When I saw the opening scene of M3GAN 2.0, the sequel to the 2022 American science fiction horror film M3GAN, I almost thought I was in the wrong theater. It seems so vastly different from what I remembered from a couple of years earlier. M3GAN is directed by Gerard Johnstone from a screenplay by Akela Cooper, based on a story by Cooper and James Wan. Johnstone also produced the sequel from a script he wrote based on the characters created by Cooper and Wan. Of course, there is now much more discussion about the use of AI than when the first film was written, so it does make a point about how AI robots can be used – especially when in the hands of someone with less than altruistic intentions. There is no doubt that this is now an action movie with scenes very similar to those in recent and past Sci-fi action films (without naming names or titles – you can guess).
M3GAN 2.0 opens at the Turkish-Iranian border within a secret military installation – and the U.S. Feds are watching from afar. From that moment on, it is evident this film is not going to be like the original and does not have as much of the same humor found in the first script. The sinister AI on a mission in the Middle East is known as AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno), and she makes M3GAN from the original film look innocent (even though, by the end of that film, she was responsible for some deaths). Please view the 2022 film before watching the sequel to see the difference. Surprise/spoiler: the original M3GAN did not die.
Director and screenwriter Johnstone’s script has M3GAN’s creator, Gemma (Allison Williams), as an author promoting her book and advocating for AI oversight. Her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is a rebellious teenager with skills as a computer programmer. She now has training in Aikido, which makes her much stronger when needed. Gemma has her tech team, including Brian Jordan Alvarez (“English Teacher” TV series) and Tess (Jen Van Epps, No Exit), both of whom express that they don’t always feel valued as a whole team at the start of the film.
When the FBI begins investigating Gemma for her AI creation after viewing what transpired in the Middle East, the team must work together, and M3GAN wants to be a part of it. The team ends up more involved than expected, including small spaces and deadly situations. An arrogant tech billionaire, played by Jemaine Clement (“Flight of the Conchords” TV series), has some humorous scenes in this story.
Fans of the original story may want to view this during a matinee time slot at the theater or on a discount day. Fans of Sci-Fi action, car chases, and espionage will get a kick out of it.
The film is rated PG-13 for “strong violent content, bloody images, some strong language, sexual material, and brief drug references.”
Running time: 120 minutes.
M3GAN 2.0 is set to be released in theaters on Friday, June 27, 2025.
Source: Universal Pictures