It’s Statham vs. shark in ‘The Meg’

It’s as true in 2018 as it was in 1975: There’s no better way to beat the summer heat than a movie about a really, really big shark. From “Jaws” to “The Shallows,” moviegoers have been gobbling up flicks about treacherous fish for decades, and it’s time to meet our newest finned foe: “The Meg.” It’s the nickname for the megalodon, a prehistoric shark bigger than a tour bus, but all you need to know about John Turteltaub’s watery summer action flick is it’s Jason Statham fighting a shark. Statham vs. shark — you’re gonna need a bigger popcorn.

Based on the novel “Meg” by Steve Alten, the film delivers on the silly-stupid-summer-fun promise, while also exceeding expectations in terms of action and set-pieces. It’s far bigger than simple one-setting B-movies like “The Shallows” or “47 Meters Down,” boasting a large international cast and several showdowns with the Meg that each are wilder than the last.

Our hero, Jonas (Statham), first encountered the Meg during a deep sea rescue mission and had to abandon two of his team members to save the rest. Blamed for their deaths and called crazy for his claims that “something was down there,” he’s now washed up and drunk on a beach in Thailand. But as the only person who has pulled off rescues that deep, he’s recruited for a mission at a research facility in the waters off Shanghai. The only reason he shows up is his ex-wife Lori (Jessica McNamee) is piloting the research sub that’s been stranded by a large, mysterious sea creature in a deep sea trench.