Meg 2: The Trench does a JAWS the Revenge at The Razzies
Back in 2019, The Meg was nominated for a single Golden Raspberry Award category for Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel, it eventually losing out to Holmes and Watson. But for its sequel. Meg 2: The Trench is up in three categories.
The giant shark sequel is up for Worst Picture, Worst Actor for Jason Statham and Worst Director for Ben Wheatley. Whether or not it can stay down with three Razzies in him, we’ll have to wait and see.
It’s not been a great year for Jason Statham with The Exped4bles also up for seven awards, the most nominated film of the year.
Not that the JAWS series of films didn’t have its fair share on Razzie nominations over the years. The awards only began in 1980, so we’ll never know if Jackie Peters (Donna Wilkes) or the woman who pours petrol over herself in JAWS 2 (1978) would have ever been nominated.
At the 1988 Razzie Awards, the third sequel to JAWS – you know the winner of three Academy Awards – had the joint most awards the year, seven alongside Tough Guys Don’t Dance.
JAWS the Revenge was up for Worst Picture, Bruce the Shark was up for Worst Actor (!), Lorraine Gary as Worst Actress, Michael Caine as Worst Supporting Actor, Worst Director for Joseph Sargent and Worst Screenplay by Michael deGuzma.
Clearly 1987 was a terrible year for movies, as JAWS the Revenge was up against the likes of Ishtar and the eventual winner, Leonard Part 6, which starred Bill Cosby.
Cosby also stole the award for Worst Actor from Bruce the Shark, who was also rubbing shoulders, or should that be flexing forearms, alongside Sylvester Stallone for Over The Top.
Madonna took home the Worst Actress award for Who’s That Girl over Lorraine Gary, who never made another screen appearance after Revenge.
Famously Michael Caine wasn’t able to collect his Best Supporting Actor for Hannah and Her Sisters from The Academy, due to filming on JAWS the Revenge. Ironic then that it would lead to his own Best Supporting Actor nomination, at the other end of the scale the following year, which saw him in competition against Gwildor from Masters of the Universe. That’s pretty low, even for the guy who was in The Swarm, The Hand and Beyond the Poseidon Adventure!
Ishtar and Tough Guys Don’t Dance directors joint beat Joseph Sargent to that particular Worst award, with Leonard Part 6 taking home the Worst Screenplay dishonours. Of course, it is still something of a mystery how Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol or Nuclear Man (Marc Pillow and sometimes the voice of Gene Hackman) from Superman 4 didn’t end up in the nomination mix somehow.
There was one award that JAWS The Revenge could not hide in any amount of kelp from though, and that was Worst Visual Effects. Bad enough to win a Razzie, but even worse when your competition was The Garbage Pail Kids Movie animatronics and the (not so) special effects supervisors for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Having to swallow his pride, whole, was JAWS the Revenge special effects supervisor, Henry Millar.
JAWS The Revenge may have been the first JAWS film to win a Razzie, but it certainly wasn’t the first to be nominated, that accolade belongs to JAWS 3D (1983). In total it was nominated across five categories; these were Worst Picture, Worst Director – Joe Alves, Worst Supporting Actor – Louis Gossett Jr, Worst Screenplay – Carl Gottlieb and Richard Matheson, and Worst New Star – Cindy and Sandy (the shrieking dolphins). The latter lost out to that other mammal, Lou Ferrigno for Hercules.
Razzies 2024
WORST PICTURE
The Exorcist: Believer
Expend4bles
Meg 2: The Trench
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
WORST ACTOR
Russell Crowe / The Pope’s Exorcist
Vin Diesel / Fast X
Chris Evans / Ghosted
Jason Statham / Meg 2: The Trench
Jon Voight / Mercy
WORST DIRECTOR
Rhys Frake-Waterfield / Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
David Gordon Green / The Exorcist: Believer
Peyton Reed / Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania
Scott Waugh / Expend4bles
Ben Wheatley / Meg 2: The Trench
Words by Dean Newman
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