“M3GAN 2.0” Is Amusing Entertainment That’s Not Exactly a Major Upgrade

In 2022, the Blumhouse thriller “M3GAN” really came out of nowhere and became a surprise hit. The first movie grossed over $181 million worldwide, exceeding expectations and critics and audiences praised it for its campy blend of horror and humor. A sequel was quickly announced after the first movie’s initial release, only this time, reactions were really mixed.

Two years after M3GAN, a marvel of artificial intelligence, went rogue and embarked on a  murderous rampage, its creator, Gemma, has become an advocate for government oversight of AI. Unbeknownst to her, a defense contractor has created a military-grade weapon known as Amelia, the ultimate infiltration spy.

However, as Amelia’s self-awareness increases, she becomes less interested in taking orders. Hoping to stop Emilia, Gemma decides that she has no choice but to resurrect M3GAN, making it stronger, fast, and more lethal.

I actually really enjoyed the campy horror-comedy feel that the 2022 movie delivered. Its campy feel and fun moments really kept you glued to the screen and really enjoyed it. Now, while this sequel still has that campy feel, it steers away from the horror genre and leans more into action-comedy territory.

While there are some entertaining qualities in “M3GAN 2.0,” the sequel is definitely a step down from the previous movie. The M3GAN character’s transition from a villain to a protective anti-hero can be both entertaining and a little familiar (almost like “Terminator 2”). Just like the first movie, the titular character provides us with more sass and sharp one-liners that can give you a light chuckle.

Also, just like the first movie, there’s another over the top dance sequence that is just as meme-worthy as the first movie. There’s also a memorable moment where the titular doll sings a cover of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” to a stunned Gemma that creates

a darkly, comedic moment. During this scene M3GAN uses that moment to assert control and express her possessiveness.

Even though the sequel steered away from the horror genre and delivers a lot more sillier comedic moments, a lot of the action is actually fun to watch. A couple stand-out, action-packed moments includes M3GAN using a wing suit to fly and a really awesome final showdown between M3GAN and the military-grade rival robot Amelia.

Despite the fact that some of the action and campy humor can be fun and entertaining, I sort of did miss some of the genuine horror of the first movie. Sure, there are some franchises that did a great job with a genre-swap, like “Fast and Furious” (for the most part), “Terminator,” “Alien,” “Evil Dead,” etcetera. But, the M3GAN series (which may have a premature end) should’ve stayed in the campy humor/horror department.

Overall, “M3GAN 2.0” is bigger and broader, delivering more action and humor, but many critics and audiences found it less focused and less effective than the original’s premise, making it an enjoyable, but ultimately forgettable sequel for some.

With the sequel’s significant box office drop, a “M3GAN 3” is very unlikely at the moment and a “M3GAN” spin-off called “Soulm8te” (Soulmate) was recently pulled from its intended January 2026 release date due to the sequel under-performing.

MPA: Rated PG-13 for strong violent content, bloody images, some strong language, sexual material, and brief drug references   (runtime 120 minutes)

You can currently stream “M3GAN 2.0” on Peacock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FeiTZMtwLA

• M3GAN asks for her new body to be taller. This was added to accommodate the height of her actress, Amie Donald, who had gone through a growth spurt since the production of the first film.

• The company that in the 1980s created the first AI is called Xenox and they have a research center in Palo Alto. Cole asks if this is the photocopier company. In reality, photocopier manufacturer Xerox funded a research center in Palo Alto in the late 1960s with the intent of entering the computer market. Though the company never did, their innovations from the 1970s were instrumental in the development of modern computing, in particular the Apple Macintosh computer and the Windows operating system.

• The project was announced on 18 January 2023, less than two weeks after the release of the first film.

• At one point in the movie, when the heroes are trying to find a car to escape in, the Knight Rider (1982) theme plays.