‘M3GAN 2.0' Reviews: Is AI Robot Sequel Programmed For Success?

Forbes

3 days ago

M3GAN (Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis) in "M3GAN 2.0."
M3GAN 2.0 — the sequel to the 2022 horror hit starring Allison Williams — is new in theaters this week. Read on to find out what critics have to say about the movie.
Directed by M3GAN filmmaker Gerard Johnstone, M3GAN 2.0 plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday. The official summary for M3GAN 2.0 reads, 'Two years after M3GAN, a marvel of artificial intelligence, went rogue and embarked on a murderous (and impeccably choreographed) rampage and was subsequently destroyed, M3GAN's creator Gemma (Williams) has become a high-profile author and advocate for government oversight of A.I.
"Meanwhile, Gemma's niece Cady (Violet McGraw), now 14, has become a teenager, rebelling against Gemma's overprotective rules. Unbeknownst to them, the underlying tech for M3GAN has been stolen and misused by a powerful defense contractor to create a military-grade weapon known as Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), the ultimate killer infiltration spy.
"But as Amelia's self-awareness increases, she becomes decidedly less interested in taking orders from humans. Or in keeping them around. With the future of human existence on the line, Gemma realizes that the only option is to resurrect M3GAN (Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis) and give her a few upgrades, making her faster, stronger, and more lethal. As their paths collide, the original AI icon is about to meet her match.'
M3GAN 2.0 also stars Brian Jordan Alvarez and Jen Van Epps, who return from the 2022 film as Gemma's tech team members Cole and Tess. New to the cast for the sequel are Aristotle Athari, Timm Sharp and Jemaine Clement.
The review embargo for M3GAN 2.0 was lifted on Wednesday. As of the publication of this article, the film has earned a 62% 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 61 reviews.
RT's Critics Consensus and Popcornmeter score from verified user ratings is still pending.
What Do Individual Critics Have To Say About 'M3GAN 2.0'?
John Nugent of Empire Magazine is among the top critics on Rotten Tomatoes who gave M3GAN 2.0, writing, 'M3GAN 2.0 is more absurd, self-aware silliness: a riot of timely tech paranoia, with almost no horror but a ton of successful comedy. Slay, queen!'
Robbie Colin of the Daily Telegraph (UK) also got a charge out of M3GAN 2.0, writing on RT, 'This uproarious (if not especially scary) sequel has the measure of the task at hand's silliness, and leans into it with infectious glee.'
The film also received a 'fresh' rating on RT from Clarissa Loughrey of the Independent (UK), who writes, 'M3GAN 2.0 is, admittedly, a pretty bizarre conflagration of tones and ideas. But so were most of the Child's Play films ... and the rollercoaster effect of never quite knowing what genre [Gerard] Johnstone might pull from next is a key part of the fun.'
On the flip side, David Fear of Rolling Stone gives M3GAN 2.0 a 'rotten' review on RT, writing, 'Her model is 2.0. The overbaked, underwhelming, narratively restless movie itself is 0.0 percent watchable.'
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter also gives M3GAN 2.0 a 'rotten' review on RT, writing in his summary, 'A convoluted mishmash with shades of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Mission: Impossible and the Austin Powers franchise. There are amusing moments reminiscent of the original, but in terms of tone and coherence, the movie loses its way.'
Alison Foreman of IndieWire isn't a fan of M3GAN 2.0, either, writing in his 'rotten' review on RT, 'M3GAN's greatest asset was never her heart, but her lack of one. It's somewhat baffling, then, that she is easily the most likable character in a lineup of algorithmically hateable humans.'
Rated PG-13, M3GAN 2.0 plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.