THE MEG Submersible VR Experience

Thanks to a Zoobooks subscription and a shark jaw my parents bought, my obsession with the ocean predators was a sure bet. I would pore over the pictures and stare at the rows of teeth for hours at a time. That obsession turned into a love, more like a high pain tolerance, for shark movies off all fins. I’m aware that THE MEG, based on a novel, has been in development for years. And I’m stoked it’s opening soon on August 10th. So, yes I am the target audience.THE MEG Submersive VR Experience stopped at Six Flags St. Louis on August 1st. And I was there to get up close and personal with the beast.

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Parked outside the front gates THE MEG Virtual Reality Tour starts with a short line where participants must sign a waiver. Warner Bros hopes you survive the experience but will not be liable for injuries or those scared to death. After signing your life away for a visor the line leads into an open tent where I was surprised by what I saw.

Waders. Perhaps 20 of them hanging on racks. Participants were told to remove their shoes, and socks were provided for those in sandals. Everyone was warned they would get wet during the VR session and told to leave their phones behind. About 8 people are ushered into the trailer. And first thing I noticed was the metal grated walkway. Each person was then directed into a stall. And told to face the wall with a Glowing Meg logo. There was a bar to hold onto for balance during the simulation. After that a VR headset is slipped on.

When the VR experienced started, the viewer assumes the role of a member of the submersible station featured in the film. You’re in a glass elevator on the way back up to the station. Suddenly the elevator stops. And a crew members comes over the comms and tells you to hang tight. Everything is calm near the ocean’s floor. But suddenly in the distance, to the left you can make out a shape. A Great White swims closer to the stuck elevator. But from out of nowhere The Megalodon enters into frame and it’s mammoth tail strikes the elevator cracking the glass. And water starts filling the cart(?). And water starts filling the stall I’m standing in (hence the waders). The crew is frantic. They can’t get the elevator back online, the water is gushing in and, oh yeah, a giant shark! The glass cracks even more. It can’t hold for much longer and before it bursts The Meg pops up from below screen and swallows you whole.

And just like that it was over. The goggles are removed while the knee high water is draining. The stall door opens and I’m ushered out to remove the waders. This was my first Virtual Reality experience in 20+ years when it still looked like THE LAWNMOWER MAN, minus all the awkward sex. And it’s certainly come a long way. The misdirection used in The Meg’s reveal was well done. The water pouring in helps add to the urgency of being in an enclosed space. I felt the end was obvious but someone in my group screamed.

The PR rep informed everyone there was a photo booth on the opposite end of the trailer. Of course I had to do it. An inflatable donut on a green screen was waiting for me. The picture only took a minute but getting off the ground, that was a different story. But the end result was worthwhile.

YOU CAN SEE THE END RESULT OF THE PHOTO/VIDEO BOOTH HERE.

THE MEG opens in theaters nationwide Friday, August 10.