Hold onto your vaginas
Sequels usually come in two fashions. The majority are those that simply remix the key elements of the first film in an attempt to satisfy audiences by giving them more of the same (think every Jurassic Park film after the first one). Far rarer and more interesting are those that use the original film as a starting point to expand upon the film's characters and universe, taking it in a fresh, new direction that flushes it out in a bigger, better story. Examples of these rarer sequels are Batman Returns, Aliens and Terminator 2 (the latter two, proof that James Cameron is a master of better sequels).
Now, add to that latter list M3GAN 2.0. Viewers may recall that the first outing was a low-budget slasher horror film with a novel twist - the killer was a snarky adolescent robot that may or may not have simply been following its programming. The film grossed over $30 M on its opening weekend and went on to become one of the big box office hits of 2022, making a sequel all but certain.
For M3GAN 2.0 writer/director Gerard Johnstone could simply have served up more of the same (AI could write a script like that in two seconds - Someone evil rebuilds robot Megan, and her creator, Gemma, is called in to stop her again). Fortunately, Johnstone and M3GAN's original scriptwriter James Wan went a different direction. This time they went for a two-hour plus cinematic Hail Mary that scored.
This time Megan is the hero (well, sort of), helping Gemma and Gemma's daughter Cadie to save the world from a sexy military killbot named AMELIA (Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics & Infiltration Android). Think Terminator 2 with a mostly female cast.
Johnstone uses M3GAN 2.0 to explore some current topics such as AI threatening society, and how children are becoming too dependent on tech for their own good, but these themes aren't well-developed and seem more to drive the plot than actually discuss the issues. What keeps this wicked and wildly amusing film going is the exceptionally well-developed co-dependent relationship between uptight, nerdy Gemma, and the smart, sassy, and slightly kinky Megan.
Yup, Megan is the kind of robot that watches Gemma visit porn sites and comments on the pageantry of it. She's not above slinging out lines like "Hold onto your vaginas" as if she has one (or perhaps wishes she did). Before you go all squeamish on me, this is not the 9-year-old Megan of the first film. She's taller and more physically developed. A metal 17-year-old at heart. She had also discovered a moral compass, but isn't afraid to spin the needle on occasion (when questioned about her murder spree in the first film she exclaims "I was upset!"). Megan may well be the most interesting character I've seen on screen this year. She complicated in ways the script barely touches upon, and could easily be explored in future films, which makes this a fun universe to play in.
M3GAN 2.0 rises far from its previous film, but sadly its box office numbers show that the audience might have preferred just another slasher film. That's the audience's fault, not the film's. If there is to be a third film, I hope Wan and Johnstone don't listen to the reviews. They're on to something here, and it would be a shame to throw away so much personal growth for just another slasher-of-the-week.
K G Kline i a local actor and playwright.