun, Paul Watling Writer: David
Magee, Christopher L. Yost, Laurence Yep Actors: Henry
Golding, Brandon Soo Hoo, Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang, Leah
Lewis, Jo Koy Genre: Animation,
Action, Adventure Rated: PG Length: 1h 39min IMDb Blurb: Tom Lee, a Chinese-American boy, after the death of
his grandmother, has to be apprenticed to the talking tiger Mr. Hu and learn
ancient magic to become the new guardian of an ancient phoenix. The Tiger’s Apprentice feels a little less original
than Orion and the Dark, but it’s not a bad mix of inspirations. I’d say
it combines Kung Fu Panda (2008) with The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010)
– which are both cute, decent films. It’s got a clean animation style, with beautiful settings
and designs. Not the best children’s offering I’ve seen, but it works for a
February release. 11 – Madame Web (2/14) Director: S.J.
Clarkson Writer: Matt
Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Claie Parker, S.J. Clarkson Actors: Sydney
Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Dakota Johnson, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, Celeste O’Connor,
Jill Hennessy, Mike Epps Genre: Action,
Adventure, Sci-Fi Rated: PG-13 Length: 1h 56min IMDb Blurb: Cassandra Webb develops the power to see the
future. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a
relationship with three young women bound for powerful destinies, if they can
all survive a deadly present. I don’t know anything about Madame Web as a comic book
character, but we all know I’m a Marvel fan girl. Just based on my fan-girl
status, Madame Web should be high up on my list. So, why doesn’t it even
make my top 10 this month? Sony/Columbia. As much as any Marvel fan will go and see every one of the
movies, no matter how disappointing the last one was, we all also know that
other companies tend to spoil things. The trailer looks great, the cast is fantastic, and the
director has a hell of a filmography behind her, she even directed a couple episodes
of Jessica Jones (2015) – which was an amazing show. All promising
facts. A less promising fact is that the writers of Morbius (2022)
are involved. After the travesty that was that shit show, it’s something that’s
hard to ignore. I will never understand why another Marvel property has been
entrusted to them. Seems like a bad call. I’m looking forward to Madame Web, but I won’t be too
surprised if it winds up disappointing me.
10 – Players (2/14) Director: Trish
Sie Writer: Whit
Anderson Actors: Tom
Ellis, Gina Rodriguez, Joel Courtney, Damon Wayans Jr., Liza Koshy, Genre: Comedy,
Romance Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 45min IMDb Blurb: New York sportswriter Mack has spent years devising
successful hook-up "plays" with her friends, but when she
unexpectedly falls for one of her targets, she must learn what it takes to go
from simply scoring to playing for keeps Although Players has that ridiculously convoluted
heist-y vibe, it doesn’t remind me of the movies a flick like that would tend
to remind me of. Instead, it reminds me of Slackers (2002) – a movie I
only know about because I followed Devon Sawa’s (Idle Hands, Final
Destination, Chucky) career closely when I was younger. Both movies are about a group of friends working closely to
game a system. In Slackers, it’s about cheating through college, while Players
is about running the perfect scheme to get a date from someone. Players has a comedy-heavy cast to work with. Gina
Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin, Someone Great, Not Dead Yet), Damon Wayans
Jr. (The Other Guys, Big Hero 6, New Girl), Liza Koshy (Work It, Cat
Person, Liza on Demand), and Tom Ellis (Lucifer, Isn’t It Romantic,
Miranda) are all well known for comedic roles. I’m not the biggest fan of
Trish Sie’s (Pitch Perfect 3, The Sleepover, Step Up All In) directorial
work, but Whit Anderson (Ozark, Daredevil, Allegiance) impressed pretty
much all of us with his TV Shows – though they aren’t of the comedy genre. I’m
a bit curious about how that will translate to this project. 9 – Stopmotion
(2/23) Director: Robert
Morgan Writer: Robin King,
Robert Morgan Actors: Aisling
Franciosi, Stella Gonet, Tom York, Caoilinn Springall, James Swanton Genre: Animation,
Horror Rated: R Length: 1h 33min IMDb Blurb: A stop-motion animator struggles to control her
demons after the loss of her overbearing mother. Until recently, I’d completely written off stop-motion
animation as something I could get into. Then Phil Tippett (Jurassic Park,
Starship Troopers, RoboCop) came along with his absolutely glorious Mad
God (2021) and my mind changed so quickly. Now I find myself actively
searching it out. I think stop-motion animation is an underused, and fruitful,
medium for horror. It produces an uncanny valley kind of feel throughout the
jerky motions and versatile model designs. I understand why it’s not more widely
used – it’s extremely labor intensive after all – but I’m definitely paying
more attention to a film when it is. Stopmotion is intensely creative and seems to utilize
stop-motion animation well. The creepy story telling meshes with the animation
style well. I was thoroughly uneasy each time I watched the coming attractions. 8 – Bob Marley:
One Love (2/14) Director: Reinaldo
Marcus Green Writer: Terence
Winter, Frank E. Flowers, Zach Baylin, Reinaldo Marcus Green Actors: Kingsley
Ben-Adir, James Norton, Lashana Lynch, Michael Gandolfini Genre: Biography,
Drama, Music Rated: PG-13 Length: 1h 44min IMDb Blurb: The story of how reggae icon Bob Marley overcame
adversity, and the journey behind his revolutionary music. Bob Marley is one of the most influential artists of our
time. I don’t think there’s a soul alive that doesn’t know at least one of his
songs. I don’t know anything about the story behind his music, but
I’m not surprised that there’s violence. People react harshly to messages of peace
and unity. That’s what his music is about, after all. In a world of darkness, his
tunes bring some light and hope. The only reason Bob Marley: One Love is so low on my
list is because biographies are tricky. They’re starting to get a bit played
out at this point, so there needs to be a hook that draws people in other than
the big name. 7 – This is Me…
Now (2/16) Director: Dave
Meyers Writer: Jennifer Lopez,
Matt Walton Actors: Sofia
Vergara, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer, Kim Petras, Trevor Noah,
Alix Angelis, Post Malone, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Derek Hough, Fat Joe Genre: Music Rated: Unrated Length: Unknown IMDb Blurb: Coinciding with the release of her album of the
same name, this narrative-driven odyssey tells the story of Jennifer Lopez's
journey to love through her own eyes. Hey look, it’s a musical that is actually being marketed as
a musical. I have to say, that’s been my biggest pet peeve of the last
couple of years. Production companies have decided that people don’t like
musicals, so they don’t let you know when something is one. I had no idea Wonka
(2023) was a musical before it came out, or Mean Girls (2024). That
information for both flicks would have strengthened my interest. Instead of
being clear about what those films were, companies decided to bait and switch
people. That’s a good way to make people mad. At the very least we know what we’re getting with This is
Me… Now. It’s more of an opera based around the life of Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers,
Marry Me, Shades of Blue) than anything else. I’m not her biggest fan, but
no one can deny her talent. For This is Me… Now, she’s collected a highly diverse
group of talent. Actors and musicians alike are involved: Sofia Vergara (Modern
Family, Chef, Strays), Ben Affleck (Argo, Gone Girl, Zack Snyder’s Justice
League), Keke Palmer (Nope, Hustlers, Scream Queens), Kim Petras (Los
Espookys, The Bitch Who Stole Christmas, Sam Smith & Kim Petras: Unholy),
Trevor Noah (The Daily Show, Black Panther, Coming 2 America), Post
Malone (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Good Mythical Evening,
Wrath of Man), Alix Angelis (Imaginary, The Cleansing Hour, The
Magnificent Seven), Neil deGrasse Tyson (Miles from Tomorrowland, Batman
v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Lazer Team), Fat Joe (Happy Feet, The White
Tiger, Hustle), and Derek Hough (High School Musical: The Musical: The
Series, Hairspray Live!, Nashville). It’s even directed by accomplished
music video director, Dave Meyers (Billie Eilish: Bad Guy, P!Nk: So What,
Missy Elliott: Get Ur Freak On). This kind of movie concert is picking up steam, and I don’t
think This is Me… Now is going to kill interest in the genre at all. I
do, however, think that studios need to reconsider their stance on musicals. 6 – Code 8: Part
II (2/28) Director: Jeff
Chan Writer: Jeff
Chan, Chris Pare, Sherren Lee, Jesse LaVercombe Actors: Robbie
Amell, Stephen Amell, Aaron Abrams, Jean Yoon, Alex Mallari Jr. Genre: Action,
Crime, Drama Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 40min IMDb Blurb: Follows a girl fighting to get justice for her
slain brother by corrupt police officers. She enlists the help of an ex-con and
his former partner, they face a highly regarded and well protected police
sergeant who doesn't want to be. If you’ve been following Trust the Dice for any length of
time, then you know that we invested in the first Code 8 (2019). It was
a pre-2020 world when we had a little extra money to burn and wanted to use it
to help make great movies. Times have changed, our pockets are a little too
light to do it these days, but we still have great faith in the films we did
choose to add to. We reviewed Code 8 back in April of 2020, well
embroiled in our lockdown. Long story short: we felt the film was a great
success. Fun and original. Some critics did believe there was an X-Men feel to
it, but most movies involving any kind of mutated power in humans tends to be
compared to X-Men. It’s a bit of an overdone critique. I’m looking forward to Code 8: Part II. A
continuation of the story should be great fun. 5 – Restore Point
(2/8) Director: Robert
Hloz Writer: Robert
Hloz Actors: Andrea
Mohylová, Matej Hádek, Milan Ondrík, Václav Neuzil Genre: Crime,
Drama, Sci-Fi Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 55min IMDb Blurb: Set in central Europe during 2041, a female
detective investigates the case of a murdered couple where a restoration team
is able to bring one of them back to life. There’s nothing quite like a good science fiction. The cool
technology gone rogue, the anything-can-happen story, the familiar-but-different
world… both Cat and I go nuts for it. I waffled over whether to put Code 8: Part 2 or Restore
Point higher, but I settled on Restore Point. It’s an original film, as opposed to a sequel. That’s really
the only thing that put it higher for me. I may be more familiar with the people
involved in Code 8:Part 2, but Restore Point has that
originality to it that comes with the start of a brand new story. Restore Point seems to be the full-length feature film
debut of writer/director Robert Hloz. He has some shorts to his name, however,
that boast impressive ratings on IMDb. Only one of which dips into the 5s,
while the others never hit lower than a 6.5. As ‘dark horse’ of a pick as Restore Point seems, I’m
confident that it’s a must see. 4 – Drive-Away
Dolls (2/23) Director: Ethan
Coen Writer: Ethan
Coen, Tricia Cooke Actors: Margaret
Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon Genre: Action,
Comedy, Thriller Rated: R Length: 1h 24min IMDb Blurb: Jamie regrets her breakup with her girlfriend,
while Marian needs to relax. In search of a fresh start, they embark on an
unexpected road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross
paths with a group of inept criminals. I enjoy both central tropes utilized in Drive-Away Dolls.
That odd-couple dynamic between the leads, and the clueless good-guys getting
sucked into a criminal enterprise. Both tropes give me the warm and fuzzies. With Drive-Away Dolls there are two lead actors with
exceptional experience representing the odd duo, which I think will elevate the
on-screen chemistry. Margaret Qualley (Poor Things, Wake Up, Once Upon a
Time in Hollywood) and Geraldine Viswanathan (Miracle Workers, 7 Days,
Blockers) may not be household names, but they have a body of work that
proves that’s what they could become in the future. There’s also Ethan Coen (The
Ballad of Buster Scruggs, True Grit, No Country for Old Men), one half of
the legendary Coen brothers and the director of classics such as Fargo (1996)
and The Big Lebowski (1998) – though he was uncredited on both. This is
exactly the kind of story he should have a hand in directing. It’s his bread
and butter. Admittedly, I’m not familiar with Tricia Cooke as a writer, but she
has so much talent backing her up that this is a great project to be her full-length
feature-film debut. 3 – Lisa
Frankenstein (2/9) Director: Zelda
Williams Writer: Diablo
Cody Actors: Kathryn
Newton, Cole Sprouse Genre: Comedy,
Horror, Romance Rated: PG-13 Length: 1h 41min IMDb Blurb: A coming of RAGE love story about a teenager and
her crush, who happens to be a corpse. After a set of horrific circumstances
bring him back to life, the two embark on a journey to find love, happiness -
and a few missing body parts. Is it just me, or is Cole Sprouse (Riverdale, Five Feet
Apart, The Suite Life on Deck) looking a little Johnny Depp (Sweeney
Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Pirates of the Caribbean: The
Curse of the Black Pearl, Tusk) in this trailer? It makes me wonder if
we’re going to be seeing a transformation of his career. One of the things that
made Johnny Depp so beloved at the height of his career was his ability to
become literally anyone – or anything. He played such iconic characters because
he became them so completely that it was almost impossible to tell there was an
actor under there. Sprouse is the full incarnation of his character in the
trailer for Lisa Frankenstein. I even had to do a second watch-through
when I saw his name come up, because I didn’t believe it. I think that bodes
incredibly well for this creative flick. I would be remiss if I did not mention that Lisa
Frankenstein is directed by the lovely Zelda Williams (Kappa Kappa Die,
Shrimp, Dark/Web). If that name sounds familiar, that’s because it should
be. She’s the daughter of the late legendary Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire,
Good Morning, Vietnam, The Birdcage). I cannot wait to see what she does. I
want to see her succeed more than most. 2 – The Promised
Land (2/2) Director: Nikolaj
Arcel Writer: Nikolaj
Arcel, Anders Thomas Jensen, Ida Jessen Actors: Mads
Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Gustav Lindh Genre: Biography,
Drama, History Rated: R Length: 2h 7min IMDb Blurb: The story of Ludvig Kahlen who pursued his lifelong
dream: To make the heath bring him wealth and honor. There is probably no more perfect part for Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal,
The Hunt, Another Round) than this. He gets to highlight his intensity and
flex his drama chops. Even if the rest of the creative team were lesser,
Mikkelsen could carry the whole thing. Luckily, that’s not even the case. Nikolaj Arcel (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Journal
64, Riders of Justice) is a celebrated director with some amazing work
under his belt, while Anders Thomas Jensen (Riders of Justice, Held for
Ransom, Mikavlerne) has written some incredible work – winning 40 awards in
total. The cast is no worse, with Amanda Collin (Raised by Wolves, Fathers
and Mothers, A Horrible Woman) and Gustav Lindh (Burn All My Letters,
Riders of Justice, Top Dog) having incredible past filmographies where
they’ve been responsible for some outstanding work. Even though The Promised Land is based on a true
story and is technically a biography, the trailer doesn’t feel like it. That
keeps it from feeling as overdone as some biopics can. 1 – Argylle (2/2) Director: Matthew
Vaughn Writer: Jacon
Fuchs Actors: Sofia
Boutella, Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ariana DeBose, Sam
Rockwell, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara Genre: Action,
Thriller Rated: PG-13 Length: 2h 19min IMDb Blurb: An introverted spy novelist is drawn into the
activities of a sinister underground syndicate. Nothing will keep me from devouring a Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman:
The Secret Service, Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class) directed film. In fact,
that’s one of the easiest ways to get on to my ‘must see’ list. His films are
so clean and vivid. The action in them is phenomenally choreographed. Immersion
is at its peak in a Vaughn flick. Sure, they’re usually popcorn films, but they are the
highest quality popcorn flicks with flawless escapism. I never miss a Matthew
Vaughn film.
Movies to Look out For
According to: Cat
Molli and Max in the
Future .20
Upgraded .19
Marmalade .18
Red Right Hand .17
Players .16
Float .15
Stopmotion .14
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu
no Yaiba: To the Hashira Training .13
IMDb Blurb: A group of scientists
exploring the Marianas Trench encounter the largest marine predator that has
ever existed - the Megalodon.
Cat’s Point of View:
The Meg was one of those movies that I just HAD to
watch the minute I was able to. I was practically bouncing up and down with
eager anticipation. I’d been watching the media releases for this production
ever since I stumbled upon the article that inspired my But I Digress…My What Big Teeth You Havearticle back in 2017. Selina and I both love creature features. Pair that with
my love of sharks and shark movies, and it had become my automatic #1 on the Top 20 article the month
it was released in 2018. (Selina had listed it as her #9 pick.)
At this point, I have actually watched The Meg many
times over. It has become one of those familiar “comfort” movies that I will
even watch from the middle if I come across it while flipping channels. Sometimes
if I’m bored and just want something in the background it’s a good go-to.
I’m very disappointed in the negative reviews out there,
really. I was actually shocked when I looked up the review rating scores on the
various sites we use for comparisons. I am positive that I’m not just watching
this movie through rose-colored glasses just because it involves megalodons and
Jason Statham (Mechanic: Resurrection, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre,
Expend4bles). Those are 2 sizeable reasons I was drawn to the film in the
first place, but not why I have enjoyed re-experiencing this movie over and
over.
The Meg was a generally well-executed creature
feature. Everything was streamlined well enough that it wasn’t too terribly
hard to suspend disbelief about this allegedly extinct mammoth shark.
(Seriously though, there are whole teams of real-world scientists studying to
see if this giant scary creature of the deep may not be as extinct as we
thought so we’re not really coloring that far outside the lines here.)
The effects were dazzlingly rendered, the underwater scenes
were stunning, and the action was on point. There were moments of levity that
broke up what otherwise would have been a non-stop thrill ride. While I see
some critics slamming that, keep in mind that even Jaws (1975) had some
comic-relief in it. The family aspect involved as well as the interconnected
history of the characters coming into play was also interesting. Further, the
individuals that went on to continue their story in the sequel The Meg 2:
The Trench (2023) had a good foundation in this first film to grow from. (We’ll
talk about the sequel another day, though.) I was also seriously impressed with
Sophia Cai (Somewhere Only We Know, Mr. Corman, Meg 2: The Trench) in
her role as Meiying. Sometimes you just don’t get as much depth from very young
actors and she really stole most of the scenes she was involved in.
The Meg delivered everything it promised in its trailer.
Was it perfect? No, but it didn't need to be. The Meg was a great popcorn movie. It was, however, a little less gruesome than it could have been had it not had
the PG-13 rating. Sometimes those decisions are in the hands of the studios. In
spite of that, both movies have done really well – igniting much hope for an
extended franchise. At this time there’s no official word as to whether or not
a 3rd installment will be made. There’s plenty of the source
material to pull from still, however. The Meg was an adaptation from a
popular series of novels, after all. (I also still need to get off the stick to
read them.) Cross your fingers for me that we can visit the world of these
mammoth megs in a 3rd installment, will you? I know I am.
If you enjoy shark movies and action with crazy stunts and a
slice of comedy, The Meg will be right up your alley and there are
multiple ways to stream it via subscription services as of the time of this review.
