Dropping like a bad habit in theaters June 27 is ‘M3GAN 2.0,’ written and directed by the guy who apparently didn’t learn from his mistakes, Gerard Johnstone, and starring Allison Williams (who probably regrets signing on), Violet McGraw, Amie Donald (the only reason anyone watched the first one), Jenna Davis, Ivanna Sakhno, Brian Jordan Alvarez, and Jemaine Clement (who clearly needed a paycheck). 💰
Initial Thoughts
So, you remember 2023’s ‘M3GAN’? Yeah, the one that was basically ‘The Terminator’ but with more sass and less Arnold? Well, ‘M3GAN 2.0’ tries to be the ‘Terminator 2’ of the franchise. Think bigger explosions, more CGI that probably cost a fortune, and a plot that’s somehow even more convoluted. But here’s the kicker: ‘T2’ was a masterpiece. This… isn’t. 😬
It tries so hard to be deep, man. Like, it wants to say something profound about AI while also keeping the campy, comedic vibe of the first movie. But guess what? It fails. Miserably. There are a few chuckles here and there, mostly thanks to Amie Donald and Jenna Davis killing it as M3GAN, but overall, it’s about as funny as a root canal. And at almost two hours, it feels like one too. You’ll be checking your watch, guaranteed. ⌚
Story and Direction
Remember how ‘Terminator 2’ made the villain the hero? Yeah, they basically ripped that off. Two years after M3GAN went on her little murder spree, Gemma (Allison Williams) is now a tech-hating activist. But surprise! M3GAN’s code is back, this time in a military robot named AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno). AMELIA goes rogue (naturally) and starts offing everyone. So, Gemma and Cady have to bring back M3GAN to save the day. Because that makes sense. 🤔
And of course, there are nods to ‘RoboCop,’‘Ex Machina,’ and probably a bunch of other movies they watched while brainstorming. AMELIA wants to take over the world by hacking everything, because that’s original. There’s even another AI involved, because why not? The script is so overstuffed, it’s a wonder the actors could remember their lines. Government agencies, corporate interests… it’s a mess. A glorious, confusing mess. 😵💫
The first movie was a fun, contained horror-comedy. This? This is all over the place. Exposition, betrayals, robot reboots… it’s like they threw every idea at the wall and hoped something would stick. Good luck keeping track of who’s stabbing who in the back. And the villain? Weak. Just… weak. The reveal is about as surprising as finding out water is wet. 😴
‘M3GAN 2.0’ limps its way to a generous 5.5 out of 10 stars. Yes, you read that right. We’re being NICE. 😇
Finn McFrame, celebrated satirical mastermind and self-proclaimed “Emperor of Irony,” started his illustrious career as a cinematographer, where his expertise in capturing every single frame of a squirrel stealing a baguette earned him accolades at obscure film festivals.
Born in the glamorous town of Boring, Oregon, Finn grew up with dreams of being a Hollywood director until he realized that satire, not cinema, was his true calling—or at least the one that let him sleep until noon.
Finn McFrame: changing the world, one satirical lens flare at a time.
