Following a violent confrontation, a mechanical body is left sprawled out on the floor. A screwdriver is speared right between where her eyes would be, revealing the circuit boards and gears that helped the robotic doll function. Everything is over, right? Nope: police lights flash red and blue, the camera lingers on a smart home device, and while without a physical body, the doll’s consciousness is uploaded and the virtual assistant’s light flashes on.
The end to the popular 2023 movie “M3GAN” left viewers wondering what would happen next. Now, their questions are finally answered by the release of “M3GAN 2.0.” The film was released on June 27, two years after the audience had been left on a giant cliffhanger. “M3GAN 2.0” takes the series in a totally different direction and conveys a relevant message about the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) in our world.
Two years after the events of the first movie, Gemma (Allison Williams) and her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) are recruited by the authorities to help defeat a rogue military robot, Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno). Faced with this threat, they have no choice but to redeploy and revamp Megan to ward away the evil. The two stand back to back in an intense battle to save mankind from being conquered by technology.
The sequel abandons the original film’s horror attributes and leans more toward the action and sci-fi side of the series. In “M3GAN,” the bot goes on a killing rampage to fulfill her task of protecting Cady, while in “M3GAN 2.0,” she battles Amelia, leading to way more fighting scenes than jumpscares and gory deaths.
While this decision was unexpected, considering the original was marketed and widely received as a horror film, I think this choice opens the movie up to many more future pathways. It’s also surprisingly fun and kept me invested in the complex plot rather than trying to anticipate every murder that would take place.
Fans of the first movie will also be pleasantly surprised by the callbacks scattered throughout the film. “M3GAN” was characterized by the doll’s gruesome tricks and awesome but out-of-the-blue dance moves and singing, and, to no surprise, they return in the second installment. These details such as M3GAN singing to Gemma once again and beloved characters returning in the movie felt quite welcoming and well-connected to the first movie’s plot, while still holding true to the new storyline.
Even though most of the movie’s fighting and action scenes are quite exhilarating, the central character’s acting bordered on emotionless. While I will excuse a robotic doll for not displaying much feeling on her plastic face, it seemed as though some villains, like Christian Bradley (Aristotle Athari), lacked motivation, and their drive felt forced.
Still, as a movie centered around robots and AI, the sequel provided an important message for viewers. In the beginning of the film, Gemma advocates against the usage of AI in daily life, but once she is forcibly re-exposed to her creations, she begins to believe in the responsible usage of AI. The lesson this movie teaches us is that while AI has its negative effects, it is still a more than useful tool if it is treated and used with care.
With the amount of action and hidden messages packed into this movie, “M3GAN 2.0” is definitely a better watch than its predecessor, although both are so different that it is hard to make a comparison. It is nothing revolutionary, but I admire how it adds significance to a series that originally seemed bleak and one-sided. I am looking forward to seeing where the series goes next.
