M3GAN 2.0 Movie Review

“M3GAN 2.0” is a follow-up to the 2023 movie “M3GAN”. So, it could be considered a sequel, or perhaps even an upgrade. The first movie dealt with one robotic AI-enhanced android invention that became a deadly presence. Let’s bring back the original, and then double-down on a more high-tech version of the robotic AI-enhanced android.

 

To catch up from the past, Gemma (played by Allison Williams) had taken over care for her young niece. After her parents died, Cady (played by Violet McGraw) lived with Gemma. Aunt Gemma was always busy working at a high-tech department in a toy company.

 

Her workmates knew that Gemma was in over her head. Together they all worked on a new project that might be able to help Gemma care for Cady. And it could become a major marketing achievement. Cole (played by Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Tess (played by Jen Van Epps) helped Gemma to create a life-like humanoid android.

 

Gemma named her creation M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis, and motion-capture by Amie Donald). M3GAN had an advanced AI that allowed her be a companion to Cady and become her caretaker. It was all well and good, until there were incidents that caused M3GAN to kick in her super-protective programming. If there was anything that would cause harm to young Cady — it was up to M3GAN to end it. Even if that came to murder.

 

Years later, Gemma has changed in how she sees the world. She no longer wants intelligent robot androids to ‘help’ the human race. Cady is older now, and has begun to study computer science (like her Aunt Gemma).

 

Tess and Cole still work Gemma at her start-up, and one they get a visit from a famous billionaire. It is Alton Appleton (played by Jemaine Clement). He wants to ‘invest’ into Gemma’s company. Which means take over the start-up and kick them out.  Gemma refuses the offer.

 

Gemma gets a visit from an agent of a Defense Intelligence agency named ‘Smith’ (played by Timm Sharp). The US Government has used a ‘rented’ robotic AI-enhanced android that is called AMELIA (played by Ivanna Sakhno). They have lost track of this killer robot and it has gone rogue.

 

Where has this thing gone, and why do they suspect Gemma. It turns out that the base idea for AMELIA was stolen from Gemma’s original plans for M3GAN. So, it seems that M3GAN now has a younger sister?

 

“But why ask me anything about it now?” Gemma says. M3GAN is now long gone, ‘terminated’ in the prior years. But then later, Gemma finds that the ‘smart house’ where she is a perhaps a little too smart. This ‘smart house’ thing was set up by M3GAN, now living a Virtual World.

 

The old android shell is not working, but M3GAN is still around. And she knows that the AMELIA contraption is out to kill anyone involved with the original design of M3GAN. That means there is a target on Gemma, and on Tess and Cole. But the worst thing is now even Cady is at risk.

 

Gemma has a boyfriend named Christian (played by Aristotle Athari), and he runs a foundation to limit AI development. She is not going to let him know what is happening. But she does rely on her older friends — Cole and Tess. Cady eventually finds out. She still has an emotional attachment to M3GAN.

 

They all need to find out who first constructed AMELIA. Then maybe Gemma will bring M3GAN back into a physical form. But not as a humanoid android form. She first downloads M3GAN into a 2-foot plastic toy called a ‘Moxie’. How cute!

 

The pushy billionaire Appleton is having a big party in his San Francisco office. Gemma, Cole and Tess get there with ‘Moxie M3GAN’. Even in this much downgraded state, M3GAN can sling out the snarky remarks and barbed commentary. Some things never change.

 

Agent Smith is also at the event, along with a tall blond well-dressed woman. This is actually AMELIA, and this mean machine has plans to get to Appleton. Or more precisely, use Appleton to get to his server network. Pretty soon — Appleton is dead, the network is comprised and the whole crew is on the run from a killer robot.

 

M3GAN, in a cute ‘Moxie’ robot toy form, can still drive a luxury all-electric vehicle as they race to get home. M3GAN comes up with an inappropriate comment that reflects a famous line from “Jurassic Park”, but it’s not “Hold on to your butts”…

 

AMELIA is force to be reckoned with, and M3GAN can help, but not in the cute little plastic form as she is now. Back at the ‘smart house’, Gemma and the others start to formulate a plan. But who is behind all these nefarious actions? Agent Smith says there is something more to the development of AI. Gemma checks some historical records — and finds that there is an old story.

 

Never proven, there was a company that came up with an incredibly advanced chip. But it also went rogue and it had to be locked away. The person to lock away the first rogue AI chip was Christian. Maybe they can get him to help out. There will be a huge high-tech Expo tonight, so they can all sneak it.

 

Gemma and her crew have enough material and time to manufacture a new replacement ‘body’ for M3GAN. Now she will be able to user her skills to fight against the evil AMELIA.  The Defense agents, led by Smith, will be after them. AMEILIA will be after them.

 

Christian will not know they are looking for him. Does he have the information they need, and would he be willing to help? Of course, at such a large event — M3GAN might be found out and cause some commotion.

 

M3GAN 2.0 still has some moves that nobody knows. AMELIA has strength that cannot be overcome. Gemma continues to worry about Cady. Is she is doing the right thing to help her young niece. Cady is glad be around M3GAN 2.0 again.

 

But Cady knows that the helpful android can sometimes be a murderous non-emotional genius. Everyone else is thinking that all of this might be the end of everything — if M3GAN 2.0 is not able to take down AMELIA. So, how will it all end? Will somebody get ‘terminated’?

 

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“M3GAN 2.0” takes this sequel into a more high-concept version of the first movie. There is too much dialog about various techo-babble points. Something about how A.I over-usage and technology is getting into all aspects of human life. But the plot is a loose copy of some of the old “Terminator” movies. High-tech, near-human android faces off against the newest model – that sort of thing…

 

There is almost no ‘horror’ in this move, but many of action scenes are portrayed well.  But there are way too many scenes of excessive dialog regarding ‘scary technology’. The acting is fine, with Allison Williams and Violet McGraw (Gemma and Cady) being the focus. The movie is short-changed by the fact that ‘M3GAN 2.0’ really does not show up until it is half over.

 

The first movie became a Social Media sensation, with some well-placed dance moves. There are some similar dance sequences in this movie, along with an oddly placed (but well-meaning) song from M3GAN 2.0. There is no way to know if the stuff will catch on like it did in the past.

 

“M3GAN 2.0” is a follow-up to the 2023 movie “M3GAN”. So, one robotic AI-enhanced android now faces off against a more high-tech version of the same. “Terminator 2” anyone?