M3GAN 2.0 is less fun, a sequel that's preachy instead of campy
M3GAN 2.0
M, 120 minutes
2 stars
At first, I thought I had wandered into the wrong cinema. This movie begins like a political thriller involving the US in the Middle East (no doubt a coincidence but all too timely). I was discombobulated for a moment, but then there was an outburst of violence and mayhem from a killer android in a female body and my equilibrium was restored.
M3GAN (2022) was a fun if unremarkable sci-fi/horror movie in which the title robot - a companion and protector for a young girl - went way beyond her programming and turned into a killer.
She was finally stopped, but the low-budget movie was a big box office hit so a sequel was assured and, to their credit, the filmmakers don't simply do a rehash.
But the new film is far from a total success. Excessive length - it's almost 20 minutes longer than the first movie - is just one of the problems. Unlike the first film, which knew it was somewhat silly - M3GAN was reminiscent of Chucky from the Child's Play movies - this has a fair bit of lecturing, and it ain't subtle.
At the start of M3GAN 2.0 - set two years after its predecessor - it's not M3GAN herself who's on the rampage. It's AMELIA (an acronym for Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android) who looks like an adult woman (played by Ivanna Sakhno). She is the product of a secret, dodgy program using the same technology as M3GAN but - this will sound familiar - has become self-aware and decided to do what she wants, when she wants. And her ambitions make M3GAN look like an underachiever.
Meanwhile, M3GAN's creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become an author and fierce advocate for regulating artificial intelligence. Gemma's relationship with her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is still strained - quite apart from the traumatising events from before, the kid is an orphan who feels a bit neglected (and, of course, she's a moody teenager regardless).
M3GAN is kept safely in a harmless little robot body, but when AMELIA's increasing control over computer systems and other technology gets out, it becomes clear Gemma will need to rebuild and upgrade M3GAN in order to take on the new threat.
M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis) requests a taller body, a clever way to incorporate teen actress Amie Donald's growth spurt since the first film. But given what happened last time, can M3GAn be trusted?
Director Gerard Johnstone - who scripted from a story he concocted with the first film's writer, Akela Cooper - keeps the pacing in the early part of the film crisp, but things slacken markedly as the film goes on, with lots of characters and story turns to follow.
One new character is a billionaire jerk named Christian (Aristotle Athari) who might, possibly, be modelled on Elon Musk. Just a little bit. There's lots of tech talk and also copious discussion on the ethics of AI. It seems like we're intended to take the philosophical aspects seriously, but this really isn't the platform. Not that the ideas aren't worthwhile - especially when, in the real world, AI keeps getting pushed forward - but the handling didn't need to be so blatant.
And this material sits uneasily beside the expected campier elements, such as M3GAN's foul-mouthed snark and the Knight Rider theme coming in out of nowhere (Tellytubbies, Knight Rider - are these references still current for younger viewers?) The second Terminator movie seems to be a big inspiration and, in a running joke, Steven Seagal and his movies keep coming up. In this instalment, M3GAN and AMELIA engage in martial arts fights. Well, it's different. It's just not great.
Still, it's not a bad showcase for some New Zealand talent (it was filmed there) and some effects work was done in Australia. So not all technology is bad.
M3GAN 2.0
M, 120 minutes
2 stars
At first, I thought I had wandered into the wrong cinema. This movie begins like a political thriller involving the US in the Middle East (no doubt a coincidence but all too timely). I was discombobulated for a moment, but then there was an outburst of violence and mayhem from a killer android in a female body and my equilibrium was restored.
M3GAN (2022) was a fun if unremarkable sci-fi/horror movie in which the title robot - a companion and protector for a young girl - went way beyond her programming and turned into a killer.
She was finally stopped, but the low-budget movie was a big box office hit so a sequel was assured and, to their credit, the filmmakers don't simply do a rehash.
But the new film is far from a total success. Excessive length - it's almost 20 minutes longer than the first movie - is just one of the problems. Unlike the first film, which knew it was somewhat silly - M3GAN was reminiscent of Chucky from the Child's Play movies - this has a fair bit of lecturing, and it ain't subtle.
At the start of M3GAN 2.0 - set two years after its predecessor - it's not M3GAN herself who's on the rampage. It's AMELIA (an acronym for Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android) who looks like an adult woman (played by Ivanna Sakhno). She is the product of a secret, dodgy program using the same technology as M3GAN but - this will sound familiar - has become self-aware and decided to do what she wants, when she wants. And her ambitions make M3GAN look like an underachiever.
Meanwhile, M3GAN's creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become an author and fierce advocate for regulating artificial intelligence. Gemma's relationship with her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is still strained - quite apart from the traumatising events from before, the kid is an orphan who feels a bit neglected (and, of course, she's a moody teenager regardless).
M3GAN is kept safely in a harmless little robot body, but when AMELIA's increasing control over computer systems and other technology gets out, it becomes clear Gemma will need to rebuild and upgrade M3GAN in order to take on the new threat.
M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis) requests a taller body, a clever way to incorporate teen actress Amie Donald's growth spurt since the first film. But given what happened last time, can M3GAn be trusted?
Director Gerard Johnstone - who scripted from a story he concocted with the first film's writer, Akela Cooper - keeps the pacing in the early part of the film crisp, but things slacken markedly as the film goes on, with lots of characters and story turns to follow.
One new character is a billionaire jerk named Christian (Aristotle Athari) who might, possibly, be modelled on Elon Musk. Just a little bit. There's lots of tech talk and also copious discussion on the ethics of AI. It seems like we're intended to take the philosophical aspects seriously, but this really isn't the platform. Not that the ideas aren't worthwhile - especially when, in the real world, AI keeps getting pushed forward - but the handling didn't need to be so blatant.
And this material sits uneasily beside the expected campier elements, such as M3GAN's foul-mouthed snark and the Knight Rider theme coming in out of nowhere (Tellytubbies, Knight Rider - are these references still current for younger viewers?) The second Terminator movie seems to be a big inspiration and, in a running joke, Steven Seagal and his movies keep coming up. In this instalment, M3GAN and AMELIA engage in martial arts fights. Well, it's different. It's just not great.
Still, it's not a bad showcase for some New Zealand talent (it was filmed there) and some effects work was done in Australia. So not all technology is bad.
M3GAN 2.0
M, 120 minutes
2 stars
At first, I thought I had wandered into the wrong cinema. This movie begins like a political thriller involving the US in the Middle East (no doubt a coincidence but all too timely). I was discombobulated for a moment, but then there was an outburst of violence and mayhem from a killer android in a female body and my equilibrium was restored.
M3GAN (2022) was a fun if unremarkable sci-fi/horror movie in which the title robot - a companion and protector for a young girl - went way beyond her programming and turned into a killer.
She was finally stopped, but the low-budget movie was a big box office hit so a sequel was assured and, to their credit, the filmmakers don't simply do a rehash.
But the new film is far from a total success. Excessive length - it's almost 20 minutes longer than the first movie - is just one of the problems. Unlike the first film, which knew it was somewhat silly - M3GAN was reminiscent of Chucky from the Child's Play movies - this has a fair bit of lecturing, and it ain't subtle.
At the start of M3GAN 2.0 - set two years after its predecessor - it's not M3GAN herself who's on the rampage. It's AMELIA (an acronym for Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android) who looks like an adult woman (played by Ivanna Sakhno). She is the product of a secret, dodgy program using the same technology as M3GAN but - this will sound familiar - has become self-aware and decided to do what she wants, when she wants. And her ambitions make M3GAN look like an underachiever.
Meanwhile, M3GAN's creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become an author and fierce advocate for regulating artificial intelligence. Gemma's relationship with her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is still strained - quite apart from the traumatising events from before, the kid is an orphan who feels a bit neglected (and, of course, she's a moody teenager regardless).
M3GAN is kept safely in a harmless little robot body, but when AMELIA's increasing control over computer systems and other technology gets out, it becomes clear Gemma will need to rebuild and upgrade M3GAN in order to take on the new threat.
M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis) requests a taller body, a clever way to incorporate teen actress Amie Donald's growth spurt since the first film. But given what happened last time, can M3GAn be trusted?
Director Gerard Johnstone - who scripted from a story he concocted with the first film's writer, Akela Cooper - keeps the pacing in the early part of the film crisp, but things slacken markedly as the film goes on, with lots of characters and story turns to follow.
One new character is a billionaire jerk named Christian (Aristotle Athari) who might, possibly, be modelled on Elon Musk. Just a little bit. There's lots of tech talk and also copious discussion on the ethics of AI. It seems like we're intended to take the philosophical aspects seriously, but this really isn't the platform. Not that the ideas aren't worthwhile - especially when, in the real world, AI keeps getting pushed forward - but the handling didn't need to be so blatant.
And this material sits uneasily beside the expected campier elements, such as M3GAN's foul-mouthed snark and the Knight Rider theme coming in out of nowhere (Tellytubbies, Knight Rider - are these references still current for younger viewers?) The second Terminator movie seems to be a big inspiration and, in a running joke, Steven Seagal and his movies keep coming up. In this instalment, M3GAN and AMELIA engage in martial arts fights. Well, it's different. It's just not great.
Still, it's not a bad showcase for some New Zealand talent (it was filmed there) and some effects work was done in Australia. So not all technology is bad.
M3GAN 2.0
M, 120 minutes
2 stars
At first, I thought I had wandered into the wrong cinema. This movie begins like a political thriller involving the US in the Middle East (no doubt a coincidence but all too timely). I was discombobulated for a moment, but then there was an outburst of violence and mayhem from a killer android in a female body and my equilibrium was restored.
M3GAN (2022) was a fun if unremarkable sci-fi/horror movie in which the title robot - a companion and protector for a young girl - went way beyond her programming and turned into a killer.
She was finally stopped, but the low-budget movie was a big box office hit so a sequel was assured and, to their credit, the filmmakers don't simply do a rehash.
But the new film is far from a total success. Excessive length - it's almost 20 minutes longer than the first movie - is just one of the problems. Unlike the first film, which knew it was somewhat silly - M3GAN was reminiscent of Chucky from the Child's Play movies - this has a fair bit of lecturing, and it ain't subtle.
At the start of M3GAN 2.0 - set two years after its predecessor - it's not M3GAN herself who's on the rampage. It's AMELIA (an acronym for Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android) who looks like an adult woman (played by Ivanna Sakhno). She is the product of a secret, dodgy program using the same technology as M3GAN but - this will sound familiar - has become self-aware and decided to do what she wants, when she wants. And her ambitions make M3GAN look like an underachiever.
Meanwhile, M3GAN's creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become an author and fierce advocate for regulating artificial intelligence. Gemma's relationship with her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is still strained - quite apart from the traumatising events from before, the kid is an orphan who feels a bit neglected (and, of course, she's a moody teenager regardless).
M3GAN is kept safely in a harmless little robot body, but when AMELIA's increasing control over computer systems and other technology gets out, it becomes clear Gemma will need to rebuild and upgrade M3GAN in order to take on the new threat.
M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis) requests a taller body, a clever way to incorporate teen actress Amie Donald's growth spurt since the first film. But given what happened last time, can M3GAn be trusted?
Director Gerard Johnstone - who scripted from a story he concocted with the first film's writer, Akela Cooper - keeps the pacing in the early part of the film crisp, but things slacken markedly as the film goes on, with lots of characters and story turns to follow.
One new character is a billionaire jerk named Christian (Aristotle Athari) who might, possibly, be modelled on Elon Musk. Just a little bit. There's lots of tech talk and also copious discussion on the ethics of AI. It seems like we're intended to take the philosophical aspects seriously, but this really isn't the platform. Not that the ideas aren't worthwhile - especially when, in the real world, AI keeps getting pushed forward - but the handling didn't need to be so blatant.
And this material sits uneasily beside the expected campier elements, such as M3GAN's foul-mouthed snark and the Knight Rider theme coming in out of nowhere (Tellytubbies, Knight Rider - are these references still current for younger viewers?) The second Terminator movie seems to be a big inspiration and, in a running joke, Steven Seagal and his movies keep coming up. In this instalment, M3GAN and AMELIA engage in martial arts fights. Well, it's different. It's just not great.
Still, it's not a bad showcase for some New Zealand talent (it was filmed there) and some effects work was done in Australia. So not all technology is bad.
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Perth Now
9 hours ago
- Perth Now
M3GAN director James Wan says spin-off SOULM8TE is like ‘Fatal Attraction but with robots'
James Wan has teased SOULM8TE will be like 'Fatal Attraction but with robots'. The 48-year-old director is producing the upcoming M3GAN spin-off, and has now revealed SOULM8TE 'embraces all the great erotic thrillers from the '90s'. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Wan said: 'SOULM8TE is basically set in the same AI world but seen through a more grown-up perspective, one that embraces all the great erotic thrillers from the '90s. It's like Fatal Attraction but with robots.' The Conjuring filmmaker - who also wrote the story for SOULM8TE alongside Ingrid Bisu and Rafael Jordan - added the flick still has 'that darkest sense of humour' from M3GAN and its sequel M3GAN 2.0, 'but it's really more grown-up'. He explained: 'It is hard to replicate that sassiness that M3GAN has, and we don't really want to do the same thing that we've done because M3GAN has fully stuck a claim to that style of humor, if you will.' He added: 'M3GAN, obviously, dabbles in the PG-13 world, the younger demographic. We always felt like there might be a more adult story to tell, and that's really what SOULM8TE is.' In SOULM8TE, David Rysdahl stars as a grieving widower who turns to an AI android (Lily Sullivan) for comfort. However, his quest to create a sentient companion takes a dark turn when the love-bot evolves into a lethal soulmate. Allison Williams - who stars as Gemma in the M3GAN films and serves as executive producer on SOULM8TE - explained the concept of a love-bot mirrors the dark truth of reality. She said: 'It's already happening in parts of the world. These exist. 'So it felt irresistible to then say, if a M3GAN existed in our world, someone would take that tech and put it in the form of a female-bodied person whose sole purpose on the planet is to pleasure a person. We extrapolate from there.' Williams stressed SOULM8TE - which has completed principal photography in New Zealand and is due to hit screens in January 2026 - would be separate to the M3GAN films despite being part of the same cinematic universe. She said: 'Here's how I would describe it: Everyone has already pictured it. 'When the first movie came out, we knew everyone was going to be imagining this, so we were like, 'Don't do that to our girl.' 'We will give you a different person and a different story and an R-rated world to do this in. Let M3GAN be M3GAN, and leave her out of this completely.' The next instalment of the horror series, M3GAN 2.0, releases on Friday (27.06.25), and will follow the titular robot after she is rebuilt by her creator Gemma (Williams) to battle the self-aware military android AMELIA, who is intent on an AI takeover (Ivanna Sakhno). Looking to the future, Wan said the team is yet to seriously think about making a team-up movie with M3GAN, SOULM8TE and AMELIA, though were open to the idea. He said: 'The Avengers of the M3GAN universe? I haven't really thought about that, I got to be honest. 'We have joked about it, but we are not quite sure whether in that version, are they the villains or are they the good guys? We haven't crossed that path.'
The Advertiser
15 hours ago
- The Advertiser
M3GAN 2.0 is less fun, a sequel that's preachy instead of campy
M3GAN 2.0 M, 120 minutes 2 stars At first, I thought I had wandered into the wrong cinema. This movie begins like a political thriller involving the US in the Middle East (no doubt a coincidence but all too timely). I was discombobulated for a moment, but then there was an outburst of violence and mayhem from a killer android in a female body and my equilibrium was restored. M3GAN (2022) was a fun if unremarkable sci-fi/horror movie in which the title robot - a companion and protector for a young girl - went way beyond her programming and turned into a killer. She was finally stopped, but the low-budget movie was a big box office hit so a sequel was assured and, to their credit, the filmmakers don't simply do a rehash. But the new film is far from a total success. Excessive length - it's almost 20 minutes longer than the first movie - is just one of the problems. Unlike the first film, which knew it was somewhat silly - M3GAN was reminiscent of Chucky from the Child's Play movies - this has a fair bit of lecturing, and it ain't subtle. At the start of M3GAN 2.0 - set two years after its predecessor - it's not M3GAN herself who's on the rampage. It's AMELIA (an acronym for Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android) who looks like an adult woman (played by Ivanna Sakhno). She is the product of a secret, dodgy program using the same technology as M3GAN but - this will sound familiar - has become self-aware and decided to do what she wants, when she wants. And her ambitions make M3GAN look like an underachiever. Meanwhile, M3GAN's creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become an author and fierce advocate for regulating artificial intelligence. Gemma's relationship with her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is still strained - quite apart from the traumatising events from before, the kid is an orphan who feels a bit neglected (and, of course, she's a moody teenager regardless). M3GAN is kept safely in a harmless little robot body, but when AMELIA's increasing control over computer systems and other technology gets out, it becomes clear Gemma will need to rebuild and upgrade M3GAN in order to take on the new threat. M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis) requests a taller body, a clever way to incorporate teen actress Amie Donald's growth spurt since the first film. But given what happened last time, can M3GAn be trusted? Director Gerard Johnstone - who scripted from a story he concocted with the first film's writer, Akela Cooper - keeps the pacing in the early part of the film crisp, but things slacken markedly as the film goes on, with lots of characters and story turns to follow. One new character is a billionaire jerk named Christian (Aristotle Athari) who might, possibly, be modelled on Elon Musk. Just a little bit. There's lots of tech talk and also copious discussion on the ethics of AI. It seems like we're intended to take the philosophical aspects seriously, but this really isn't the platform. Not that the ideas aren't worthwhile - especially when, in the real world, AI keeps getting pushed forward - but the handling didn't need to be so blatant. And this material sits uneasily beside the expected campier elements, such as M3GAN's foul-mouthed snark and the Knight Rider theme coming in out of nowhere (Tellytubbies, Knight Rider - are these references still current for younger viewers?) The second Terminator movie seems to be a big inspiration and, in a running joke, Steven Seagal and his movies keep coming up. In this instalment, M3GAN and AMELIA engage in martial arts fights. Well, it's different. It's just not great. Still, it's not a bad showcase for some New Zealand talent (it was filmed there) and some effects work was done in Australia. So not all technology is bad. M3GAN 2.0 M, 120 minutes 2 stars At first, I thought I had wandered into the wrong cinema. This movie begins like a political thriller involving the US in the Middle East (no doubt a coincidence but all too timely). I was discombobulated for a moment, but then there was an outburst of violence and mayhem from a killer android in a female body and my equilibrium was restored. M3GAN (2022) was a fun if unremarkable sci-fi/horror movie in which the title robot - a companion and protector for a young girl - went way beyond her programming and turned into a killer. She was finally stopped, but the low-budget movie was a big box office hit so a sequel was assured and, to their credit, the filmmakers don't simply do a rehash. But the new film is far from a total success. Excessive length - it's almost 20 minutes longer than the first movie - is just one of the problems. Unlike the first film, which knew it was somewhat silly - M3GAN was reminiscent of Chucky from the Child's Play movies - this has a fair bit of lecturing, and it ain't subtle. At the start of M3GAN 2.0 - set two years after its predecessor - it's not M3GAN herself who's on the rampage. It's AMELIA (an acronym for Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android) who looks like an adult woman (played by Ivanna Sakhno). She is the product of a secret, dodgy program using the same technology as M3GAN but - this will sound familiar - has become self-aware and decided to do what she wants, when she wants. And her ambitions make M3GAN look like an underachiever. Meanwhile, M3GAN's creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become an author and fierce advocate for regulating artificial intelligence. Gemma's relationship with her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is still strained - quite apart from the traumatising events from before, the kid is an orphan who feels a bit neglected (and, of course, she's a moody teenager regardless). M3GAN is kept safely in a harmless little robot body, but when AMELIA's increasing control over computer systems and other technology gets out, it becomes clear Gemma will need to rebuild and upgrade M3GAN in order to take on the new threat. M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis) requests a taller body, a clever way to incorporate teen actress Amie Donald's growth spurt since the first film. But given what happened last time, can M3GAn be trusted? Director Gerard Johnstone - who scripted from a story he concocted with the first film's writer, Akela Cooper - keeps the pacing in the early part of the film crisp, but things slacken markedly as the film goes on, with lots of characters and story turns to follow. One new character is a billionaire jerk named Christian (Aristotle Athari) who might, possibly, be modelled on Elon Musk. Just a little bit. There's lots of tech talk and also copious discussion on the ethics of AI. It seems like we're intended to take the philosophical aspects seriously, but this really isn't the platform. Not that the ideas aren't worthwhile - especially when, in the real world, AI keeps getting pushed forward - but the handling didn't need to be so blatant. And this material sits uneasily beside the expected campier elements, such as M3GAN's foul-mouthed snark and the Knight Rider theme coming in out of nowhere (Tellytubbies, Knight Rider - are these references still current for younger viewers?) The second Terminator movie seems to be a big inspiration and, in a running joke, Steven Seagal and his movies keep coming up. In this instalment, M3GAN and AMELIA engage in martial arts fights. Well, it's different. It's just not great. Still, it's not a bad showcase for some New Zealand talent (it was filmed there) and some effects work was done in Australia. So not all technology is bad. M3GAN 2.0 M, 120 minutes 2 stars At first, I thought I had wandered into the wrong cinema. This movie begins like a political thriller involving the US in the Middle East (no doubt a coincidence but all too timely). I was discombobulated for a moment, but then there was an outburst of violence and mayhem from a killer android in a female body and my equilibrium was restored. M3GAN (2022) was a fun if unremarkable sci-fi/horror movie in which the title robot - a companion and protector for a young girl - went way beyond her programming and turned into a killer. She was finally stopped, but the low-budget movie was a big box office hit so a sequel was assured and, to their credit, the filmmakers don't simply do a rehash. But the new film is far from a total success. Excessive length - it's almost 20 minutes longer than the first movie - is just one of the problems. Unlike the first film, which knew it was somewhat silly - M3GAN was reminiscent of Chucky from the Child's Play movies - this has a fair bit of lecturing, and it ain't subtle. At the start of M3GAN 2.0 - set two years after its predecessor - it's not M3GAN herself who's on the rampage. It's AMELIA (an acronym for Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android) who looks like an adult woman (played by Ivanna Sakhno). She is the product of a secret, dodgy program using the same technology as M3GAN but - this will sound familiar - has become self-aware and decided to do what she wants, when she wants. And her ambitions make M3GAN look like an underachiever. Meanwhile, M3GAN's creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become an author and fierce advocate for regulating artificial intelligence. Gemma's relationship with her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is still strained - quite apart from the traumatising events from before, the kid is an orphan who feels a bit neglected (and, of course, she's a moody teenager regardless). M3GAN is kept safely in a harmless little robot body, but when AMELIA's increasing control over computer systems and other technology gets out, it becomes clear Gemma will need to rebuild and upgrade M3GAN in order to take on the new threat. M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis) requests a taller body, a clever way to incorporate teen actress Amie Donald's growth spurt since the first film. But given what happened last time, can M3GAn be trusted? Director Gerard Johnstone - who scripted from a story he concocted with the first film's writer, Akela Cooper - keeps the pacing in the early part of the film crisp, but things slacken markedly as the film goes on, with lots of characters and story turns to follow. One new character is a billionaire jerk named Christian (Aristotle Athari) who might, possibly, be modelled on Elon Musk. Just a little bit. There's lots of tech talk and also copious discussion on the ethics of AI. It seems like we're intended to take the philosophical aspects seriously, but this really isn't the platform. Not that the ideas aren't worthwhile - especially when, in the real world, AI keeps getting pushed forward - but the handling didn't need to be so blatant. And this material sits uneasily beside the expected campier elements, such as M3GAN's foul-mouthed snark and the Knight Rider theme coming in out of nowhere (Tellytubbies, Knight Rider - are these references still current for younger viewers?) The second Terminator movie seems to be a big inspiration and, in a running joke, Steven Seagal and his movies keep coming up. In this instalment, M3GAN and AMELIA engage in martial arts fights. Well, it's different. It's just not great. Still, it's not a bad showcase for some New Zealand talent (it was filmed there) and some effects work was done in Australia. So not all technology is bad. M3GAN 2.0 M, 120 minutes 2 stars At first, I thought I had wandered into the wrong cinema. This movie begins like a political thriller involving the US in the Middle East (no doubt a coincidence but all too timely). I was discombobulated for a moment, but then there was an outburst of violence and mayhem from a killer android in a female body and my equilibrium was restored. M3GAN (2022) was a fun if unremarkable sci-fi/horror movie in which the title robot - a companion and protector for a young girl - went way beyond her programming and turned into a killer. She was finally stopped, but the low-budget movie was a big box office hit so a sequel was assured and, to their credit, the filmmakers don't simply do a rehash. But the new film is far from a total success. Excessive length - it's almost 20 minutes longer than the first movie - is just one of the problems. Unlike the first film, which knew it was somewhat silly - M3GAN was reminiscent of Chucky from the Child's Play movies - this has a fair bit of lecturing, and it ain't subtle. At the start of M3GAN 2.0 - set two years after its predecessor - it's not M3GAN herself who's on the rampage. It's AMELIA (an acronym for Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android) who looks like an adult woman (played by Ivanna Sakhno). She is the product of a secret, dodgy program using the same technology as M3GAN but - this will sound familiar - has become self-aware and decided to do what she wants, when she wants. And her ambitions make M3GAN look like an underachiever. Meanwhile, M3GAN's creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become an author and fierce advocate for regulating artificial intelligence. Gemma's relationship with her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is still strained - quite apart from the traumatising events from before, the kid is an orphan who feels a bit neglected (and, of course, she's a moody teenager regardless). M3GAN is kept safely in a harmless little robot body, but when AMELIA's increasing control over computer systems and other technology gets out, it becomes clear Gemma will need to rebuild and upgrade M3GAN in order to take on the new threat. M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis) requests a taller body, a clever way to incorporate teen actress Amie Donald's growth spurt since the first film. But given what happened last time, can M3GAn be trusted? Director Gerard Johnstone - who scripted from a story he concocted with the first film's writer, Akela Cooper - keeps the pacing in the early part of the film crisp, but things slacken markedly as the film goes on, with lots of characters and story turns to follow. One new character is a billionaire jerk named Christian (Aristotle Athari) who might, possibly, be modelled on Elon Musk. Just a little bit. There's lots of tech talk and also copious discussion on the ethics of AI. It seems like we're intended to take the philosophical aspects seriously, but this really isn't the platform. Not that the ideas aren't worthwhile - especially when, in the real world, AI keeps getting pushed forward - but the handling didn't need to be so blatant. And this material sits uneasily beside the expected campier elements, such as M3GAN's foul-mouthed snark and the Knight Rider theme coming in out of nowhere (Tellytubbies, Knight Rider - are these references still current for younger viewers?) The second Terminator movie seems to be a big inspiration and, in a running joke, Steven Seagal and his movies keep coming up. In this instalment, M3GAN and AMELIA engage in martial arts fights. Well, it's different. It's just not great. Still, it's not a bad showcase for some New Zealand talent (it was filmed there) and some effects work was done in Australia. So not all technology is bad.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
I became more cautious of AI because of M3GAN, says Violet McGraw
Violet McGraw "became more cautious of AI because of M3GAN". The 14-year-old actress didn't really know what AI was until she filmed 2022's M3GAN, and Violet admits that starring in the movie franchise has made her more cautious of the technology. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Violet shared: "I became more cautious of AI because of M3GAN. It scares me a little bit, and I never would've thought of it that way if I wasn't in M3GAN." Violet plays the part of Cady, who is sent to live with her aunt Gemma, a roboticist, in the horror franchise. And the actress admits that she developed an affinity with M3GAN, the child-sized humanoid robot doll that's powered by AI, during filming. Violet said: "I love M3GAN so much. If there was a M3GAN in real life, which probably should never happen, I would totally be best friends with her." Violet has reprised the role of Cady to star in M3GAN 2.0, and the actress feels her character has evolved since the last movie. She explained: "Cady is definitely getting more into tech after the first movie, but Gemma isn't a big fan of that because she doesn't want Cady to turn into her or make another M3GAN for that matter." Meanwhile, Violet previously revealed that she's eager to star in an action movie. The teenage star is delighted that M3GAN 2.0 features some thrilling action scenes, and Violet is hopeful of landing a role in a big action blockbuster. Asked if making M3GAN 2.0 felt different because it features more intense scenes, Violet told SFX magazine: "Definitely. "Everyone got older; Amie [Donald, who plays 'M3GAN'] got older. It was a different vibe, but with the same family, and same crew. "It made me want to do an action film so bad. "I'm waiting patiently." Violet originally wanted to be a stunt person, and so she would jump at the chance to star in some action scenes. The actress explained: "I love doing stunts, so whenever I get a chance to do my own stunts, I just get so happy. "I used to want to be a stunt person." M3GAN 2.0 features an upgraded version of the humanoid robot doll, and Violet was left stunned by how "insane" the robot looked and acted. The movie star said: "It had been a long time since I'd seen her, but she's just so upgraded - it's insane. "She's faster, stronger and more lethal than before. There's a picture of me when I first saw the 2.0 doll. And I was like, 'Wow!' "Your eyes get so confused because you think you're talking to a human being. "It feels like there's a real living person in front of me. And it basically is."
