The Meg assessment: Jason Statham takes a satisfying chunk of shark motion

And now, if we’re very quiet, and we make no sudden strikes, we would get a glimpse of one of many pure world’s most singular creatures … sure, sure, there it’s: the Stath!

In new nature documentary The Meg, we get a implausible have a look at the Stath, higher identified by it is full identify, the Gravel-Throated Large-Chested Asskicker, or, by its Latin identify, Jason Statham.

The Stath has been captured on film before, and this ocean-based documentary provides little new to the scientific area of Stathamology. Nevertheless, it is at all times thrilling to see this most fascinating of creatures up shut.

Directed by Jon Turteltaub, The Meg relies on the pure historical past textbook of the identical identify by Steve Alten. The movie focuses totally on Megalodon, a large prehistoric predator lengthy thought extinct, which rises from the deepest reaches of the ocean to threaten mankind. Utilising pioneering digital camera methods, the documentary weaves an pleasurable narrative across the underwater encounters between Megalodon and Statham, leaving nature-lovers thrilled and entertained.

Dwarfing the jaws of modern-day sharks, Megalodon proves unafraid of man, attacking submarines and underwater analysis stations. Excessive-tech submersibles are not any match for the outsized predator. Nevertheless, Gravel-Throated Large-Chested Asskicker is a territorial creature that resists Megalodon’s predatory advances with the intention to shield weaker creatures.

Pleasingly, the documentary-makers seize nice footage of the Stath in numerous seafaring settings, displaying off its abilities at swimming, preventing and speaking with others, typically all on the similar time. Stath-watchers will little question be amused and delighted by quite a few examples of the Stath’s distinctive cry, a barked one-liner normally delivered with a signature deadpan squint.

Neither Stath nor Megalodon are shy creatures, which suggests the documentary favours action-packed set items over scary suspense. Nature lovers will little question be astonished by the sheer scale of the enormous prehistoric shark, which might seem like no match for the a lot smaller likes of the Stath. Nevertheless, even a monster as huge as Megalodon can be smart to not confront the Stath, which when aroused is able to seeing off predators each on land and sea. When threatened, the Stath adopts extremely potent defensive techniques, similar to growling and taking off its shirt.

These techniques have the blissful secondary impact of attracting potential mates, that are drawn to the Stath’s crag-like jaw, highly-developed shoulders and manly musk. A part of the attraction is the Stath does not really feel threatened by sturdy females, permitting itself to be assisted within the battle towards the Meg by succesful females of the species, Li Bingbing and Ruby Rose.

As with many sturdy organisms, the Stath additionally attracts different creatures. On this case, Rainn Wilson offers a number of moments of levity. Every of the opposite creatures featured play their half within the delicate ecosystem, though viewers might tire of the antics of a few of the lesser organisms. Fortuitously, the Stath stays the star of the present.

An entertaining, amusing and academic glimpse into the wonders of each the pure world and the Stath, The Meg splashes into the UK and US on 10 August.