The Akela Cooper penned M3GAN birthed a character who became an immediate internet sensation. Fans flocked to the film and got a very special, funny, creepy, and cool new killer robotic doll in the canon. The demand for the icon was too high for a sequel to not be imminent. Many of us expected M3GAN 2.0 to be the event of the summer. So, returning director Gerard Johnstone, had a very vocal fanbase foaming at the mouth, awaiting the next installment. Luckily, Johnstone did the smart thing and gave people more of what they wanted while avoiding trying to follow in their beloved predecessor’s footsteps.
M3GAN 2.0 Plot: Gemma and Cady Navigate AI Dangers and Teen Drama
M3GAN 2.0 finds Gemma (Allison Williams) and Cady (Violet McGraw) two years after the events of the previous film. Their relationship is still a bit off, as Cady is now a teen who is tired of being treated like a child. Meanwhile, Gemma is still navigating becoming an overnight guardian. Gemma is also on a full-time crusade to warn people about the dangers of AI alongside her new boyfriend Christian (Aristotle Athari). As Gemma continues to overextend herself, she also puts pressure on her team, Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Tess (Jan Van Epps), at their start-up company. So, there is a lot of human drama in the background of what becomes an epic murderbot showdown.
Luckily, M3GAN 2.0 knows why we’re here and wastes no time getting to the kills and at least one android. I avoid trailers and spoilers, but I know how beloved M3GAN is. So, I knew there was a chance she would get the Terminator 2: Judgment Day redemption arc. After all, the easiest way to keep a franchise going is to make your star the hero. That was pretty much confirmed as soon as we met Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno). Sakhno’s Amelia is a formidable enemy for M3GAN, and they share plenty of similarities. Coming as no surprise to sci-fi kids, they even try to persuade each other to come over to their respective sides of this epic battle. The new murder doll on the block doesn’t have to worry about being everyone’s favorite toy, so she is free to kill at will.
Fans who wanted a higher body count in M3GAN 2.0 than we got in the first movie got their wish. However, it’s not our bestie dropping the bodies. Amelia is a military-grade weapon built with M3GAN’s stolen blueprints (that random scene from the first movie finally pays off big time). This surprising development forces Gemma to rebuild M3GAN to stop the new deadly doll on the block. However, M3GAN is leaving her PG-13 horror roots and entering her PG-13 sci-fi era, so things get pretty epic.
Gerard Johnstone’s M3GAN 2.0: Bigger Budget, Bolder Battles
M3GAN 2.0 clearly has a bigger budget, and it looks good on her for the most part. We see more of what this cute AI is capable of, and we get fun battles in fun spaces. She’s not lying when she tells Gemma, Cole, and her audience to hold onto their vaginas during a fast and furious car moment. There are many moving parts, adrenaline, outfits, and cool effects. This helps glide over the parts of the movie that might not necessarily land with everyone.
M3GAN 2.0 knows M3GAN is that girl and gives her plenty more to do. So, the people who play her, Amie Donald (physically) and Jenna Davis (vocally), also get to have more fun. It is a joy watching M3GAN throw fists and shade while trying to regain Gemma and Cady’s trust. No matter where you land on the love, like, or hate train, you owe it to yourself to experience M3GAN 2.0 on the big screen. Even when I felt like the movie might be too long or rolled my eyes at obvious reveals, M3GAN herself commands attention even with something as simple as an eye roll.
Rooting for AI in 2025?
Will this movie beat the Terminator 2: Judgment Day allegations? No. More importantly, it doesn’t want to. It is here to have fun and continue proving that big things come in small packages. M3GAN 2.0 also nods at Malignant in a very unexpected and fun moment and packs a few callbacks to M3GAN. The movie is frenzied and fun but not perfect. It also drops almost all of the threads I wish it had carried from the first film. However, our favorite AI murder doll is still a great time, even while she’s rehabilitating her image after originally getting the villain edit. This might be the best movie of the summer and is one of the few places you will catch most of us rooting for AI in 2025.
