Take 22: M3GAN 2.0
In M3GAN 2.0, two years have passed since the events of the first film. The government has acquired the original M3GAN’s robot technology and have created their own military weapon AMELIA. When AMELIA goes rogue, it’s clear that in order to fight fire with fire, M3GAN is brought back, but can she be trusted?
If only it were that simple. This is a VERY simplified summary. What we actually got a a bit of a confusing, convoluted mess of a plot. Yeah, I’d go as far as dense. And this movie ain’t suppose to be that. This movie is vastly different from the first. The original was a campy, horror romp.This is much more an action movie. In first movie, M3GAN is a snarking quippy for lack of a better word, “character” and it worked. Unfortunately, it feels like she is barely even in the movie, and when she was on the screen, she wasn’t stealing the scenes like before. She is playing a watered down version of herself.
Hear me out: there are bits of Terminator 2 all throughout this movie, almost an offbeat homage. The terrifying antagonist of the first film is now the A.I. protagonist of this one-check. Once she convinces the other heroes in the film that she can be trusted, she must face off against the updated model- check. A message or warning about the dangers of A.I.- check. It’s all there. Unfortunately, that’s an about where the similarities end.
At no point does this feel like an horror film which is unfortunate. The irony that this cute little “living doll” is a deadly killer is a what sells the original. It’s what we wanted to see. This works fine as an action movie, but it’s not what we signed up for. It’s trying to tell a different story, and that’s not a crime, but it seemed strange to veer so far from what made it a success in the first place. I wouldn’t say it’s a BAD movie, but it definitely isn’t what I was expecting. Sometimes, ,that’s a good thing. But when the first was such it’s own specific thing and to have very little of that…
My score 7.2- not the worst by any stretch, but didn’t scratch it I was hoping for. At all.
Am I crazy? Do I need to reboot MY senses? Let me know in the comments. Until next time…
