It seems like every year there is a shark movie; last year it was The Shallows and this year it’s The Meg. But what separates The Meg from other recent shark movies is that it’s based on the Megalodon, a 75-foot behemoth. Megalodon’s were the biggest ocean predators back in prehistoric times. And the main premise of The Meg can be summarized in a “what if ” question: “What if Megalodon’s never went extinct?”

Despite it’s simplistic premise, it surprisingly made more than its budget at the box office. The movie earned $141.5 million opening weekend (including overseas sales) narrowly making more than its budget of $130 million. And what’s even more surprising is that The Meg is based on a book of the same name by author Steve Alten.      

   The movie made more than its budget because it’s an entertaining, suspenseful thriller along with its known actors such as Jason Statham (Fast and Furious) and Rainn Wilson (The Office). The plot of the movie centers around a marine research facility accidentally discovering and unleashing the Megalodon to the outside world and it is their duty to find and kill it. This is actually way more difficult than it sounds when the main cast is dealing with a 75-foot super predator from the depths of the ocean. So whenever the Megalodon gets screen time, expect carnage, death, and bizarre ways that the main characters try to take this prehistoric threat down. This movie is at its best as a summer action movie you’d want to see with a group of friends but not one you would need to own when it comes to DVD.