Top-notch action star Jason Statham joins a crew of talented actors to take on the biggest shark in history in a fun, funny, and full-on stupid adventure.

The film follows Statham’s Jonas Taylor after he pulled on a mission to help rescue a diving crew after they are knock to the bottom of the sea by an unknown force. Taylor is cautious though as he had lost two of his crew members on a past mission due to a similar occurrence. When he reaches the sub, he suddenly sees that it is the same creature that attacked his former crew: A Megalodon.

The Megalodon, or known as “The Meg,” is a prehistoric sharks that had an average length of 33 feet and was seen as the two top predators amongst the seas. Now reunited, Taylor must take The Meg out before it reaches the shoreline and wreaks deadly havoc amongst unsuspecting beachgoers.

Statham is a stand-out, of course, as he works flawlessly with his cast and brings the action-packed moments that make for a solid summer blockbuster. His character is both charming and easily likable so it won’t take long to get on-board with his war against The Meg. Taylor’s motivation is also pretty solid and him being the only to believe the creature exists makes sense with him possibly wanting to jump back into the fray so easily.

The rest of the cast also brings the laughs and ridiculous dialogue that can go a little overboard at times, but they also bring some annoying character traits that get old rather quick. The film actually does a nice job, though, with having audiences experience the high-tech underwater research facility with Rainn Wilson’s character Morris. Morris is not a researcher nor the strongest person in the room so more viewers can probably relate to reactions and thoughts when first seeing everyone.

Cliff Curtis and Ruby Rose also bring some great chemistry with Statham and many of their fans will see that they also have some great moments on-screen. However, this highly regarded cast made me feel like there was a bit of the problem with the film. There aren’t a lot of characters that end up biting the dust and for a film that attempts to have more of the tropes of the genre, I felt that this was the one that was missing.

The Meg also constantly goes into making fun of and pointing out the tropes of shark films and it ends up being a part of the film’s strengths and weaknesses. On one hand, the film’s more trope filled moments are a more refreshing take than the more serious films the genre has seen lately. On the other, it lacks some of the better tropes of the genre and ultimately falters on delivering some epic shark kills and making The Meg stand out in something more than just size. The film’s PG-13 rating could have something to do with it as there is a distinct lack of blood spilled and some dialogue feels off or strictly made for younger audiences.

I did feel the film stood out when in the underwater research facility as it had a sleek and futuristic look to it that feel different from most sci-fi and action films. Light is also played with in an interesting way that showcases some of the film’s CGI for The Meg that looks pretty solid.

The Meg ultimately embraces and defies shark films of the past and is the perfect kind of summer blockbuster movie. It has dumb, funny moments that can be a bit much, but with Statham in the lead role the film gives viewers something satisfying to take a bite out of.