‘M3GAN 2.0’ Review – The AI Icon Slays Her Bigger, Badder and Messier Sequel

The impeccably dressed and choreographed murderbot is back two years after going viral over dance moves in the sequel M3GAN 2.0, and, in true diva fashion, the killer AI isn’t interested in repeating herself. Returning director Gerard Johnstone, who also wrote the script based on story conceived with original screenwriter Akela Cooper, picks up from a tiny plot seed planted in M3GAN, in which a CEO’s assistant stole Gemma’s secrets for profit, to provide new genre slaying grounds for the meme sensation. That lets this sequel double down on what worked, namely its instantly iconic title character and camp humor.

Since the events of the previous film, M3GAN’s creator, Gemma (Allison Williams), has become an author and advocate for AI oversight in atonement for unleashing tech responsible for multiple deaths. Her niece Cady (Violet McGraw), now a rebellious teen, struggles both against her guardian’s overprotective nature and how her friendship with M3GAN ended. It turns out that Gemma and Cady will have plenty of time to reconcile their feelings over M3GAN when they’re forced to resurrect her to square off against a new high-powered killer AI, Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), born of M3GAN’s stolen blueprints and determined to unleash an AI apocalypse.

There’s a self-awareness to M3GAN 2.0 that works in favor of and against it. The sassy doll became such a fast fan favorite in 2023, and this sequel dedicates itself to delivering more of her. During the fairly fast-paced bid to revive M3GAN and get her into the fray, the sequel re-establishes the core dynamics between human protagonists Gemma and Cady, namely their dysfunction. The brief two years between films means residual issues to work through, with trust issues and Gemma’s lingering remorse at the forefront. Throw in Cady’s teen angst, a new love interest for Gemma in Christian (Aristotle Athari), and company stressors that have colleagues Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Tess (Jan Van Epps) feeling disregarded, and you have endless emotional conflict played up for dramatic effect.

Once M3GAN enters the equation properly, though, the human conflicts get shoved aside with little room to resolve any of them. It also means that giant leaps are taken to bridge Gemma and Cady’s natural reluctance to trust M3GAN with the killer AI’s inevitable redemption. In other words, in a film that pits two high-tech weapons against each other in a series of escalating, outlandish action sci-fi sequences, it’s the human storylines and arcs that require the most suspension of disbelief.

The star of the show, at least, more than delivers. Amie Donald and Jenna Davis are both back to reprise M3GAN’s uncanny physicality and deadpan zingers, respectively. Even better is that they’re given more to do, with M3GAN getting much more screen time. That also means multiple iterations, various states of battle damage, and, of course, new fits. Weta Workshop handles some of the practical effects, particularly with the robotic animatronics involved. It’s a M3GAN showcase, both narratively and visually, ticking off the meme boxes while evolving the character to ensure her original programming goal is finally met with satisfaction. 

It’s Donald and Davis’ pitch-perfect performances, along with Cooper’s talent for coming up with outrageous and absurd horror setups so comically fun, that offsets the sequel’s messier impulses. It’s the type of sequel that favors spectacle above all else, eroding the sharpness of its satirical commentary on AI and falling into a more predictable trajectory that wears its cinematic influences on its sleeves. Comparisons to Terminator 2: Judgment Day are apt and earned, but M3GAN 2.0 also borrows liberally from Upgrade and wedges in a Knight Rider bit. It knows exactly what type of movie it is, which means the humor either really lands or misses its mark entirely.

M3GAN 2.0 takes full advantage of its bigger budget, delivering more expansive set pieces and slicker production values. Its plot is more of a means to let M3GAN off the leash and induce chaos with her trademark brand of dry sarcasm and panache. The switch from horror to action sci-fi with a few horror-coded scenes surprisingly comes with a higher body count, and Johnstone navigates deftly around that PG-13 rating with a few bursts of inspired violence. It all makes for great summer escapism fun, even if it’s messy. It ultimately succeeds where it matters most: M3GAN never loses her edge in her infectious journey from villain to hero.

M3GAN 2.0 dances into theaters on June 27, 2025.

The post ‘M3GAN 2.0’ Review – The AI Icon Slays Her Bigger, Badder and Messier Sequel appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.