'M3GAN' Was an Instant Classic. How Does 'M3GAN 2.0' Hold Up?
Upon its release in January 2023, M3GAN became an instant cult classic, and for good reason. The story of a Model 3 Generative Android designed to be a child’s best friend but who instead turns out to be a child’s loyal revenge killer, Gerard Johnstone’s original instantly shot M3GAN high up into the pantheon of killer dolls and was a darn good movie, too. It was one of the rare horror-comedies which was both genuinely horrific and laugh-out-loud funny, aware of its own joke but intelligent enough not to push that gag too hard. It’s one of the most satisfying and fun modern horror movies of the last decade, one which possessed an accidental timeliness in its depiction of AI gone rogue at a time when the technology was in its infancy and many people were still unaware of its implications.
After an interminable wait, M3GAN is back on screen. Johnstone returns to direct, this time penning the screenplay, accompanied by original stars Allison Williams (Girls, Get Out) and Jenna Davis, the latter of whom plays M3GAN. But is the sequel as fun as the original? Indeed, will it attain the fervent cult status of its predecessor?
M3GAN concerned happily childless inventor Gemma (Williams), who, after a family tragedy, becomes the guardian to her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw). In an effort to staunch Cady’s loneliness, Gemma invents M3GAN, who is, for all intents and purposes, an iPad in the form of a best friend. Whereas M3GAN is intended to be Cady’s loyal companion, that bond extends a bit too far when the well-intentioned bot begins picking off neighbors and school kids who get on the wrong side of her family.
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M3GAN 2.0 picks up several years after the events of the original, with Gemma now a bestselling author and an advocate for government control over AI (so, timely). Much to Gemma’s chagrin, a defense contractor has gotten hold of M3GAN's source code and uses it to create a defense weapon known as AMELIA (Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android). AMELIA (played by Ivanna Sakhno) is designed to carry out covert operations too dangerous for humans. In the film's opening scene, which is more Bourne Identity than Child's Play, we see her gunning down a group of extremists in Turkey. But, of course, AMELIA becomes sentient and adopts her own objectives. Desperate to destroy AMELIA, Gemma and Cady bring M3GAN back online.
Whereas M3GAN took much of its inspiration from the likes of Child's Play (1988) and Puppet Master (1989), M3GAN 2.0 takes the Aliens and Terminator: Judgement Day approach and fashions itself as much more of a sci-fi action spectacle. Nominally tossed to the wayside is the kooky slasher formula which dominated the original, here replaced by a set-piece driven narrative which conjures a combination of robots-on-the-loose chiller Chopping Mall (1986) and the Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible movies, with one particularly outrageous stunt that is a head bang rather than a nod towards the latter. M3GAN 2.0 also owes a great deal to the two early-aughts Charlie's Angels movies, an unexpected and wholly welcome influence.
It's a great pleasure to say that M3GAN 2.0 is practically every bit as good as the original. This is a near-perfect sequel. First off, it's a completely new movie rather than a slavish retread of the original. The fact that Johnstone returned to direct and brought with him all of the surviving cast members makes one want to cheer. M3GAN was a huge part of what made the first movie a success, but it wouldn't have stuck if not for Johnstone's vision and Williams, who gave one of those award-worthy genre performances that didn't get nearly enough attention. (She's ace here, as well.) It's a relief to see a sequel (and a studio) which acknowledges the power of the original lies not in the meme-able moments but in the talent. And it worked: M3GAN 2.0 feels as much an extension of M3GAN as Judgement Day did to Terminator, and it's about as good.
In some ways, it exceeds M3GAN for wacked-out entertainment value and kooky invention. Now that all the pesky set-up is out of the way, we can get to the good stuff. Johnstone possesses an acute understanding of genre and tone, and he does an exemplary job of making his movies fun, which has become a lost art. He never loses sight of his characters, and he does an impressive job of injecting a consistently amusing streak of humor which never interferes with the serious thrills. There are more laugh-out-loud moments in M3GAN 2.0 than in many of this summer's supposed comedies, and its roller-coaster approach to action is an antidote to all of the recent bludgeoningly self-important titles. It also moves like a rocket; it runs almost exactly two hours but feels about half that length.
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Now, to be clear, the movie does have its share of issues. The story is a bit of a mess, filled with too many characters harboring too many motives, few of which are resolved in any meaningful way. Much of the original's charm was due to its uber-simplicity, but here, there's too much business in the third act. At some point, the threat turns from artificial to human, and the film spins its wheels until the inevitable confrontation between M3GAN and AMELIA.
But when a movie this fun is so well made, and with such heart, it's hard to slight it too much. There have been several movies this summer (Final Reckoning, anyone?) which go forever without having the good taste to be entertaining in the first place. M3GAN 2.0's primary goal is to have fun, to bring a smile to your face, amiably raise your pulse, and remind you of a time when summer movies weren't only pre-packaged items. This is a brainy, stylish, and immensely amusing piece of popcorn entertainment. It's anyone's guess as to where the franchise will go from here, but it's practically guaranteed to be a hoot.
M3GAN 2.0 is now in cinemas.
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