Rating: 3.5/5
Synopsis:
The sassy killer robot gets a sequel after the surprising success of the first film. But this time, M3GAN comes with a twist. A powerful new A.I. robot who is designed as an upgrade from M3GAN goes rogue, forcing Gemma (M3GAN’s designer) to consider bringing M3GAN back as their last hope to stop her. However, Gemma and the rest of the survivors are wary of trusting M3GAN, worrying she will revert to her old ways after completing the mission. The group must reprogram M3GAN to be less combative and destroy this rogue entity once and for all. Will their efforts be successful?
Positives:
The bar for improving the “M3GAN” franchise isn’t very high for me. I am not as big of a fan of the original as most are, believing it neuters the horror elements to be a gateway scary movie instead. This on top of a strange comedy blend just didn’t work for me. Still, the originality and commentary on dangerous A.I. is quite relatable. “M3GAN 2.0” abandons the horror and leans into the sci-fi and comedic elements, going in a direction that will prove to be divisive. I’m shocked to say that I actually enjoyed this more than the original! The blend of genres works better since the filmmakers never committed to a complete horror film. The comedy is ratcheted up and the evolution of A.I. is evaluated on a grander scale. It’s clever to see the escalation of A.I. this quickly, which hits close to home on the real life evolution of the technology. This gives the character or M3GAN an opportunity to lean into those sassy bits that made her so popular in the original. Her and Gemma have lots of humorous banter that lands more than expected. Since the original played it safe as a horror movie, I didn’t mind the genre shift as much as some seem to.
M3GAN also gets more screen time here, allowing her to connect with those she almost killed in the original. This may come as tonal whiplash to certain audience members but I enjoyed the pivot. M3GAN gets some great one liners and manages to create a new conversation surrounding the A.I. developments even in the two years since the original film. The film is surprisingly well shot, combining science fiction elements with angles of espionage. Gerard Johnstone’s direction is impressive again, being bold enough to make some distinct creative decisions while also keeping most of M3GAN’s personality intact. “M3GAN 2.0” surprised me in more ways than one, and while it isn’t perfect, it manages to build upon the premise it established and go in some unexpected directions.
Negatives:
My complaints about “M3GAN 2.0” are surprisingly few, but some negatives I’ll include will be disclaimers for those who enjoyed the original. My main problem with the story is that it goes on far too long. There is no need to extend the story to two hours. By the time the third act gets going the pace begins to feel sluggish. Trim twenty minutes from the movie and it would have been stronger. But fans of the original “M3GAN” are likely to feel cheated with the massive genre shift. At times the film feels like it belongs in a completely different franchise, shifting M3GAN to a protagonist and removing the horror elements. There are clear “Terminator 2” comparisons to be made with the motive shifting and genre change. I believe the “Terminator 2” changes were more successful because it still gave audiences the core of what they enjoyed about the original, where “M3GAN 2.0” removes them completely. I’d say those who didn’t enjoy the original will like the sequel more while fans of the first will be massively disappointed. It’s a bold creative choice that will unquestionably draw mixed reception.
Conclusion:
As someone who is mixed on the original, “M3GAN 2.0” takes a massive pivot, delivering a film that is more fun and sure of itself. The half baked attempt at a horror film is abandoned for a comedy-science fiction story that works more than it doesn’t. The humor works better this time and the conversation about A.I. has some timely pivots in a world that (for better or worse) includes it now. But this genre shift may be offputting to those who enjoyed the original film. It’s good to know what one wants from a “M3GAN” movie. Me? I had more fun with this one due to the genre shift…but I completely understand why those who wanted a continuation of the original will feel cheated.
