After the underlying tech for M3GAN is stolen and misused by a powerful defense contractor to create a military-grade weapon known as Amelia, M3GAN's creator Gemma realizes that the only option is...
Two years after the viral chaos of “M3GAN,” the fan favorite homicidal AI doll is back — or at least her digital echo is. Director Gerard Johnstone‘s “M3GAN 2.0” swaps out the cheeky satire and deliciously campy horror of the original for a more action-driven, blockbuster approach in his sequel. While the shift in tone might appeal to those craving explosions, choreographed fights, bigger set pieces, and general sci-fi spectacle, it veers away from what made the first film such a knockout.
Now a best-selling author and the face of AI regulation, Gemma (Allison Williams) has tried to put her killer creation far, far behind her. Her niece Cady (Violet McGraw), now a moody preteen with a rebellious streak, hasn’t forgotten what M3GAN (Amie Donald) meant to her (even if she almost killed her). But trouble brews when a shadowy defense contractor steals M3GAN’s core tech to build Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), a military-grade infiltration unit with stilettos and a seriously ruthless attitude. As Amelia’s sentience grows and her kill count rises, Gemma is forced to do the unthinkable: bring M3GAN back, complete with new upgrades and the same dead-eyed sass.
The setup is solid and promises a fun, high-stakes face-off between two über-powerful femme bots. And in some ways, it delivers, especially if your bar is set at “killer AI Battle Royale.” You have to wait a while to get to the big showdown, which becomes trying as the film stalls a bit in the middle when the story tries to go big and ends up tangled in its own wires. Thankfully the movie has some campy charm and it never takes itself too seriously. But while the tone flirts with fun, Johnstone takes his project away from science fiction / horror and into superhero territory, complete with gravity-defying fight scenes, nonsensical twists, and a climax that feels a tad out of place (regardless of the fact that it is admittedly satisfying).
It’s also one of those movies where you can fee the PG-13 rating holding the movie back. With muted kills and shadowy onscreen violence, this sequel could’ve been a blast with more gore, sharper humor, and a nastier bite (in other words, an R-rating). Instead, we get sanitized violence and third-grade-level dialogue that doesn’t always know if it’s parody or playing it straight.
That said, there’s still fun to be had. Donald once again brings an eerie physicality to M3GAN, and Jenna Davis’s voice work is still deliciously deadpan. The film dips its toes into a pool of heavier themes like ethical AI, tech gone rogue, and the human tendency to weaponize innovation, but they’re often overshadowed by clunky action scenes and an overstuffed plot.
“M3GAN 2.0” is a mixed bag. It’s not as smart or as sly as its predecessor, but it doesn’t completely malfunction either. It’s ridiculous, uneven, and occasionally fun, even if you can’t shake the feeling that M3GAN herself would’ve rolled her eyes at it.
