Wed. June 25, 2025
By Jerry Nunn
M3GAN 2.0 amps up the camp factor in time for summer 2025. While theater goers are looking for air conditioning with rising temperatures, this robot keeps things calm, cool and collected as she returns to the big screen.
The story of an artificially intelligent doll was a hit for Universal Pictures in 2022 and a sequel was inevitable. Aunt Gemma, played by Allison Williams, and her niece Cady, Violet McGraw, have returned to explore more in the world of technology mixed with human relationships.
What started as a high-tech Child's Play/Annabelle knockoff has evolved into Robocop for a new generation. The queer community has embraced this sassy doll and out actor Brian Jordan Alvarez comes back as Cole in part two.
The TikTok dancing is toned down, but there are still several meme moments along the way. There are several acronyms also. The Model 3 Generative Android meets her enemy, Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android or A.M.E.L.I.A. The antagonist is portrayed by Ivanna Sakhno, who resembles a member of the Olsen family, complete with a wide-eyed stare and an emotionless face.
Remnants from the first film carry over, then expand into a new direction as the main characters navigate more gadgets than a James Bond film. In the wrong hands, the banter between the characters could have come off artificial, but the stars are smarter than the material and know how to deliver an impactful line of text.
The camp quotient is an upgrade from M3GAN's first time at bat and this project doesn't take itself too seriously. Setting scenes at an AI convention and building a robot revolution was a good move on the creator's part because it plays off the public's fear of a technology takeover.
In Los Angeles, self-driving cars and autonomous rolling robots delivering packages are a reality. Programs are expanding and deploying across the globe as the population prepares to buckle up for the future. For those viewers who are unafraid of machinery, M3GAN 2.0 is still full of surprises and revs up in the last act.
It goes to places no superhero robot has gone before and relishes in the fact that M3GAN may never die. There will always be a little spark to bring the character back to life and part three will become a reality. Buckle up for the spinoff titled SOULM8TE, rolling out in January of 2026.
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