Film Preview: The Meg (2018)

Page Revisions:

(May 6, 2018) Original
(August 5, 2018) New Posters (#3-#15)

Release Date:

August 10, 2018

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “After escaping an attack by what he claims was by a 70-foot shark, Jonas Taylor must confront his fears to save those trapped in a sunken submersible.”

Poster Rating: C+ / C+ / C / B- / C / C / C+ / C / C+ / C / C- / C / C (3)

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Review: (#1) Using size as a fear motivator might work if it didn’t feel so bland color-wise. (#2) Clearly trading on the Jaws familiarity, this design does little to assuage the viewer’s mind that this isn’t a cheap shark attack knock-off.

(#3) Comparative size is an issue this film has been struggling with and this definitely builds into that fairly well even if the overall design’s rather lackluster. (#4) This is a much better representation of size than the previous and also a more visually pleasing. (#5) I’d be more interested in the film is Jason Statham were actually eaten by the shark. (#6) I don’t recall a scene like this in the trailer, so is this in the film or just a visual derivation of the shark cage concept? (#7) This twist on Jaws isn’t that interesting. It does make me not want to watch a film that uses a dog as bait. (#8) Like the “shark cage” poster, this seems particularly cheesy and that may be the intention. (#9) This movie has actors in it apparently, at least now we know. Unfortunately, we have a very white cast, which doesn’t give one the impression that the sole Asian character will be more than a stereotype.

(#10) A hand-drawn poster of a shark chasing a dog. Not funny. (#11) The worst part about this poster is just how cheesy it is. It literally looks like a sharp jumping out of the water like he’s dancing in the movie Fame with confetti (aka floaties and people) blowing up into the air. I’m sure this megalodon wants to be in a Mel Brooks film. (#12) Another action shot that’s supposed to make Jason Statham feel like a competent action hero. It’s not nearlya s exciting as they want it to be. (#13-#15) This set of character posters are as bland as one would expect and that’s not fun.

Trailer Rating: C-

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Review: Apart from this being a terrible title, just calling it “Megalodon” might have been more exciting, the trailer plays off of a large number of shark movies to try to scare the audience into being excited, but it doesn’t succeed. The film looks like a cold, boring, artless action adventure.