‘M3GAN 2.0’ Review: A Silly Yet Soulless Examination of Artificial Intelligence
Let me start this review by saying it’s certainly my most “old man yells at cloud” take about a movie crafted in Blumhouse’s makeshift genre movie factory to draw in crowds of adults and tweens alike. M3GAN 2.0 is designed to be a ridiculous crowd pleaser, the Terminator 2 to M3GAN’s Terminator. While the scope has widened into something much more epic, nothing quite helps this movie from feeling like A Product. We are being sold repackaged memes and soulless dialogue wrapped up in an exaggerated girl power aesthetic that never feels authentic. Sure, it’s fun. But at what cost?
Two years after the violent events of M3GAN, Gemma (Alison Williams) has made a new career for herself speaking out about the dangers of article intelligence and how to protect our children from the dangers of technology. Cady (Violet McGraw) is still processing what happened, but has grown up to be a tech-loving teenager who is fascinated with the possibilities of the digital world. As the two still struggle to connect, Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), an android manufactured to be the ultimate weapon, sets off on a journey to kill those who created her and unleash a power that would destroy humanity as we know it.
The only way to stop her? Bring M3GAN back, who, unsurprisingly, was never really gone thanks to the power of AI and the cloud.
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So, it’s up to Gemma, Cady, and Gemma’s teammates Tess and Cole (Jen Van Epps and Brian Jordan Alvarez, respectively) to build the android a new body and help save the world from utter destruction. It’s a familiar narrative, but wrapped in forced witty quips about girl power and bright pink outfits. It’s cheap cotton candy, sweet for a moment, then dissolves quietly into nothing in the back of your throat. There’s no denying there’s comedy and skill on display here, it’s just a shame it’s been polished into something that feels manufactured rather than crafted.
Sakhno steals the show as Amelia, bringing the uncanny to terrifying and violent life with her deadly and disconnected take on the fembot. She crafts a badass villain that can take down any enemy without a care in the world, and her scenes in particular spike the film with excitement. It’s a sugar-coated spy thriller with a dash of artificial intelligence that wants to cater to horror audiences of all ages. I’m just not sure how well its inauthentic tone stuck with viewers.
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Sure, we can take M3GAN 2.0 at face value as another genre blockbuster engineered to bring in audiences (which this, unfortunately, did not, bringing in a modest $37 million against a budget of $15–25 million). But what about the marketing dominated by “hold onto your vaginas” and M3GAN showing her support for the trans community? This embrace of femininity and the trans community is, on the surface, something to celebrate, even if it’s coming from a fictional murderbot.
But it’s also a calculated attempt from Blumhouse to seem inclusive without actually enacting real change in their practices. If they make this fictional child-like android an ally while also pushing this girl power narrative, then they’ve done their job in supporting marginalized groups. I’ll never disavow support for trans people, especially now, but it’s time to go deeper than just having your horror icon say that she supports the dolls in a fake interview during her fake press tour.
M3GAN 2.0 is mindless entertainment, an unnecessary extension of Blumhouse’s original viral hit. If there were less focus on crafting memeable bites and lines that are written to be described as “iconic,” then there would be a little more soul to its story and dialogue. The production design is incredible, and Sakhno’s performance is scene-stealing, but that’s not enough to keep this sequel from feeling overstuffed and undercooked. I think it’s time we put M3GAN back in her box and let her rest for a while.
M3GAN 2.0 is in theaters and available now on VOD.
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M3GAN 2.0
Summary
M3GAN 2.0 is repackaged memes and soulless dialogue wrapped up in an exaggerated girl power aesthetic that never feels authentic.
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