'M3GAN 2.0' Review: A New Skin Doesn't Quite Work This Time
The idea of using a doll as a homicidal horror antagonist in film had been done to death for some time. Chucky has pretty much cornered that market for decades, but Blumhouse Productions and creator Akela Cooper decided to come for the king. Cooper's creation, M3GAN , was a massive hit released in 2022 and warranted the return of an AI doll. M3GAN 2.0 promised to step from the horror element into more of an action thriller and succeeds in some parts. The movie goes hard in the 'silly' factor, yet the new direction almost makes it forgettable.
New Zealand director Gerard Johnstone directs M3GAN 2.0 . Johnstone takes up writing duties for the sequel, and we see the return of Allison Williams as Gemma, alongside Violet McGraw as her niece, Cady. This time around, the two are forced to work with M3GAN, voiced by Jenna Davis and played by Amie Donald, to stop the more dangerous robot, AMELIA. AMELIA, played by Ivanna Sakhno, is on the hunt for something that will destroy the country, and it's up to our two humans and one robot to stop her.
If the familiarity of the plot of M3GAN 2.0 rings of the Terminator 2: Judgement Day elements, you're not delusional.
The script from Johnstone takes parts of the 1991 James Cameron film and gives them a more updated, ridiculous spin. The script works for about 50-60% of the time and adds more humor this time around. Gemma doesn't believe that this somewhat new M3GAN's intentions are good, while Cady falls on the trust side of the fence a little more easily. There are numerous instances where M3GAN has to prove herself repeatedly, which becomes tiresome by the middle of the second act.
It detracts from what made the first film work, and that's the chemistry between Cady and M3GAN. It hurt the film at numerous points and didn't allow M3GAN 2.0 to showcase the emotional stakes that some of the plot points promise. Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed some of the parts where M3GAN and the gang were trying to be one step ahead of AMELIA, but it lacked a bit of soul. However, the comedy aspect of the movie wasn't lacking.
Several comedic beats work well for M3GAN 2.0. Johnstone's writing allows Davis to take the Deadpool route with her level of snark and comebacks. That notion works well with Williams and McGraw playing their characters as the 'straight men.' It mixes well with some of the action and brings it home with a ridiculous singing number that starts awkwardly funny and turns into all-out hilarious.
Unfortunately, some of the foundations that work for M3GAN 2.0 are outweighed by the poor directing choices from Johnstone.
The filmmaker has worked on action projects, but this film is a step back from his previous work. There are times in the movie where the action set pieces featuring M3GAN and AMELIA really work. The scenes are well thought out and have an even peace. However, the further they go along, the more frequent the quick cuts become. I started getting lost in what was going on at a certain point, and it even left me a little disoriented. It's as if Johnstone was trying hard to hide the lack of impact or ugliness in the scenes, and it only makes things worse, and it doesn't stop there.
M3GAN 2.0 runs at a clip. The pacing is RUSHED and gives the movie that 'forgettable' component. The film is nearly two hours long, which could have allowed the entire story some breathing room. I got the feeling that Johnstone desperately wanted that breathing room by the third act when the pacing takes a hard break and almost gives whiplash. This is the part where the villain of the movie reveals themselves and presents their ultimate plan, which often proves to be confusing, convoluted, and downright unintelligible.
I wasn't expecting M3GAN 2.0 to be anything more than a dopey follow-up to a ridiculous horror film that could have failed but didn't. I applaud Johnstone for taking a new route with the characters, diving in hard with the concept, and making nods to other robot film classics, such as T2 and Metropolis (1927). Yet, the movie's script and direction feel rushed and, sadly, give it that 'strike while the iron is hot' quality desperately. I don't know where they can take this franchise further, but they might as well continue leaning harder and start genre hopping.
That's probably the only way to keep interest in M3GAN going and potentially attract new audiences. Grade: C
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