SPOILER-FREE PLOT SUMMARY
The technology created and used in M3GAN (played by Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis) was thought destroyed but, instead, has been stolen and used to create a military-grade cyborg named AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno). During her demonstration mission in Iran, Amelia becomes self-aware, turns on the US government and attempts a nationwide artificial intelligence takeover. After she kills everyone responsible for her construction, Amelia goes after Gemma (Allison Williams), the original creator of the AI, now an activist for responsible usage of the technology. The government gets to Gemma and her niece Kady (Violet McGraw) first but only because the Google Nest suite of products linked in their home, infiltrated by M3GAN, warns them. In an effort to take down AMELIA, the group hatches a plan that could get them in a lot of trouble and unearth secrets about the world and each other.
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
If you want a TERMINATOR story arc but with a teenage girl instead of a world champion body builder, you’ve come to the right place.
There are plenty of laughs to go around and, like the first installment, that humor is it’s biggest catalyst. Sure, the action is cool at times and it’s fun to see a teen robot throw a 30-something year old guy throw a glass wall but, really, that can be found elsewhere. It’s the humor that hits, the situations they make fun of and the fact that the M3GAN franchise doesn’t take itself too seriously that makes it work.
Now, admittedly, 2.0 has less charm than the original and the story isn’t as strong. But, if you enjoyed the first one like we did — and aren’t married to the horror genre — you’ll find enjoyment with the second.
Where the story might have been a little weak, the performances were all you could ask for in a movie like this. Davis (and Donald) were great as Megan, Williams was effortless as Gemma and Sakhno was an incredible addition to the already stellar cast. Obviously nobody’s winning an Oscar here but they lean into that and make it the best it can be.
Make no mistake: this is an action movie, not horror. So, if you’re a fan of the genre and expect the level of horror in the original, you’ll be frustrated here. But, if you appreciate a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, you’ll love M3GAN 2.0.
JKG SCORE: 6.0
Untitled Film Project 