Meg 2: The Trench: Mind-Boggling Finale Unveiled

Jon Turteltaub's The Meg surprised everyone with its impressive financial success despite its seemingly ridiculous premise and the presence of an acclaimed action star, Jason Statham. Statham, being wise as always, pointed out that the film's box office performance would determine its potential for a franchise. With the release of the second installment, Meg 2: The Trench, being inevitable, one wonders if there is still room for yet another epic battle with the megalodon.

Shark movies have been an enduring part of Hollywood long before Steven Spielberg's iconic Jaws revolutionized the film industry and introduced the concept of summer blockbusters. However, Jaws also paved the way for an endless stream of shark-centric films. Nowadays, these films often rely on unique settings or natural disasters to stand out. The Meg, and its recent sequel, took a different approach by simply making the shark much larger.

What is Meg 2: The Trench about?

Following the events of The Meg, Jonas Taylor, a former rescue diver, has gained celebrity status. Instead of retiring and enjoying his success, he has taken on a new role as an advocate for ecological justice. When he is not apprehending illegal polluters, Taylor continues his work at Mana One, mapping the mysterious depths of the ocean. Accompanied by his old friends Mac and DJ, as well as a new crew and advanced technology, Taylor's journey also involves caring for Meiying, a 14-year-old girl whose love interest tragically passed away. Meiying's uncle, Jiuming, develops specialized diving suits that allow humans to survive the extreme pressure of the ocean. Additionally, Jiuming trains a megalodon shark named Haiqi to respond to his commands. However, Haiqi's strange behavior raises concerns, despite years of training. As Taylor, Jiuming, and other divers gear up for a routine expedition to the trench, they stumble upon a hidden research base that surprises them. Haiqi escapes, revealing that it is currently mating season for the megalodons. The team crosses paths with Montes, the cunning leader of a secret mining operation, who detonates an explosive charge, stranding them and creating a hole in the trench. Three megalodons emerge from the depths and head towards the surface. Now, the Mana One team must traverse three kilometers at the ocean's floor to reach the undersea base. Along the way, they discover that their rescue vessels have been sabotaged, indicating a traitor within their ranks. With the constant threat of unusual marine life, Taylor, Meiying, Jiuming, and Taylor's co-pilot Rigas manage to make it to the undersea base, but not without losing several friends and colleagues along the perilous journey.

How does Meg 2: The Trench end?

: The base that Taylor discovers is in a state of disrepair and abandonment, causing a sense of urgency. However, there is a glimmer of hope as the escape pods offer a potential route back home. Upon reaching the pods, the situation takes a dramatic turn as the room becomes locked. Jess, who is one of the workers on Mana One, unexpectedly appears via video call. Shockingly, she unveils herself as a traitor, deliberately sabotaging their chances of escape by disposing of all the available vessels. The mic is then passed on to the enigmatic benefactor of the team, Driscoli. To their astonishment, Driscoli confesses that the financial support provided to Mana One was merely a facade concealing their true intention—to steal Jiuming's groundbreaking technology and exploit the ocean for personal gain. In a devastating course of action, Driscoli dispatches a group of mercenaries to Mana One, with the objective of apprehending or eliminating any disloyal crew members. This compels Mac and DJ to seek shelter and go into hiding. Meanwhile, Taylor and Jiuming embark on a daring escape from the base by commandeering a submersible and hastily setting off towards Mana One. As if the situation wasn't dire enough, a massive shark breaks through the reinforced glass, resulting in Jess's demise and imperiling the lives of everyone aboard Mana One. Now, Taylor, Jiuming, Meiying, Rigas, Mac, and DJ are faced with the formidable challenge of outsmarting the merciless mercenaries and confronting the menacing megs that have managed to break free.

Taylor and his friends find themselves in a rowboat, escaping Mana One after a series of thrilling action scenes. Jiuming deduces that the megs will likely head towards Fun Island, a luxurious tropical resort nearby. The mercenaries, led by Taylor, closely follow. As they arrive on the island, they are immediately targeted by a swarm of amphibious meg pups who relentlessly attack the mercenaries. Amidst the chaos, Driscoli falls victim to a particularly adorable pup who devours him. Jonas, armed with three explosive harpoons, bravely takes to the sea on a high-speed jetski to confront the megs head-on. Meiying and Rigas, on the other hand, focus on rescuing panicked vacationers who are in danger of being dragged into the treacherous waters. Meanwhile, Mac and Jiuming find themselves engaged in a fierce battle against a colossal squid as they navigate a stolen helicopter.

Is Meg 2: The Trench’s ending different from the book?

Taylor manages to take down one megalodon using a harpoon. However, a surprising turn of events reveals that the second megalodon, later identified as Haiqi, emerges and devours a squid to protect Jiuming. In a daring move, Taylor kicks Montes into the awaiting jaws of a megalodon, putting an end to his threat. With only one final megalodon left, Taylor seizes a helicopter blade and ingeniously uses it to impale the creature, ultimately killing it.

As the dust settles, Taylor, Jiuming, and Mac find themselves adrift in the ocean as another megalodon approaches. Jiuming recognizes this megalodon as Haiqi and, using his clicker, successfully convinces her to retreat. Despite Jiuming's assurance, Taylor and Mac remain skeptical about the shark's intentions.

After their intense encounter, Taylor, Jiuming, Meiying, Rigas, Mac, and DJ find solace and celebrate their triumph on the beach, enjoying a refreshing drink together.

Meg 2: The Trench bears little resemblance to its supposed source material, Steve Alten's The Trench. While Alten's book showcases a captive meg and other sea predators, the film's malevolent benefactor storyline completely veers off from it. However, the book's ending hints at potential storylines for future films. The meg in the book, named Angel, manages to escape captivity and engages in mating with male megs. Towards the end of the book, Angel gives birth to two offspring, suggesting the possibility of a megalodon family in Meg 3.

Meg 2: The Trench does not feature an end-credits scene or leave viewers hanging with an unresolved cliffhanger. Instead, it cleverly teases a potential sequel. Even if the franchise concludes with this installment, which is quite likely, it still provides a satisfying and self-contained narrative. Furthermore, there is ample opportunity for a third installment as Meg 2 continues to deliver the thrilling and action-packed storytelling that fans have come to anticipate.