M3GAN was a sensation in early 2023, grossing $180 million worldwide and becoming a social media icon from the moment the first trailer was released.
It's no surprise that a sequel was swiftly confirmed, and it's even less of a surprise that M3GAN 2.0 has gone the Terminator 2 route of turning the killer robot into an anti-hero on the side of humans.
With it comes a change of genre as M3GAN 2.0 is sci-fi action rather than sci-fi horror, but while there's fun to be had with M3GAN turning from a killer into a sassy killer quip machine, it proves a significant downgrade on the original.
As the coda to the first movie showed, M3GAN was defeated but not destroyed and had wormed her way into Gemma's (Allison Williams) smart home device. She's been there for two years without Gemma's knowledge, until Gemma – and, by extension, Cady (Violet McGraw) – come under threat.
A defence contractor has been using the stolen M3GAN tech from the first movie to create its own ultimate weapon: a killer infiltration spy robot known as AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno). Unfortunately for them, AMELIA is done taken orders and she has her eyes set on wiping out the human race.
Who could possibly go up against AMELIA and win? Why, M3GAN of course. So Gemma reluctantly gives M3GAN a body, along with a few upgrades to make her even more lethal than she once was.
What to Read Next
The approach for M3GAN 2.0 is a smart one, avoiding the temptation to just do exactly what worked first time around. It adds a different dynamic to M3GAN's interactions with Gemma and Cady, while also allowing writer/director Gerard Johnstone to expand the themes of the first movie.
It's just a shame that the sequel doesn't completely avoid rehashing the moments that went viral from the first movie. So we get another dancing sequence and another unexpected singing performance, among others, that just feel like lazy attempts to capture that same response, rather than delivering a totally new 'must-see' moment.
Removing the horror element entirely also means that M3GAN isn't as interesting as she once was. There's no edge to her and while we're told, constantly, that you just can't trust her, the actions never quite match that. Without that tension, it's all very one-note that's fun for a while, but not enough to sustain a two-hour runtime.
The presence of AMELIA is intended to counter that and add the edge that is lacking elsewhere. It's a similar problem though where we're told what AMELIA is planning is apocalyptic, but it's so wrapped up in techno-babble that we can never fully realise the threat. She's just an emotionless killer robot, and we've seen plenty of those.
Related: M3GAN is streaming for free ahead of the sequel's release – here's where you can watch it
With the addition of AMELIA though, the sequel gets to replace its horror chills with energetic action sequences. It's unfortunate that the big confrontation has been largely revealed in the trailers, but there's a good variety on show, from Gemma getting an unexpected upgrade to a Mission: Impossible-tinged heist.
The problem is none of them are particularly memorable, certainly not to the extent of the corridor sequence in the first movie. As with other aspects of M3GAN 2.0, such as the impressive blend of practical and digital effects, the set pieces are executed well – even if some suffer from rapid editing – but don't fully involve.
This extends to a big third act reveal that will be immediately obvious to anybody paying attention. As well as extending the movie longer than it needs, the twist mainly succeeds in adding another familiar aspect to the sequel as it regurgitates a common trope.
If all you're after is two hours of M3GAN being sassy and doing more of the things you loved from the first movie, you can probably add a star to the rating from an enjoyment factor. But despite a promising genre switch, M3GAN 2.0 doesn't evolve enough to improve on the original.
M3GAN 2.0 is released in cinemas on 27 June.
Digital Spy's first print magazine is here! Buy British Comedy Legends in newsagents or online, now priced at just £3.99.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
