The Meg PG-13
This American-Chinese co-production is based upon Steve Alten’s Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror. Jason Statham portrays Jonas Taylor, a disgraced deep-sea diver. After claiming he saw a Megalodon—a massive, prehistoric shark—Taylor was dismissed from the Navy. Now, with the creature harrying a deep-ocean research station, Taylor is sought out by a wealthy oceanographer (Winston Chao). The station, a maze of tubular corridors in steel and glass, is fascinating, but the film waffles between silly and somber. The special effects are often stunning, but the Megalodon appears cartoonish. Although imperfect, the film should take a bite out of the male teen demographic which will que up to see the largest shark to ever inhabit our oceans.
Slender Man PG-13
A trio of adolescent girls are caught in Slender Man’s web after they set out to prove he is a silly urban legend. The character builds upon a 2012 entry into a Photoshop contest. According to Wikipedia, Slender Man is “a tall, thin, spectral figure wearing a black suit.” Played here by Javier Botet, Slender Man lacks discernible facial features and uses long, tentacle-like arms to ensnare the teens he haunts, kidnaps or kills. Employing high production values, this film will win at the box office if it ignites the shadowy imaginations of a new generation. That’s a slender possibility at best.
