Double Feature: Shut Up Meg

This month gave us two movies with a different set of megs. One who deserves to be silenced while the other is worthy of attention.

Score: (D)

I occasionally ask myself why don't I watch comedies these days. The Spy Who Dumped Me refreshed my memory. Audrey (Mila Kunis) is going through a break-up and moping around with her best friend Morgan (Kate McKinnon) who takes her to a bar in an effort to cheer her up. Who should arrive but her ex, Drew (Justin Theroux) who reveals his double life as a spy. Seconds later the enemy arrives leaving Audrey and Morgan in the position to finish his mission. I'm all for suspending any sense of logic in movies like this but I'm sorry, I can believe the Three Stooges or Mr. Bean being more qualified than these goofballs who we just met. Despite no training in combat or weaponry they are able to withstand assassins and other agents who come in their way. It doesn't help that neither are interesting characters: Audrey is your generic wet blanket who goes through the phase of asserting herself  and Morgan is the annoying best friend who came off as irritating than funny that even Pinkie Pie would say "chill girl." I might have had a chuckle or two but the rest of the humor is the typical shocking and gross-out humor that wears out its welcome. The action scenes are well-done to the level of a Bond film and the use of some popular songs are well-incorporated. While I knew how the film would wrap-up I didn't think I would find myself to say that Cars 2 had a more believable ending.

(Score: B)

All you need to know about The Meg is that a giant shark monster goes on a rampage. Nuff said. Heck, the premise alone brought in a full crowd to the screening I went, reaching levels of The Force Awakens on its premiere day. All I needed to be fished into the movie was seeing Rainn Wilson channeling his Dwight Schrute persona; here he is a millionaire who funds the underwater research lab that finds the megalodon shark. Neither were a disappointment. Trading in his Jag for a wet suit, Jason Statham leads an ensemble gourmet-I mean cast-in this big budget B-movie. Watching The Meg proved two things: silly dumb movies can still be enjoyable and the public is still in love with sharks. Last year we had 47 Meters Down, the year before that The Shallows, going back to 2003 we got Open Water, Pixar delivered Finding Nemo with scene-stealing sharks, DreamWorks followed suit with Shark Tale, and the nineties had Deep Blue Sea. Some were hit and miss but it brought in tons of fish bait a the box-office. And don't get me started with the Sharknado movies. One thing is for sure: no movie will ever top Jaws (though The Shallows was close) and The Meg knows it by embracing its cheesy absurdity instead of being a blatant rip-off (though there a few homages). Gory filmmaker Eli Roth (Hostel) was set to direct but dropped out leaving the position to Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure) who does an adamant job. Nothing like a summer blockbuster where you can turn off your brain and is worth the matinee price.