M3gan 2.0 (2025) * *

 

Directed by:  Gerard Johnstone

Starring:  Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Jemaine Clement, Jenna Davis

M3gan 2.0 is a classic case of not leaving well enough alone.  The first M3gan was a surprise hit and worked on its intended horror level.  M3gan 2.0 turns the lifelike robot into an antihero battling another similar robot named AMELIA, which the government developed from the original M3gan blueprints.  The sequel is mundane stuff which runs long and feels longer, trying to say something about the impending threat of AI and even finding a way to use a red digital readout with a disembodied computerized female voice explaining when something is due to explode. (T-minus 10 seconds...9, 8...)

If you recall the original, M3gan was an AI robot developed by scientist Gemma (Williams) to comfort her niece Cady (McGraw) in her time of grief over the loss of her parents.  However, M3gan went haywire and tried to kill Gemma and Cady.  I honestly don't remember much about the movie, but I read my review and gave it three stars, so at the time it must've had some positive effect.  Like some movies, though, I saw it, reviewed it, and moved on.  I didn't ask for a sequel, but when there is a hit, a sequel will follow.  M3gan 2.0 is ambitious if nothing else, but the results are meh.

In the sequel, Gemma is forced to help bring down AMELIA by a smarmy government agent and revives M3gan to help her do so.  Since M3gan is really the prototype for AMELIA, the lifelike robot will have the best chance at it with a few tweaks.  Still, though, M3gan remains a wild card and we don't know whether she'll do the right thing when the time arises or revert to her homicidal wiring.  The trouble is, we don't care much either, and I'm assuming a M3gan 3.0 will not be in the works anytime soon.