Can this killer doll get away with it twice? 2023’s M3GAN was a breakout hit even before the film was released, as the titular character became a viral sensation. It didn’t hurt that the film was decent enough, but the naughty robot doll left her mark on pop culture. It’s now been a couple of years, and M3GAN 2.0 has arrived. So, the question is, can Blumhouse and director/writer Gerard Johnstone pull off something similar? Wisely, the film opts for a different direction, rather than just remaking the first film, but on a bigger scale. In some ways, it helps to see the sequel get to work with a bigger budget. However, while the movie avoids cheap rehashes of the previous film’s best bits, pushing the film more towards being an action movie with world-threatening stakes didn’t exactly make it stronger; nor was even a pretty killer Kate Bush reference able to win me over all that strongly.
Picking up two years after M3GAN went from a humanoid best friend for young girls to a self-aware, hostile murderess that was abruptly destroyed, we find its creator, Gemma (Allison Williams), now working as an advocate for the regulation of artificial intelligence. Gemma’s niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), balances her desire to work in computer science with non-screen time sessions where she practices aikido. Meanwhile, a new military robot, AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno), has been built using M3GAN’s technology, but this robot has not only turned on her creators but is attempting an AI takeover. Fortunately (but also to the chagrin of most), M3GAN’s consciousness still exists, and with some convincing, has Gemma and her team rebuild a stronger, better, faster version of her body to ideally fight back against AMELIA.
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In terms of concepts, it makes sense that Terminator 2: Judgement Day would be a key reference point for a sequel to a film about a killer robot. With only a limited number of options, bringing M3GAN on the side of good is a solid way to recreate the fun chemistry she has with her human counterparts. That being said, I appreciated that Johnstone wasn’t beyond referencing numerous other sci-fi films. Whether parody or homage, it was a joy to recognize everything from Metropolis, RoboCop, Blade Runner, and even Ex Machina, among others, getting some form of a shoutout. This does speak to the expanded budget the film has, along with a willingness to play.
While not exactly a terrifying effort, the first film played in the horror genre in a way that this film really does not. Sure, this is another PG-13 film that tries to do what it can to show off the deadly abilities of these machines, but there’s nothing scary about any of it. Rather than even attempting to convey a semblance of scariness, M3GAN 2.0 is far more willing to function as an action-comedy with thriller elements. That means getting to see the movie and having fun pushing the aforementioned references to other movies, as well as trying to settle into a hangout groove once M3GAN becomes a more active participant in the story.
The film shines best when this character is around. Whether we’re seeing the physical efforts of Amie Donald or just hearing the specific vocal choices and catty dialogue handled by Jenna Davis, it’s a credit to the film that there’s an understanding of how effective the character can be. That’s why it’s a bit irritating to have to wait as long as we do to have full-on interactions with M3GAN again. At the same time, while I appreciated how the film found a somewhat fitting way to have her dance again, it ultimately feels as though the film was still holding back from more creative ideas beyond what works in a trailer shot (squirrel suit M3GAN).
Many of these issues stem from the movie’s overplotting. There are not one but two tech bro characters to be dealt with (a pretty funny Jemaine Clement and former SNL featured player Aristotle Athari). An imbecile serving as an FBI agent (Timm Sharp), we’re supposed to keep track of, just slows things to a crawl. Plus, the story revolving around the path of destruction AMELIA is leaving behind feels so undercooked that it’s a shame this movie tries to add various complications. Oh, and there’s also the expanded amount of time spent on Gemma’s co-workers, particularly Brian Jordan Alvarez’s Cole, whose whole joke is to be bumbling. One would expect more narrative efficiency in a Blumhouse feature, but M3GAN 2.0, instead, is a nearly 2-hour movie that presents various ideas straightforwardly but rarely makes them particularly interesting.
Naturally, it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but not intelligent enough to work as satire. No, instead, we are positioned to make the best out of scenes set in a standard amount of limited locations to justify Blumhouse’s participation. There are plenty of bits that work, which is a credit to the fun director Johnstone had with finding ways to involve M3GAN, even before she has a new body built. However, whether it’s the different forms of comedic energy seen between the cast, or a general lack of interest in the story the more it added on, having a good chuckle here and there was only going to go so far when it came to having stronger feelings about a sequel that feels a bit too big for its britches. With the previous film’s writer, Akela Cooper, not serving as the screenwriter this time around, it is evident how this sequel became overlong without having much value to truly add.
There’s also the matter of what our main humans are up to this time around, but I can’t say there’s much to write home about. Williams is fine as far as being game to lean into the idea of what a M3Gan world could look like. That said, it felt like there was even less of her and Cady dealing with each other, which did add meaning to the original film. Naturally, there are still attempts to create meaning regarding a young girl figuring out her next steps, and Gemma realizing more about how to deal with the technology she has had many hands in. M3GAN also gets character development, but at least the film tries to have fun with those layers of evolution. That said, for a film relying on this character to grow in interesting ways, the way she serves as a central point in the conversations concerning AI would be interesting, except the film decides to do nothing at all with a topic that has plenty of potential to be talked about, even if it was through the wicked lens that would best serve this feature.
While stronger than just recycling spare parts, M3GAN 2.0 still only did so much for me. An audience of M3GAN fans is sure to get at least more of a kick out of it than I did. Still, I think the relative simplicity of the first film, which happened to have a highly memorable central figure, ultimately paid off better than trying to heighten the scope to wacky levels, yet still not having the means to really deliver on that to its fullest. Perhaps another upgrade or reboot will have me more on board with M3GAN next time around. As it stands, I wasn’t completely shut down by this movie, but it had just too many bugs for me to embrace it more.
M3GAN 2.0 is set to open in theaters on June 27, 2025.
