'The Meg' Early Buzz: The Stupid, Fun, Bonkers Blockbuster You're Hoping To See
Summer is jam-packed with blockbuster action movies, and while some hope to be taken a little more seriously than others, there are always a couple that stand out as intentionally stupid fun. The Meg is one of those movies.
Described as Jaws on steroids, The Meg brings an event bigger shark to the crowded summer beach. But rather than facing a trio of ill-equipped men who have no idea how to deal with a shark, this time the titular prehistoric creature has to tangle with Jason Statham and a team of scientists. Thankfully, if the early buzz from the first round of press reactions is to be believed, the final product is the kind of dumb, bonkers fun you've been hoping to see this summer.
The embargo lifted on social media reactions to The Meg last night, and at the time of this writing, not a single one of them was disappointed with the movie. All of them tout the kind of big, exciting action you'd expect to see from a movie about Jason Statham fighting a massive prehistoric beast at sea. Here are the reactions we spotted online:
Oh I'm allowed to tweet about The Meg now too.
I LOVED The Meg. It is exactly the bonkers, snowball of excess, wild, dumb, fun movie you are hoping for. It knows exactly what it is but is just serious enough to keep you invested. pic.twitter.com/N7ZYqwQ71z
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) July 28, 2018
#TheMeg is the most enjoyable movie of the summer. You'll scream, you'll laugh, and you'll stay the hell out of the water.
Seriously, I can't sing this movie's praises enough. It's pure fun from start to finish. Everything you want out of a trip to the movies. @MegMovie
— Drew Dietsch (@DrewDietsch) July 28, 2018
Obligatory "I've seen #TheMeg and it's crazy stupid blockbuster fun!!" tweet (sans some intentional soapy melodramatics). Statham vs. Supershark battle does *not* disappoint. Every summer season should have at least one underwater "Asylum But Better" flick like THE MEG. pic.twitter.com/8ayuTmlRJX
— Matt Donato (@DoNatoBomb) July 28, 2018
#TheMeg is wicked bloody fun. If, like me, "Jason Statham Vs. Giant prehistoric shark" sounds awesome to you, you will not be disappointed. @MegMovie
— Franchise Fred (@FranchiseFred) July 28, 2018
You guys I just saw #TheMeg @MegMovie. Do you want to see a big big shark eat a bunch of dumb chum hoomans? Then you are my kind of person and yes, it was awesome pic.twitter.com/pZjlUxXg7W
— Mike Rougeau (@RogueCheddar) July 28, 2018
Shark movie is my thing ! And this one just topped other shark movies I have seen! Like Jurassic Park under the sea! And Really loved the little Chinese girl in it . #themeg https://t.co/IqZ5VzZcun
— Maggie Ma (@MaggieMa_LA) July 28, 2018
You guys I just saw #TheMeg @MegMovie. Do you want to see a big big shark eat a bunch of dumb chum hoomans? Then you are my kind of person and yes, it was awesome pic.twitter.com/pZjlUxXg7W
— Mike Rougeau (@RogueCheddar) July 28, 2018
#TheMeg *is* like JURASSIC PARK and JAWS on steroids. A total, mega-fun crowd-pleasing riot with bite that's a gargantuan amount of mega-entertaining, mega-intense thrills. An absolute must see with a crowd. @Themeg2018 @MegMovie @wbpictures pic.twitter.com/pLEy2JJHMJ
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) July 28, 2018
Jason Statham vs giant prehistoric shark = THE big summer movie you've been waiting for. A heart-pounding thrill-ride with stunning visual effects & a big sense of humour. A lot of fun. Had a whale of a time, sorry! #TheMeg @MegMovie #JasonStatham 🦈😱 pic.twitter.com/qmyrRdeaeD
— James Kleinmann🗽🏳️🌈 (@jameskleinmann) July 28, 2018
What seems to make The Meg work is that director Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure) knows exactly what kind of movie he was making. While the "Jurassic Park under the sea" remark might be a little misguided, the rest of the reviews indicate that this movie is nothing but a shark chomping on unsuspecting humans and a rivalry between the superhuman who is Jason Statham. The jury is still out on whether he flat out punches the megalodon, so we'll just have to wait and see.
Joining Statham in The Meg are Li Bingbing (Transformers: Age of Extinction), Cliff Curtis (Fear the Walking Dead), Rainn Wilson (The Office), Ruby Rose (xXx: Return of Xander Cage), Winston Chao (Skiptrace), Page Kennedy (TV's Rush Hour), Jessica McNamee (The Vow), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (The BFG), Robert Taylor (Focus), Sophia Shuya Cai (Somewhere Only We Know), and Masi Oka (Heroes).
The Meg hits theaters on August 10, 2018.