'M3GAN 2.0': M3GAN Becomes an Action Hero in Lackluster Sequel

PHOTO: Universal Pictures

A mere two years ago, Gerard Johnstone’s film M3GAN introduced audiences to a murderous robot of the same name. The film became a hit, thanks to a great marketing campaign and a blend of goofy comedy and horror. A sequel was practically guaranteed after its opening weekend, and I couldn’t help but be a bit optimistic about this considering how pleasantly surprised I was by the first film. I had a lot of fun with it and really liked the tone it strikes. Not to mention that artificial intelligence plays a big role in the film and its ever-growing prevalence in society over the past two years provides some interesting avenues for a sequel to explore. A sequel definitely had some potential, but M3GAN 2.0 sadly squanders much of it. It trades horror for action, and dials the comedy down a bit, taking itself a bit too seriously in the process. On top of that, it offers a muddled message about AI that left a weird taste in my mouth. M3GAN 2.0 is rather disappointing and at times frustrating, as it tries to outdo its predecessor by switching things up and raising its stakes but it just ends up being a huge mess.

Two years after the events of the first film, roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams) has become an author and crusader against the dangers of AI, seeking to have it become more regulated. She still lives with her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), who continues to study computer science and has become skilled in martial arts as well. Meanwhile, the government has created a new android named AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno) using M3GAN’s technology that they intend to use for dangerous missions. While testing her out, AMELIA reveals that she has become self-aware and goes rogue. Upon hearing about this, Gemma finds herself having to rebuild M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis and played by Amie Donald) in the hopes that she will be able to take down AMELIA and save the world from an AI takeover. 

I must commend Gerard Johnstone for not playing it safe and just regurgitating the plot of the first film all over again. Considering that that first film is rooted in horror, one might expect that it would have stuck to the formula since this is certainly the case for other major franchises in the genre. But M3GAN 2.0 isn’t a horror film at all, and is instead more of an action film with some sci-fi leanings. It is a swing that could have worked in theory, but it never fully connects in execution. Admittedly, some of the fight sequences are well-shot and choreographed, and the idea of M3GAN transitioning from creepy robotic doll to action hero has potential, but Johnstone just doesn’t crack the code on making it work. 

Part of the problem is that the tone feels off, with this film reducing the goofiness by quite a bit and coming across more serious than I was expecting. There are some moments where it dips its toe into campier territory, but these are so few and far between that it creates an imbalance in the tone. This causes M3GAN 2.0 to feel less fun than the first film, seemingly rejecting the energy that worked so well and trying to be more of its own thing. I’m all for doing something different when it comes to doing a sequel, but this film could have used some more of the campiness that made the first film so enjoyable. Without it, it just feels too self-serious and lacking in personality, making it a far duller experience than it should be.

My disappointment in this film could also be due to the marketing campaign promising something much different than what we get in the final product. As someone who goes to the movies a lot, I saw this trailer before almost everything I watched over the past few months. The trailer highlights the more comedic moments of the film and has a tongue-in-cheek tone to it. It appeared that the film would be doubling down on the campiness of the first film, when in reality, it is cut down quite a bit. It doesn’t help that the trailer itself was kind of annoying, which likely repelled some viewers from seeing it. It is clear that the film would be functioning as more of an action film, but when the trailer seems to be promoting it as something silly and the film ends up not delivering on that promise, I can’t help but feel let down. It would be one thing if the film’s pivot to being more serious actually worked, but it just doesn’t come together and feels like Universal and writer/director Gerard Johnstone misunderstood what people liked about the first film to begin with. 

The writing really got under my skin, as it makes so many irritating choices throughout. The first being that the first act goes on for so long and takes forever to get to the point. I get that the film has a lot that it needs to set up, but there are so many ways that it could have streamlined this and got the ball rolling a bit faster. This whole section is so lifeless, save for the opening action sequence and a scene where Gemma’s house gets broken into. It does pick up when M3GAN enters the picture, and the moments where she is the main focus are some of the best parts of the whole film. 

However, it is the film’s plot and messaging about AI that really bothered me. The plot feels overcomplicated, as if Johnstone is wanting to prove that he is smart by crafting a story that goes bigger than the previous film without taking the time to make sure everything flows together or that it makes sense. It feels rather empty too, with no real emotional or intellectual substance to be found here. It doesn’t help that the first film was a cautionary tale regarding AI and this film seemingly argues that the only way to fight “bad” AI is with “good” AI. This, coupled with the anti-AI sentiments at the beginning of the film sends mixed signals on what it is trying to say on the topic. A lot of this rubbed me the wrong way, and feels like it wasn’t thought through. You can absolutely feel the difference between Johnstone’s screenplay and the one Akela Cooper (who receives a Story By credit on this film) wrote for the first one. I can’t help but feel that Cooper would have delivered a better script for this film, as the first film definitely feels more focused. Johnstone’s screenplay has a lot of big ideas, but suffers from an unknowingness of how to execute them and a lack of focus. 

The film’s true saving grace is M3GAN herself, as both Amie Donald and Jenna Davis do such a great job of bringing her to life. The film comes alive whenever she shows up, and the evolution of her character is interesting. The film posits her as a good guy, but it wisely keeps some greyness around her intentions, making the viewer wonder if she can really be trusted. She has maybe the strongest characterization of the whole film, even if it is a little iffy at times. Donald and Davis nail the physicality and quips of M3GAN rather well, and are easily the MVPs of the whole film. 

The rest of the cast is more of a mixed bag. Allison Williams is good, although I’d say her work here is a tiny step down from the last film. This is mainly because of how her character is written this time around, but Williams is still able to make something of it. Jemaine Clement does a great job of playing an eccentric tech billionaire, and helps give the film some of the sillier energy it needs. Clement is kind of doing his schtick here, but it is still effective, all things considered. At first, I was excited to see Aristotle Athari pop up in this film as I felt he was underrated in his one season stint on Saturday Night Live (I highly recommend watching his sketches where he plays a singer named Angelo). Sadly, he feels a bit miscast as Christian, an anti-AI activist. I think this is more the fault of the screenplay than Athari himself, but he still fell a little flat for me. Brian Jordan Alvarez also didn’t do much for me, and his increased presence in this film grated on me at times. He is clearly meant to be the comic relief, but he isn’t all that funny. He just feels shoehorned in and is easily the weakest link of the whole cast. 

M3GAN 2.0 is a massive step down from the first film, taking a big swing that doesn’t pay off and delivering a messy, inconsistent film as a result. It may have some good action sequences and a couple of funny moments, but the film as a whole didn’t really work for me. This could be due to my own expectations, as I thought this would be a goofier affair than it is. But even removed from that, the film itself is lackluster at best and left me very disappointed. The future of the franchise is uncertain, but if a third film were to happen, I do hope they course correct and make something that feels a bit more in line with the original. But if this is it for M3GAN, I completely get it, as it fumbles its potential at almost every turn.

Rating: 2/5