The killer doll is brought back to life to stop another murderous android in M3GAN 2.0. In the aftermath of the murderous rampage by M3GAN (physically played by Amie Donald; voiced by Jenna Davis), Gemma (Allison Williams) has spent the last two years campaigning against AI along with her new boyfriend, Christian (Aristotle Athari). This has consequently made Gemma distant from her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), and absent from important meetings with her tech-developer colleagues, Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Tess (Jen Van Epps), who are trying to avoid being bought out by the arrogant tech billionaire, Alton Appleton (Jemaine Clement).
Gemma soon learns that not only has M3GAN’s operating system survived and has been observing her and Cady, but stolen plans have been used to create a new military-grade android named AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno). AMELIA goes rogue and steals technology that could bring an end to the world. As such, Gemma reluctantly has to create a new body for M3GAN to stop this new killer robot.
M3GAN 2.0 Synopsis
M3GAN 2.0 is the follow-up to the surprise 2022 hit, once again directed by Gerard Johnstone (Housebound). Following the formula of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, M3GAN 2.0 switches genres from sci-fi horror to sci-fi action, with the titular M3GAN now the anti-hero instead of the villain. However, that doesn’t stop Allison Williams’ Gemma from having an immense distrust of M3GAN, even though 12-year-old Cady, once again played by Violet McGraw, remains sympathetic.
The new villain is a military-grade killer android named AMELIA, played by Ukrainian actor Ivanna Sakhno (Ahsoka). AMELIA is trying to locate a decades-old AI hidden in a vault and use its power to take over the world. This results in Gemma having to put her prejudices aside and assist M3GAN in stopping AMELIA.
My Thoughts on M3GAN 2.0
M3GAN became a hit in 2022 thanks predominantly to a moment of the AI doll dancing in the trailer becoming viral on TikTok. This, along with other meme-able moments, such as M3GAN randomly breaking into song, gave the film a very campy cult quality. As such, M3GAN 2.0 not only doubles down on the campiness but also turns M3GAN from villain to antihero, who is much more sympathetic.
While some decisions to turn a villain into an antihero can be questionable, case in point being Don’t Breathe 2, it somewhat works here. This is thanks in no small part to the voice acting by Jenna Davis (Lisa Frankenstein), who not only gives M3GAN a sassy personality but also adds nuance for personal moments with Cady. Then there are the many tongue-in-cheek references to everything from Knight Rider to Nintendo’s R.O.B. accessory.
While the titular character helps to keep M3GAN 2.0, the plot of the film requires a much heavier suspension of disbelief than the first film. The film is almost a satire about how ubiquitous AI has become and how the concept of cyborgs and androids seems to be leaving the realm of science fiction. This is particularly notable for a brief, but extremely memorable, appearance by Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows) as tech billionaire Alton Appleton, who uses neuro-technology to make virtual phone calls and get out of his wheelchair. Without getting into spoilers, it is almost a shame that Appleton doesn’t have more scenes in the film.
Ultimately, M3GAN 2.0 is the end result of what happens when a film becomes successful due to becoming viral on social media. The film is more about the “M3GAN Moments” than the sequel plot having any real substance. Also, the film loses some of its edge, now fully embracing the PG-13 rating the original was edited down into (the unrated cut is better IMO), save for the odd blood splatter moment.
Trailer for M3GAN 2.0
