Although 2018’s The Meg didn’t turn into a massive hit, it brought in $529 million worldwide on a budget of $130 million. That produced enough of a profit to greenlight a sequel via 2023’s Meg 2: The Trench.

Veteran deep-sea diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) both works with environmental groups and assists as part of attempts to explore the depths of the Marianas Trench. He and the other crew on “Mana One” encounter a snarl when a renegade mining operation creates havoc that threatens the safety of all involved.

Along the way, these folks once again provoke the interest of a Megalodon, an enormous shark previously believe to be extinct. However, this time they deal with more than one aquatic predator as they attempt to stay alive.

Despite more hype this time around, Trench didn’t recapture the grosses on the first film. Apparently made at a similar budget around $129 million – despite some reports that place costs closer to $185 million – the sequel wound up at $395 million worldwide.

Even if we accept the lower $129 million price tag, that places Trench right around break-even, with maybe a little profit involved. This seems like enough to prompt a third film, though I imagine producers will want a lower budget to guard against a further reduction in ticket sales.

If Meg 3 materializes, I hope those involved manage to come up with a new plot. While not a literal remake of the 2018 movie, Meg 2 seems too similar for comfort.

Sure, I could point out some differences, but these tend to feel superficial. Both films start with smaller crews that initially encounter the Meg(s) before the violence expands to a broader setting with plenty of edible bystanders.

This means Trench tends to come with a “been there, done that” vibe. Whatever fresh angles it explores don’t add up to enough to make it an experience with its own identity.

Perhaps if I liked Meg, I wouldn’t mind these similarities. However, I thought the 2018 movie offered a surprisingly dull and meandering tale, so my view of the sequel as a form of carbon copy means I see it as similarly flawed.

The running time of Trench offers one of the issues that carries over from the original flick. Both nudge close to the two-hour mark, which I recognize doesn’t seem especially elongated.

However, neither Meg uses that space especially well. Characters remain underdeveloped and the stories tend to drag.

Admittedly, no one goes to a movie such as Trench for rich roles or complex plots. We just want some lively action and excitement.

If Trench delivered those goods, I would object less to the absence of real narrative or character exploration. However, also like the prior flick, the sequel fails to provide anything compelling.

Oh, Trench attempts to thrill the viewer – indeed, it tries too hard. The movie’s action stabs feel borderline desperate and tend to come across like the filmmakers “borrowed” them from better genre efforts like Jaws and the Jurassic Park series.

Unsurprisingly, the actors come across like props who exist just as tokens to deal with danger. We don’t particularly worry about various fates.

All involved get stuck in cliché roles and fail to elevate their thin parts. Statham simply offers another take on the Jason Statham Character and seems on cruise control the whole time.

Is it a coincidence that I accidentally typed Meh 2 a bunch as I wrote? Yeah, but that typo sure fits, as Trench turns into a mediocre and forgettable aquatic adventure.

Meg 2: The Trench appears in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. Though taken from a 2K source, expect a pretty top-notch Dolby Vision presentation.

Even with the murkiness from the underwater settings, sharpness seemed strong. Nary a hint of softness impacted the image, so it remained tight and concise.

I saw no shimmering or jaggies. Both edge haloes and print flaws remained absent.

Trench opted for an amber and teal orientation, though it came with splashes of other hues as well – and the teal leaned a bit bluer than usual. The disc depicted them in an appropriate manner, and HDR added range and impact to the tones.

Blacks showed good depth, and shadows offered largely nice clarity and smoothness. A few underwater sequences came across as slightly opaque, but these weren’t a major issue.

HDR contributed power and force to whites and contrast. In the end, the movie provided pleasing visuals.

Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Trench brought us a strong Dolby Atmos soundtrack. As one would expect, the soundscape opened up best when it indulged in its many violent aquatic sequences.

These used the various channels in a vivid, immersive manner that placed the elements in logical spots and meshed together well. The track gave us a strong sense of place and action.

Audio quality also pleased. Speech remained natural and distinctive, while music was full and rich.

Effects came across as accurate and dynamic, with tight low-end. I liked this mix quite a lot.

Only minor extras appear here, as we find two featurettes. The Making of Meg 2: The Trench goes for 13 minutes, two seconds and involves producers Belle Avery and Lorenzo di Bonaventura, director Ben Wheatley, diving coordinator Dave Shaw, senior VFX supervisor Dominic Tuohy, production designer Chris Lowe, and actors Felix Mayr, Skyler Samuels, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Cliff Curtis, Wu Jing, Melissanthi Mahut, Sophia Cai, Whoopie Van Raam and Page Kennedy.

The show relates Wheatley’s approach to the material, story and characters, cast and performances, stunts and action, effects and shooting underwater. A few insights emerge but this largely becomes a superficial piece heavy on praise.

Up From the Depths spans nine minutes, 42 seconds. It brings info from Wheatley, Mayr, Samuels, Jing, Lowe, Avery, Curtis, Sawar, di Bonaventura, Mahut, Kennedy, and costume designer Lindsey Pugh.

“Depths” looks at the film’s creatures and their execution. This one delivers more information than the prior reel, but it still leans too hard toward happy talk.

Although the original film left me cold, I hoped Meg 2: The Trench might improve on that model and deliver some vivid action. Unfortunately, the sequel comes with all the same flaws as its predecessor, and that means we wind up with another oddly dull and lifeless thriller. The 4K UHD delivers excellent picture and audio but it skimps on bonus materials. Maybe Meg 3 will bring the goods, but the second chapter lacks life.