‘The Meg’ has teeth if you turn your brain off

While viewing “The Meg,” you may have questions. You may wonder how long a small dog can tread water. You might question whether billionaires make stupid decisions about everything not financially related. You may even ponder the way China’s growing importance to global box office has changed the way Hollywood makes movies. My advice is to shut your brain off and let this movie wash over you like a shark-infested tidal wave. Because, if you don’t think about it too hard, “The Meg” is a lot of fun.

Based on a novel by Steve Alten, “The Meg” stars Jason Statham as Jonas Taylor, a rescue diver who leaves the profession after a disastrous mission takes his two best friends. He’s roped back in when his ex-wife and her team get trapped during a scientific expedition.

Jonas soon finds himself at a high-tech lab funded by Morris (Rainn Wilson) and teaming up with a cast of characters including marine biologist Suyin (Li Bingbing). Things get more complicated when it’s revealed that the source of the team vexation is a giant prehistoric shark thought to be extinct for millions of years. Led by Jonas, the team plots to put an end to this creature and the death and destruction it leaves in its wake.

“The Meg” isn’t much more than a “Jaws” retread with updated special effects. The writing feels like the kind of stuff first-year screenwriting students come up with. The characters are one-dimensional and non-dynamic. The acting? Well, there’s a lot of performing and spouting lines, but apart from a couple of emotional scenes with Bingbing, there’s very little acting. The plot stretches logic to limits even Mr. Fantastic would find uncomfortable.

And yet, this movie is not without its charms. Statham, for instance, is fun to watch.

He doesn’t emote too well, but nobody does the look of steely determination better. And he gets a few scenes with a kid where he can display his warmth. His experiences as a member of the British national diving team serve him well here, as there are a lot of scenes of him swimming. And watching him take on a giant shark is one of those goofy guilty pleasure-type things.

The action scenes hold together pretty well too. That figures since the movie is helmed by Jon Turteltaub, whose past work includes the “National Treasure” movies. While Turteltaub doesn’t do anything that stands out, the action scenes are competently staged and he wrings a surprising amount of dread out of such a cheesy movie.

There’s also enough humor to keep things light and fun. Granted a lot of the planned jokes fall flat, and one of the comic relief characters is fingernails-on-chalkboard levels of annoying. But there are laughs to be had, even if some of them probably aren’t intentional.

Throw in some cool explosions and a monster that seems to get bigger and more menacing every time you see it, and “The Meg” offers just enough entertainment for those who can’t wait until “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” to get their giant monster fix. As long as you don’t drive yourself batty thinking about the plot holes, logic problems and lame dialogue, you should enjoy diving into “The Meg.”

3 Indy Fedoras out of 5

(Subtract 1 ½ Fedoras if you leave your brain on.)

MPAA Rating: PG-13