Meg 2 Plot Summary
It took the creators of The Meg (2018) almost five years to develop a sequel. But the big-scale creature movie is finally showing at theatres and is doing wonders at the box office. Meg 2 has tackled “Barbenheimer” much better than expected and is set to make another giant splash numbers-wise. One really wonders after watching the film: what took it so long to get this made?
With bad visual effects, ham-fisted storytelling, and cardboard characters, Meg 2 offers a no-nonsense extravaganza you can enjoy with your family. The movie does not pretend even for a second what it really is and goes along in the silly over-the-top fashion as you’d expect.
Jason Statham’s presence in any film adds legs to it and Meg 2 is no different. The story begins five years after the events of the last film in the Philippine Sea, where Jonas Taylor (Statham) continues his heroic and eco-friendly war against shipping corporations. After a stellar introduction, we turn our eyes toward the Oceanic Institute in Hainan, China where celebrations of its 10th Anniversary are ongoing.
Hilary Driscoll, the CEO of X-Pletandum Technologies, introduces a state-of-the-art submersible vehicle created by the coalition of the two. Zhang Jiuming, the Director of the institute, proudly announces his ambition to use the submersibles and embark on a journey into the deep sea.
Why did Haiqi follow the vehicles to the thermocline?
Zhang is the brother of Suyin, who died in the last film. Her daughter, Meiying, is now being looked after by Jonas and Zhang. The Mana One station is still up and running, tasked with making scientific discoveries about the Mariana Trench and its oceanic secrets. Jiuming reveals that he has trained Haiqi, a pup megalodon, in captivity since they found her.
The newly developed deep submersible vehicles can pierce through the thermocline layer and access the Trench where megalodons live. This would roughly be 6000m below sea level.
Taylor and Jiuming lead a routine submersible exploration into the Trench in the submersible vehicles. Despite the former’s warnings, Meiying has accompanied them, revealing herself only after they have breached the thermocline. As they approach the thermocline, they are alarmed to find Haiqi approaching them from the shore at high speed. Both the submersibles pierce the thermocline, something that Haiqi cannot do. But to their surprise, she does.
They come in contact with several other megs down in the Trench. Even though they are solitary creatures, it is almost as if they’re being called by something. Jiuming convinces them to change the course of the mission and follow the megs. It turns out that the megs are mating with each other. This is the reason why Haiqi has been acting erratically and followed them into the Trench.
What do the teams find in the Trench other than the megs?
Surprisingly, they also find an active seafloor station. There’s another submarine above them manned by Montes, which they spot. His mates are placing explosives on the ridge. He abandons them and triggers the explosion, sensing that the submersibles will catch him. His submarine goes crashing down as a Meg slams it to the ground. Everything starts to go haywire as the landslide brought into action by the explosion traps the submersibles.
There are no heartbeats and a rescue sub is being prepared. Jonas and Meiying are alive. Mac asks Jess to prep the rescue sub (on Mana One) but she reports that it is not working. The sub was purposely sabotaged.
Dive 1 comes online and Jonas communicates with Mac. The latter tells him that the rescue sub won’t be able to bring them to the surface. Jonas decides that the group will put on the emergency suits and walk to the floor station, even though it is dangerous and around three kilometres away. It is a huge risk but the only option left for them. Montes is alive and takes instructions from Hilary. They are in cahoots for illegal mining operations in the Trench. Mac starts the investigation on the ship. DJ informs him that the entire security footage on the station has been deleted.
Members of the other Dive 2 are also alive and join members of Dive 1. Montes and Hilary’s company run the “operation” and the latter sees the members of the dive mission as hindrances. In the final stretch of their walk, the group is attacked by a shoal of what looks like mutated piranha. They are smaller than the megs but much faster, able to attack the group from all sides and consistently.
During the chaos, the attention of the megs is attracted. Jiuming thinks he has no choice but to sacrifice himself and save the others. But Jonas saves the day – just about – and distracts the megs. Their air reserves are depleting quickly and some of them aren’t able to make it, gobbled up by the returning sharks.
Who is the mole helping Hilary on Mana One?
Jonas, Rigas, Meiying, and Jiuming, who holds Curtis’ imploded suit in his hands, make it through inside the station. Inside, they discover that the floor station is a mining operation. Jiuming identifies them as rare earth metals that the miners send to the surface in pods. Mieying is able to make contact with the station on the surface.
Jess is the one who answers their call, and that is unfortunate because she is involved with the rogue operation. She boxes the survivors in a room in the station. She releases one of the escape pods from the station, leaving just one of them. One pod can house two at max and hence, Jess offers Rigas a choice. She can save Mieying by shooting and killing Jonas.
When Rigas cannot shoot him, Jess releases the other pod as well. Hilary takes over the comms. She reveals that she will use Jiuming’s technology to under the deep sea for years and make billions. Jess is instructed to flood the room. Jiuming tries to cut the comms to the station as this could override Jess’ control. However, it can only be done manually from the room they came from. Jonas risks his life and goes through the airlock without a suit to do the override.
How does Jonas help the survivors escape the Trench?
To his hard luck, Montes is there waiting for him. Montes’ ship was seized by Jonas and his eco-friendly warriors two years ago, sending him to prison. They have a brawl but Jonas is able to overcome him and save the other group members.
At the surface, Mac is able to access the security backup feed and realizes Jess is the mole. Jess instructs Hilary’s goons to take over the control of Mana One. The group makes it to Montes’ escape sub, which can take all of them. But they need a distraction to wade off the megs. Jiuming lights up the entire station, attracting the megs. He is barely able to make it back to the sub ad they take off.
They notice the breach in the thermocline. Although it will close up within an hour, the megs can follow them through it. As the sub escapes, we see a giant squid going through the thermocline. We soon see Montes is alive and has donned an emergency suit.
Are the Megs saved?
The group realizes that Mana One has been taken over. Montes also surfaces and boards the station. Three megs have escaped the breach and attack the station. The group meets up with DJ and Mac, and they leave for the shore together. The Megs head toward Fun Island, a strangely-named piece of land in the proximity of the sharks. Montes, Hilary, and their men also land on the island, determined to finish off Jonas and the other survivors. But before that, they are confronted with weird-looking creatures (whom we saw at the start of the film). They attack the men as the escaped Megs head to the island ready to make contact.
The people on the beach hear the gunshots from the forest and run into the opposite direction; the ocean. Jonas makes a plan where he, Jiuming, and Mac will each grab a jet-ski and lure the megs away from the people. They will then harpoon the giant creatures. It is as crazy as it sounds! But there is just one available, which Jonas takes into the ocean. Before Hilary’s chopper can take off, the small dinosaur-like creatures kill her men and Hilary as well. The plan works as the Megs follow Jonas away from the island.
DJ and Rigas try to find a phone to warn the others about the thermal incident. They find the phone but the creatures stand in their way. Jiuming and Mac are held at gunpoint by Montes’ men. DJ and Rigas join the party but Jiuming cleverly opens the door for the creatures to take on the armed men and escapes with the other three.
How does Meg 2 end?
Jonas is able to blow up one of the megalodons with his bomb spear. The people of Fun Island have another problem to bear as the giant squid attacks them. Jonas is led back to the island as well with the megs.
Jiuming and Mac are thrown into the water by the giant squid. In some style, Jonas quickly finishes off his showdown with Montes by shoving him into the meg’s mouth. Jiuming tries to blow up the squid with a bomb but isn’t successful.
One of the retreating Megs attacks it and inadvertently saves Jiuming’s life. Jonas saves Mac and Jiuming’s lives by killing the last remaining Meg. He pierces her with a giant surfboard. To the trio’s surprise, Haiqi also shows up nearby and heads towards them. Jiuming tries his clicking to make Haiqi obey his orders. And surprisingly, she listens to him.
The movie ends with our survivors enjoying their successful mission on the beach, unbothered by a free Megalodon roaming the open sea.
Read More: Meg 2 Movie Review