By Ryan patrick.
M3GAN 2.0 written and directed by Kiwi Gerard Johnston, tries to thread the needle that Terminator 1 to 2 did, with mixed success. It goes to show you why James Cameron is a master film maker.
I’m not a huge horror, or Blumhouse fan, but I enjoyed the first M3GAN in 2022. They make good horror films with a certain aesthetic and they do well at it. The film was a campy horror-comedy in the vein of Chucky/Gremlins/Annabelle, and it’s a fun watch. Not to mention, it was a surprise hit, no doubt partly thanks to the dance going viral on TikTok. So of course we got another one. But hey, it was shot in Auckland, with some homegrown talent.
Set two years after the events of the first film, M3GAN 2.0 picks up with Cady, played by Violet McGaw, recovering from the events of the first film, where 4 people were killed by her AI best friend and “protector” M3GAN, played by Kiwi Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis. Now, M3GAN has to be rebuilt by Cady’s aunt, Gemma, played by Allison Williams, to fight AMELIA, played by Ivanna Sakhno, a new android based on M3GAN’s design. A nice excuse to handwave the fact that Donald grew since the last film. M3GAN, now the hero, has to defend her new found family, while also stopping a more advanced version of herself. Sound familiar?
Obviously, the filmmakers are aware of the comparison. There are enough references to Terminator, and Robocop, (even a little Ex Machina?), to make you aware that they are aware of it. And what sounded like a winning idea, how else are you going to justify a killer robot being remade, turns into a slightly bloated and confused film, with the now usual themes of the dangers of tech bros and AI (not that I don’t agree with that).
It’s 2 hours long, and it does move along at a decent pace. But there are enough dropped plot points that make you wonder how long it could have been. Which compounds with a 3rd act that should have been all fun campy action, completely bogs down trying to explain how exactly did we get here.
Still, it has some of the spark, charm, and quipiness that made the first film so good. Ivanna Sakhno brings a pretty good killer robot energy as AMELIA (looking so much like an Olsen that I had to check that there wasn’t another sister I wasn’t aware of). Germain Clement puts in an extended cameo as the obligatory Tony Stark-meets-Elon Musk evil billionaire role, bringing the same energy he always does. But sometimes feels a little too smart for its own good.
Ultimately, I’m always up for supporting something that was made by New Zealanders. But I can only really suggest this if you’re a real fan of the genre, or just need something that looks good and doesn’t take itself too seriously, to half pay attention to on a weeknight.
