M3GAN, a sultry little doll-like robot, won our hearts two and a half years ago by dancing and slashing.
Memes, Halloween costumes, and a Saturday Night Live spoof were all products of artificial intelligence, and M3GAN, which had a budget of about $10 million, made eighteen times that much at the box office.
Furthermore, even though M3GAN 2.0 takes its title from that sketch, it is not the shoddy follow-up that the parody implied.
Surprisingly, considering the popularity of the first one, it is a comedy and action film that mostly forgoes the horror genre in favor of having a great time.
As it happens, M3GAN is the unsung hero we needed.
The screenplay for M3GAN 2.0 was written by returning director Gerard Johnstone, who shared the story-by-credit with M3GAN scribe Akela Cooper. The film incorporates elements from the 1991 blockbuster Terminator 2: Judgment Day. But 2.0 never comes close to being as serious as the Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring James Cameron action movie.
Two years after the events of the first film, the tale begins with the technology used to build M3GAN being stolen and used to develop Amelia, a super-spy android (played by Ivanna Sakhno from Ahsoka). Amelia, who is on loan from the United States to Saudi Arabia, naturally goes awry and appears to have plans that could pose serious challenges to humanity.
M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis and later physically portrayed by Amie Donald) tries to persuade her creator, Gemma (Allison Williams), to assist her with that even though she is no longer in her body. She admits that she has gotten a little out of control in the past, but she has always tried to comply with her programming, which tells her to keep Gemma’s niece and pseudo-daughter, Cady (Violet McGraw), safe. Although Cady, who has developed an interest in computer technology, has faith in her, Gemma does not.
After being reconstructed and upgraded, M3GAN will resemble a little version of Batman, replete with a lair and gliding equipment. This ragtag Justice League of sorts is completed by Gemma’s longtime coworkers Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Tess (Jen Van Epps), in addition to Gemma and Cady.
Notable additions include the usually humorous Jemaine Clement as Alton Appleton, a not-so-likable tech giant interested in purchasing a project Gemma’s financially stressed team has been working on, and Aristotle Athari as Christian, Gemma’s clever lover.
Gemma doesn’t have complete faith in M3GAN, and neither do we, which gives the proceedings a slight advantage. Nevertheless, Gemma would undoubtedly agree to rebuild her old enemy because Amelia is unquestionably a menace.
Most significantly, M3GAN remains a significant source of entertainment because of the actors, technology, and effects that make her come to life. When she isn’t fighting with evil humans and Amelia, she performs more dancing and even sings, which is funny.
The supporting cast is just okay, much as in the first film. Williams (Girls, Get Out) is largely expected to play it straight until the very end, when she is able to join in on the action-packed excitement of his increasingly outrageous project. Additionally, Alvarez (80 for Brady) is entertaining.
The action-packed last act of M3GAN 2.0 does go a little haywire, but by then, the film has already provided more entertainment than was possibly fair.
It would appear to be a fairly safe assumption that M3GAN version 3.0 will be available soon. We may also anticipate the (gulp) spinoff SOULM8TE, which is scheduled for a January theatrical release, as we wait to see what genre that possible movie would dance in.
(M3GAN 2.0 includes explicit sexual material, bloody imagery, strong language, violent content, and brief drug references.)
M3GAN 2.0
At theaters in the suburbs, Causeway, South Bay Center, Alamo Drafthouse Seaport, Landmark Kendall Square, and the AMC Boston Common, it is priced PG-13.
Grade: A-
