Low budget and technical issues aside, Megalodon is a lackluster effort that will disappoint fans of shark-themed horror due to its lack of shark action.
The Asylum are known for cranking out “mockbusters”, low-budget knock-offs of highly anticipated theatrical films. Typically, they air on SyFy or appear on store shelves around the same time as the movie they’re meant to imitate is released to piggyback on the interest for the original movie. A roll call of some of their titles should give you an idea of their M.O.: Transmorphers, Paranormal Entity, Almighty Thor, Atlantic Rim. You get the idea.
During the summer of 2018, The Meg hit theaters and, sure enough, The Asylum aimed to capitalize with Megalodon, a SyFy movie that hit the airwaves three days following its release. Strangely enough, this wasn’t The Asylum’s first feature using the prehistoric shark species as the plot device. Their original Mega Shark series of films is nearing its tenth anniversary as I write this review.
In Megalodon, a Russian submarine accidentally releases a megalodon from some kind of unexplained prison. The newly free shark attacks the sub and cripples it. A nearby American warship sends a small submersible to investigate. The Americans manage to rescue three Russian sailors from the submarine. However, on the way back, the gigantic shark swallows the submersible.
What ensues is an eventual armed standoff between the Russian sub crew and the U. S. Navy as the Navy simultaneously tries to figure out how to kill the shark before it reaches Hawaii. Throw in Michael Madsen, who sleepwalks his way through 7 minutes of screen time, some dreadful CGI effects, and unnecessarily overwrought performances and you have an idea what makes Megalodon tick.
There is approximately 20 minutes worth of scripted story here and 90 minutes of footage. To pad out the running time, the audience is treated to several exchanges of dialogue that follow nonsensical logic. For example, in one scene, the captain of the ship (Dominic Pace) is notified that the Russian prisoners have escaped. He simply nods in reaction. In the very next scene, when he’s told the Russians are armed, he freaks out and demands action and responsibility.
Even those who don’t normally pay attention to set design will notice that the “modern” navy ship is dirty, rusting, and features signage that belies its actual function as a tourist attraction. (The exterior shots were filmed on a World War II-era ship that serves as a museum.) Sharper-eyed military buffs will surely notice the myriad of mistakes regarding the uniforms and the unacceptable personal hygiene of the crew.
Low budget and technical issues aside, Megalodon is a lackluster effort that will disappoint fans of shark-themed horror due to its lack of shark action. The shark spends more time swimming in circles than anything else. In fact, the shark doesn’t kill anyone directly. Not one human touches the teeth of the gigantic fish. How does anyone who makes a horror film about a shark justify that misstep? Skip this one.
1.5 out of 5.0 stars
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