The Meg is the most exciting movie of the summer! It out-jaws Jaws and makes Sharknado look like a minnow. Thrills, laughs, scares, and frights are on the menu, so to speak. But what is really on the menu? Jason Statham and his crew of scientists and sea farers.

Jurassic Park dinosaurs can’t hold a candle to the prehistoric, giant, enormous, mega-huge Megaladon, a creature of the deep sea Marianna Trench that has resurfaced after a million years of what was thought its extinction. Whoopie for us! We haven’t had this many thrills in years, and it’s good to get your pants in a bunch from screaming in abject horror. You’ll think twice about going for a swim in the ocean. It’s not safe!

Director Jon Turteltaub has wrung as many scares out of the movie as possible. He puts his cast in danger at every turn. And just when you think the frightening scenes are over, Turteltaub dreams up another precarious situation for his hapless characters to endure. It’s such fun to see them all scream along with the audience.

Years ago Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) attempted to save a group of scientists in a submersible capsule. Taylor, in his position as a rescue diver, failed to save all the people on board from a massive shark attack. This haunted him all his life. Now, years later, he meets Dr. Minway Zhang (Winston Chao), who runs an underwater research facility, financed by Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson).

When Zhang’s daughter Sui (Bingbing) also decides to go under to find out what is making all the fuss, the action begins as the Megaladon attacks the ship and we’re off for a gasp-inducing ride in a fight to the death between man and monster.

Brought in to provide laughs are Japanese star Masi Oka as Toshi and African-American comic Page Kennedy as DJ. Both of them alleviate the tensions periodically so that the engines of fright can be revved up once again.

Although the music is not as catchy as the original shrieking strings of the Jaws theme by John Williams, the talented Harry Gregson-Williams has whipped up an exciting score to send chills up and down your spine as it disintegrates from fear.

A special nod goes to the special effects crew, who did an outstanding job of recreating the sea monster and for conjuring up all the electronic gadgets, under-sea vehicles, and undersea creatures.

The Meg is a thrilling addition to our 2018 summer fare at the movies. Don’t miss it!

(Released by Warner Bros./Gravity Pictures and rated “PG-13” for action-peril, bloody images and some language.)