How exactly do you make a sequel to 2022’s M3GAN? Well, in the case of M3GAN 2.0, it has to be bigger, better, and badder. What do other famous sequels do? They up the stakes, make a new threat, and in some cases, they make a former villain into a hero. That’s what M3GAN 2.0 does but it tries to divert audiences before it gets there. This time around, it’s two years after M3GAN’s rampage and Gemma (Allison Williams) is now a voice for sustainable and safe AI usage. A new rogue weapon, Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno) is on the loose and based on the same tech as M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis, played by Amie Donald). Cady (Violet McGraw) is brought back into the fold because M3GAN is still around to protect her at all costs.

Also returning to help Gemma and Cady are Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Tess (Jen Van Epps) with a new tech startup that has plenty of attention. It also features roles from Jemaine Clement (an Elon Musk-type tech billionaire who has an interest in Gemma) and Aristotle Athari (another AI-whistleblower who is friends with Gemma and wants to ensure the world uses AI safely). Finally, it features Timm Sharp as an FBI agent on the case following Gemma and making sure she doesn’t do anything dangerous with AI anymore.

The cast here isn’t too huge for a sequel that expands upon the original in massive ways. Director/Writer Gerard Johnstone returns for this one, adding some much-needed continuity with the tone and action of the sequel.

The Good Of M3GAN 2.0

The best thing about M3GAN 2.0 is that it doesn’t try to just push the envelope a little bit. It goes full bore, knowing that this is a sequel to an already insane premise, so there’s nothing stopping it from being as silly and big as possible. The entire cast also gets this, giving performances that might not be Oscar-worthy, but are entertaining and aid the plot. In particular, Brian Jordan Alvarez and Jemaine Clement are two of the more hilarious performances in the film. Clement is only in it for a short while, but is packed with commentary on the various tech dweebs we seem to worship these days.

The action on display is very reminiscent of Terminator 2: Judgement Day. That movie is a classic of the genre, and arguably the best sequel ever made, so comparing the two feels wrong, but this movie definitely borrows from that one in many ways. Seeing the new updated version of M3GAN go toe to toe with Amelia is thrilling. Gerard Johnstone and his crew get some really good use out of all the action in the film.

The humor here is also on point, with some of the jokes getting plenty of laughs from a hateful press screening audience. M3GAN is just as funny in a more heroic role here, because she still has a general disdain for everyone outside of Cady. When her and Gemma go at it, it’s where the film really shines. There’s one scene in particular with M3GAN singing that is absolutely gutbusting.

The Bad Of M3GAN 2.0

With it borrowing a lot from Terminator 2, the film doesn’t feel like its own entity at points. Also, the horror aspects from the first film are nearly nonexistent, replaced by action and more comedy. That change in addition to the PG-13 rating and the thought that there’s almost 100% an “R-rated” cut coming to Peacock later this year, feels kind of cheap. There is some gore in the film, but it’s not outwardly shown on screen, and it’s few and far between. That all makes the tonal shift between the first and the second film stand out.

There’s a point where M3GAN 2.0 just kind of meanders in the second act. There’s a big gap where they really hit home with the mystery aspect of it, and there’s an incredibly convoluted plan that’s in place, so they can show off more of the action. Also, the FBI are at their absolutely dumbest here. Just completely useless. It’s played for laughs, but it just means the entirety of the movie is based on the shoulders of our main characters.

The Ugly Of M3GAN 2.0

There is a lot about AI in M3GAN 2.0 and the worst offense is that it normalizes it in regards to AI being our friend. Sure, technology is something that’s beneficial to us, but there’s an undercurrent here that we should co-habitate with AI. That’s a discussion for another time, but it’s disheartening to see a major movie like this come across like AI is our friend.

Also, Ivanna Sakhno is excellent as Amelia, but she really gets sidelined after a first section where she gets to do some dastardly things. At a certain point, she’s just a means to an end for the plot, which is really disappointing to see. Her performance when she’s trying to catch the attention of tech bros is hilarious.

That’s really the biggest issue with M3GAN 2.0. It’ll have something that feels like it’s doing something different or interesting, but doesn’t ever give any of those ideas enough time to fully blossom. Like the tech world, it’s always onto another thing, whether that’s a car chase, an action scene, or when it’s trying to be emotional.

But Robots Fighting Each Other And Some Nice Gags Make Up For It

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Through it all, expecting Terminator 2 out of M3GAN 2.0 is folly. There’s a lot of stupid fun in this movie that isn’t even something where you “need to turn your brain off”. You’re walking into a theater and watching a sequel to a movie about a killer AI doll where that killer AI doll has to get an upgrade to stop the destruction of mankind from a more evil AI doll. That’s the distillation of M3GAN 2.0 and if you’re not into that, you won’t be into this movie.

M3GAN 2.0 provides plenty of thrills, action, and a smaller bit of horror for a worthy sequel that’s a great time at the movies.

M3GAN 2.0 releases in theaters on June 27th.

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