If you've got an appetite for deep sea thrills, then Prime Video just added the perfect movie for you.
Avid shark movie fans and creature feature aficionados will no doubt be well aware of Jon Turteltaub's 2018 Jason Statham vehicle, "The Meg", but if you're yet to experience this sci-fi blockbuster, it's now available to stream on Prime Video (as of Feb. 23).
While we all know what the greatest shark movie ever committed to film — a certain Spielberg effort obviously wears that crown — I can't lie, "The Meg" has remained one of my guilty pleasures ever since I first saw it.
It's B-movie fodder, through and through, but as someone who loves their creature features with plenty of bite, this super-sized shark movie has remained a firm shark-infested fave.
Never streamed it before? Let's find out a little bit more about "The Meg," and why I still recommend this flick despite its issues.
What is 'The Meg' about?
![THE MEG - Official Trailer #1 [HD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bsLk0NPRFAc/maxresdefault.jpg)
"The Meg" turns Steve Alten's 1997 novel "Meg" into a blockbuster sci-fi action effort about veteran rescue diver, Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham). Five years ago, he was dismissed from service after a mission in the Mariana Trench went awry following an encounter with a massive sea creature.
Jonas was forced to abandon some members of his crew, and seeing as his story wasn't corroborated, he got the blame for the botched rescue and ended up retiring as a loner.
But when another vessel linked to the Mana One ocean research station gets trapped at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, Jonas gets the call. And seeing as his ex-wife is part of the crew who've come under attack from a giant, previously-thought-extinct megalodon, he's moved to action.
"The Meg" is a movie about our action hero as he races against time to rescue the researchers, becoming locked into a battle for survival with a deadly, giant-sized prehistoric powerhouse in the process.
In addition to Statham, "The Meg" cast also features Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis, Winston Chao, Sophia Cai, Ruby Rose, Masi Oka, and Robert Taylor, among others.
Should you stream 'The Meg' on Prime Video?
Unlike its decidedly lesser sequel, I'd happily recommend streaming "The Meg," with the obvious caveat that you need to go in with the awareness you're sitting down to stream a silly sci-fi action blockbuster.
The ludicrous shark movie is a genre unto itself, and "The Meg" is among said group's very best offerings. No, it's not "Jaws"... but it never needs to be. Where the former is an intense characterful thriller, this is a big, dumb movie.
With Statham at the helm, you've got a capable action hero to root for in this man vs. beast brawl. Sure, the sections in between deep sea silliness might leave a little to be desired, but "The Meg" delivers what we all really want from it — campy, big-screen thrills, and plenty of them.
Critically, it didn't perform all too well. At present, it holds a 47% rating on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes, which is likely a fair assessment of its overall quality as a project.
Sure, it's faced (completely valid) criticism for subpar plotting and CGI, but critics who were taken in by "The Meg" still found stuff to enjoy.
Case in point, Entertainment Weekly's Chris Nashawaty's summed it up as both "ridiculous, cheesy popcorn fun" and ""Sharknado" with a bigger budget and a much bigger monster."
Similarly, Observer's Oliver Jones described "The Meg" as a "profoundly unserious spectacle" in his 2.5/4 star review, writing: "[It] asks little more of you than to strap in, put away your phone and enjoy watching a freakishly huge prehistoric eating machine terrorize some scientists before it turns its appetite to a beach full of frolickers on floaties."
If that sounds like your kind of jam, and you're yet to stream it, watch "The Meg" on Prime Video now. If not, we can still help you find something new to watch ASAP. Check out our list of the best Prime Video movies for more recommendations for your next movie night.
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