Hey Somethings, PCR here.
So, I recently ended up watching “The Meg” and, I went into it wanting to like it more than I did. Afterwards, I was left sitting there thinking about many of the shark movies I’ve seen, and, with Shark Week approaching, I decided to touch on 3 of them specifically. Let’s start with the one I already mentioned..
The Meg
The concept of “how” was actually pretty original… there’s a section of ocean BELOW the deepest section of the Mariana Trench, separated by super, super cold water. They find things down there that have never been discovered, and inadvertently bring something back up through it. The movie does give you some twists, but honestly, they’re not anything we haven’t seen from other shark movies.. just… bigger. The CGI wasn’t the worst I’ve seen, but, the story hinged on the fact that the shark was the size of a skyscraper. Once that sinks in, you’re really just in it to hear Jason Statham say “megalodon” over and over.
Jaws
This is pretty much where it all started, and, the most realistic of the 3 I’ll talk about. Great White Shark wreaks havoc on an idyllic town’s beach. Sure the shark is ‘big’, but still within the realm of realism. It’s also filmed in a ‘realistic’ way.. like.. all that shit could happen.. which made it’s impact that much stronger. Sure, other shark movies have taken concepts and paid homage to Spielberg’s classic, and it’s well earned.
Deep Blue Sea
This movie is kind of a guilt pleasure of mine. It has one scene of the worst CGI scenes I’ve seen in a shark movie, but the cast is amazing. Sam Jackson, LL Cool J, Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Michael Rapaport… how can it NOT be fun? Are there silly parts in it? Absolutely. Is it still a fun movie with an original twist? To me.. yes. Most other shark movies lean into the shark being ‘huge’, or ‘evil’. This one made them smarter, and that made all the difference.
How about you Somethings? What are some of YOUR favorite shark movies? Sound off in our socials and let us know
-PCR
