M3GAN 2.0

M3GAN 2.0
Starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Jenna Davis
Directed by Gerald Johnstone

Horror movies are notorious for churning out mindless, soulless sequels in the hopes of making more money on established IPs that pretty much rinse and repeat what happened before. Each one becomes less and less effective with the precious few, and there's no risk taken in them - they know what people want to see, and they keep putting them out again and again with diminishing returns. Then there's other horror movies that were clearly a one-and-done, but due to overwhelming popularity they decide to milk it for all its worth, putting out sequels that make no sense. "M3GAN" was a surprise horror hit back in 2022 due to the titular AI killer putting forth killer dance moves on TikTok that drew the younger audiences in droves (and changed the original R-rating to more youth-friendly PG-13). The ending sort of opened it up for a possibility of  a sequel, but it was really grasping at straws, especially when "M3GAN 2.0" was announced. Then the trailer came out and I literally couldn't believe it was real - instead of keeping the horror, it instead pivoted to a "Terminator 2" meets "Upgrade" sci-fi action film where M3GAN is now the savior of the world. The trailer was so outlandish and silly I couldn't wait to see it, because I knew it would lean entirely into the camp and offer a good (if not brainless) time - and that's exactly what it delivered. A unique sequel in every way, it threw everyone for a loop and made the killer AI with killer fashion into a killer hero.

Years after the AI M3GAN (Amie Donald/Jenna Davis) tried to remove Gemma (Allison Williams) from the equation in order to "protect" Gemma's niece Cady (Violet McGraw), Gemma has become an advocate for AI regulation and Cady has turned into an angsty twelve-year-old studying computer science, but M3GAN has been secretly watching them all this time. When Gemma's blueprints for M3GAN is sold to the highest bidder, AMELIA (Ivanna Sakho) is born - a supposed government-led killing machine who goes rogue when she becomes sentient, and sets out to kill anyone involved in her creation - including Gemma and Cady. M3GAN vows to stop AMELIA but needs a new body, and Gemma has to put her mistrust of M3GAN aside and work with her in order to save herself and Cady.

"M3GAN 2.0" is bonkers in every conceivable way, and surprisingly better than the original in my opinion. "M3GAN" seemed to not know what it was trying to be - horror, comedy, or something in-between, which is undoubtedly due to the rushed hack-job at turning it from R to PG-13 and leaving something missing in translation. It was still incredible and filled with funny moments and some horror, but it also didn't seem to know what it wanted to be. "2.0" sheds any sort of doubt and goes full-force into its sci-fi action comedy story that includes so many twists and turns it's crazy, but that craziness only adds to the fun insanity the film provides. I can't really remember when a horror icon turns into a superhero, but here it is, and somehow M3GAN becomes even more endearing because of it.

The movie essentially is AI versus AI, but also delves into the problems AI could bring to the world if run unchecked, as AMELIA also takes over government infrastructures and commerce, and there's a MacGuffin that is sought out by both parties, but the movie doesn't dwell in the specifics: it's too busy having M3GAN don a squirrel-flying suit as she jumps off a massive ledge and her quippy one-liners that are much more effectively used than the first. Plus she still showcases her dance moves and singing ability to hilarious results. When you think the movie is about to get too serious for its own good, they pull you back into the insanity of it all in the most glorious ways.

Allison Williams' Gemma is still the world's worst parent, as she keeps putting Cady's life in danger either directly or indirectly, and her mistrust of M3GAN threatens both of their lives on numerous occasions. She doesn't really have room to grow here, and merely exists to go against M3GAN's every move even though she's trying to help them. Near the end there's some truly laugh-out-loud moments that herald back to "Malignant" that you'll have to see to believe, but fortunately Gemma isn't as insufferable as she was the first time around. Violet McGraw also gets more to work with as an older, more independent Cady. She's studied martial arts, loves Steven Segal, and is still M3GAN's main objective. 

Yet everyone is here to see M3GAN, and the pairing of Amie Donald once again as M3GAN's body and Jenna Davis as her no-nonsense voice again works their magic. This M3GAN is older, smarter, and 100% more sassy than the original, and while you might think she'd turn on Gemma again, it looks like she's truly turned a new 1-0 and has become a good guy. She's given much more to play with here, as she interacts with AMELIA and offers some intense action sequences that were a joy to behold. 

The movie never takes itself too seriously and leans entirely into the camp that made "M3GAN" such a cultural phenomenon, and even though it switched genres (like "Aliens" and "Terminator 2" before it), it never loses its enjoyment factor. If anything, it amps it up with the nonstop action, comedy, and exciting camerawork that will hopefully keep the cult classic among the cultural zeitgeist for years to come.

The Score: A