BIG FISH by PHIL CONGLETON

As Phil Meets The Movies moves through each month of this year, here on Digging Star Wars, we will explore as many areas of film history as we can. The movies featured in each article, have certain connections or similarities to each other, resulting in a common theme or thread. These movies also have a commonality with the month we are in. At times, Phil Meets The Movies, just like Digging Star Wars, will explore the films and the creators of those films, who eventually inspired the Star Wars saga and vice-versa. You can see that, in our new, Inspired Star Wars section, found later on in the article. Half of the theme for each month is based on our pick, from new releases in the movie theaters. The other half of the theme is based on the movies, we picked, from our Film366 film list. This month, we will explore a sub-genre of science-fiction, known as, the "animal-out-of-control" sub-genre, which is easily described as, altered beasts, giant monsters, or simply, big fish. In fact, August will be all about big fish.

Here at Phil Meets The Movies, we talk about theatrical movies, but in a more, rapid-style manner, from what we did earlier in the year. This is so we can cover more film territory and more movie titles, with a little bit less of me, rambling on too much. This year, the sequel to the critically mixed, but monetarily profitable, science-fiction, shark-film, known as The Meg (2018), came out in theaters on August 4th and was called Meg 2: The Trench (2023). In fact, the first Meg film, also was released in August, on the 10th, back in 2018. We also have a Film366, film pick for August, that also takes us down to the deep waters of science-fiction. There is a whole lot more too. So yes, let's get the show going.    

Phil at the Movies 2023 List on Letterboxd

The Meg (2018)

Before we get into one of the new releases for this month, let's take a quick look at its predecessor. What I liked the most about The Meg (2018), was its goal to stay out of Sharknado (a made-for-TV film from 2013), territory and try to teeter closer to Jaws (1975), territory. For this review, I rewatched it again on a streaming service, but I did see it, during its initial run in the theaters in 2018. This film was very profitable but was split on the critical side. That means people still went to see it, just for the mere spectacle of it all. It could achieve cult status someday and of course; it has already spawned a sequel.

Phil's Full Review of the Meg (2018), on Letterboxd

Phil's Grade: C+ (7.3) = 3 1/2 Stars Letterboxd / 7 IMDB

Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

I read in the box office reports about this film, that the writers and producers wanted to go heavier with the comedy angle for this one, compared to the last film. This worried me a lot, because, like I said earlier, what I liked the most about The Meg (2018), was its goal to stay out of Sharknado territory. My fear about Meg 2: The Trench (2023), didn't happen, too much. The comedy usage was about the same, with, maybe, a little more campiness in this one, but that helped dampen the slow start-up, in the beginning of the film. The first film just flowed, a little bit better. No pun intended. 

Phil's Full Review of the Meg 2 (2023), on Letterboxd

Phil's Grade: D+ (6.1) = 3 Stars Letterboxd / 6 IMDB

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

The Transformers movies have slowly been dropping in quality and substance for a while now. The first Transformers (2007), film was very good. The third film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), was good, but actually the best Hasbro film, since then, has been Battleship (2012). Bumblebee (2018), wasn't too bad either, but it has been rough-going, since the early days of the Michael Bay directed, Transformers movies. Things don't improve here with the seventh installment in the franchise either, but there are good points too, in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023). I was impressed with the special effects and CGI. Also, the writers and animators produced a group of interestingly creative characters, related to the robot designs and their personalities. This is one of the movies I will be adding to my E for Effort List. I still recommend "E for Effort" films, because there is still enough in the film, for either an entertaining night or, at least, an interesting one. They are films that could have been really good, but for some reason or another, one huge blemish, causes the film to go off course. This could be related to technical issues or story substance, found in the film. In this case, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023), is a blatant copy of the MCU.

Phil's Full Review of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023), on Letterboxd

Phil's Grade: E+ (5.1) = 2 1/2 Stars Letterboxd / 5 IMDB

 Phil's "Films That Get an E for Effort" List, on Letterboxd

Before jumping ahead, let's take a look at another "E for Effort" film. These movies are worse than a D, but better than an F. I still recommend seeing these films, because a film might have the right idea, but the execution ends up being bad. They are films that the filmmakers clearly showed to the audience, they tried their best, but for some reason or another, the film falls flat in the end. Another thing that makes these movies recommendable, is the idea, that they usually have something interesting, historical or technical, that still keeps them as a need to be seen, type-of film classification. It also could be that they are just good enough to be middle of the road.

The Neptune Factor (1973)

The Neptune Factor (1973), is rightfully so, an E for Effort film. It comes right out of the B-movie world of cinema. It is a low-budget, science-fiction, adventure film, featuring a handful of classic film actors. It's a story of earthquakes, beneath the ocean, that put an undersea lab in danger and the crew of the submarine, sent to save whoever's left. Even though the special effects are archaic, even in 1973, underwater photography, which utilizes miniatures, is very professional. The low-budget aspect of the film does affect the slow plot, however. A lot of responses, to certain moments in the film, are, "I saw that coming a mile away", type-of responses. It's not a great film, but it's not a terrible film either. It's a classic example of an evolutionary process, in technical-heavy films, related to budgets and how far the source material can work, with the resources available, plus it has Ernest Borgnine and Walter Pidgeon in it. What else could you ask for? I mean really, Walter Pidgeon has experience in submarine films already. Remember him in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)?

Phil's Full Review of the Neptune Factor (1973), on Letterboxd:

Phil's Grade: E- (4.4) = 2 1/2 Stars Letterboxd / 5 IMDB

Phil's Film366 Film List for August on Letterboxd

The Abyss (1989)

Our Film366 film pick for August, keeps us under the ocean, with the adventures and mysteries of the deep, with this excellent, science-fiction film, The Abyss (1989). Also, a cool thing about the month of August is, on August 16th, 1954, film director, James Cameron, was born. Before the days of Titanic (1997) and Avatar (2009), he directed the first two Terminator movies, plus Aliens (1986) and this film. The Abyss (1989) was the first film, that sent Cameron on his journey, beneath the oceans, to the Titanic and the lands of Avatar. It is an excellent film, with a great cast.

Phil's Full Review of the Abyss (1989), on Letterboxd

Phil's Grade: A- (8.9) = 4 1/2 Stars Letterboxd / 9 IMDB

Jaws (1975)

Now comes the original shark movie and one of the best movies ever made. It would be a disgrace if we didn't talk about Jaws (1975), in this article. Jaws (1975) was actually a Film366 film pick, back in June, in honor if its original, theatrical release date in America. There is, however, something we can mention about the month of August, in relation to this film. The man who plays Quint (Robert Shaw), was born on August 9th, 1927. It's also a no-brainer, how both Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977), have similarities to each other. They both helped to launch the modern-day, summer film season. They also, mutually, have the music of John Williams, in their soundtracks.

Phil's Full Review of Jaws (1975), on Letterboxd:

Phil's Grade: A+ (9.8) = 5 Stars Letterboxd / 10 IMDB

Metropolis (1927)

Earlier in August, I went back to the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, with Chris, to see the full, restored version of Metropolis (1927), with a live organ accompanying it. This version is as close to the original version ever found. It is believed to be over 90% complete now, after being partially lost, since the 1930s. It's also an excellent example of Inspired Star Wars, considering C-3PO looks exactly like the robot lady Maria in Metropolis (1927), and rightfully so. It is a wonderful homage from Lucas to Fritz Lang. You should read up on the history of this film, from its original release, through its lost film period, ending with its rediscovery, over the decades and the recent restoration of the film. This backstory will help blunt some of the slightly rough edges and shaky moments, found in the film. Overall, it's a methodically, visionary film and a must-see.

Phil's Full Review of Metropolis (1927), on Letterboxd

Phil's Grade: B- (8.0) = 4 Stars Letterboxd / 8 IMDB

Phil's List of Movie Fails, That Still Deserve a Watch, on Letterboxd

Tentacles (1977)

Your "bad movie pick" for this month, oddly came out in theaters the same year as Star Wars (1977). Tentacles (1977) is a failure, however, I do recommend seeing this film, because you have to see it to believe it. How can a film, with the star power of Shelly Winters, John Huston and Henry Fonda, fall so flat? Again, it all stems from its budget. This low-budget, European-produced, B-movie tries its best to believably convey, that a killer, mutated octopus, is causing havoc on the beaches of a California community. Hot off of the success of Jaws (1975), many copy-cat movies came out, featuring monsters from the deep. Most of them were of the low-budget variety. This was one of the funnier sides to that coin.

Phil's Full Review of Tentacles (1977), on Letterboxd:

Phil's Grade - F (3.5) = 2 Stars Letterboxd / 4 IMDB

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Your first bonus recommendation for August comes from the year 1999, which oddly enough, is the same year that Star Wars: Episode One: The Phantom Menace (1999), was released in theaters. It's hard to believe that these movies are almost 25 years old. This is another science-fiction film, which takes place on a laboratory, partially submerged, in the Pacific Ocean. It also involves the plight of scientists, trying to avoid a terrible fate, at the fins of their genetically-altered, test-subjects, intelligent sharks. This film has a really good cast in it too, which includes Samuel L. Jackson, Stellan Skarsgård, and Ronny Cox. The film has a really slow pace, which hurts the quality of the film, but at the same time, creates a tense excursion into fear, when director Renny Harlin decides to give us a shark's-eye, camera view. Another glaring blemish in this film is the fact that Deep Blue Sea (1999), did not have a budget, like Titanic (1997) and it shows. It's the reason why the Meg movies look so much better than Deep Blue Sea (1999). It's all in the CGI. CGI is much better 25 years later. In order for this story to be successfully executed, the level of CGI wasn't quite there yet in 1999 and it hurts the believability factor of the film. But, the animatronics are pretty good and the CGI works enough to get the point across to you. Deep Blue Sea (1999) still produces a fair to good cinematic experience.   

Phils Full Review of Deep Blue Sea (1999), on Letterboxd:

Phil's Grade: D+ (6.1) = 3 Stars Letterboxd / 6 IMDB

The Shallows (2016)

Your second bonus recommendation for August ended up being a nice surprise, after I first saw it in the theaters, back in 2016. The Shallows (2016) is actually a good, strong film and worth seeing. This film stars Ryan Reynold's wife, Blake Lively as Nancy, a surfer, who ends up stuck on a rock, that's unfortunately situated, right in the middle of a Great White Shark's hunting ground. The Shallows (2016), has plenty of tense moments throughout and it's shot pretty well. The CGI effects are good too. There are moments when the pace of the film slows down a little, it starts beginning to feel like a basic story, which brings the rating down, however those moments, also keep the idea in your mind, that Nancy's situation is dire. The Shallows (2016) still ended up being time well spent at the movies.

Phils Full Review of the Shallows (2016), on Letterboxd

Phil's Grade: C (7.1) = 3 1/2 Stars Letterboxd / 7 IMDB

Photo by Peter Fey

As I mentioned earlier in this article, in my review of Metropolis (1927), here is Chris and I again, in early August, at the Colonial Theater, in Phoenixville, PA., seeing the Colonial's presentation of the Restored Metropolis (1927). It was a great time. Phil Meets The Movies will be back in September for more great cinema chats.

About the Author

Phil Congleton is a lifelong film buff, who worked in television for 30 years and produced a few, small independent films in the 1990s. He is the co-creator of Film366 with Chris Mich and the curator of Phil Meets the Movies. Now retired, Phil commits his time to promoting the movies and the art of film. You can read more about Phil's film reviews on Letterboxd.