Rating 7/10
When M3GAN debuted in 2023, no one expected a PG-13 killer robot doll to dance her way into horror history. Still, she did just that—slashing expectations and racking up over $181 million worldwide on a $12 million budget. The TikTok-marketed hit was creepy and campy. Fast-forward to 2025, and M3GAN 2.0 arrived with high hopes. But the sequel short-circuited at the box office like a Roomba in a swimming pool, opening to empty theaters and a dismal $10.2 million domestically.
That’s a shame because this is the rare sequel that improves on the original. M3GAN 2.0 dispenses with the “big” reveal that she’s self-aware and dangerous. The idea that a realistic doll would become sentient was never a surprise. By ditching the so-called “twist” that wasn’t, the chronicle can now lean into a more creative narrative. The account fully embraces its science fiction elements. What results is a story that, while admittedly absurd and convoluted, is more ambitious and entertaining.
Two years have passed. Robot expert Gemma (Allison Williams) has become a vocal advocate for regulating artificial intelligence. She is watching over her teenage niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), who is secretly studying computer science. An Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android is built using stolen programming from M3GAN. Nicknamed AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno), the cyborg, goes rogue.
Meanwhile, M3GAN (Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis), having quietly backed herself up into Gemma’s smart home network, reappears with a chilling warning. AMELIA is planning to target reclusive billionaire Alton Appleton (Jemaine Clement). With the threat escalating, Gemma reluctantly joins forces with the reprogrammed protector. She also enlists the help of Christian Bradley (Aristotle Athari). He’s a cybersecurity expert and trusted friend in her advocacy work. Together, they unravel AMELIA’s mission to stop a potential catastrophe.
This account suggests that a once-lethal prototype might be reprogrammed for good. M3GAN is pitted against a more powerful and militarized robot. AMELIA is based on stolen technology from Gemma’s creation and represents everything that can go wrong when AI is weaponized. The saga pits these two automatons against each other, crafting a tale that unfolds like an homage to Terminator 2, just as Schwarzenegger’s machine switched sides from villain to protector. M3GAN is now an uneasy ally, fighting a deadlier version of herself.
That shift in premise gives the plot a greater purpose. We’re no longer simply waiting for the lifelike companion to “go bad”—we’re watching an android navigate a world where independent AI is feared and exploited. The plot is layered. Government agencies compete for control of M3GAN’s evolving software. AMELIA raises questions about the nature of digital consciousness. Cady has grown into a tech-savvy teenager who learns to code, hacks into secure systems, and even utilizes self-defense skills. The high-speed chases, infiltrating secure networks, and a showdown between M3GAN and AMELIA are packed with energy. Sure, the elements stretch plausibility—but the picture embraces its sci-fi pulp roots, and that’s the pleasure.
To its credit, the movie doesn’t overstay its welcome. At a brisk two hours, it maintains a tight pace. It’s silly, dumb fun. The needle drops are amusing. The Knight Rider theme is heard after she hijacks Alton’s car as a getaway vehicle. At one point, the title character is forced to dance to synth-driven electro‑rock at an AI convention to blend in with the performing cosplayers.. M3gan herself actually performs when she sings Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” to encourage Cady. It’s more hilarious than inspiring. But what makes it work is that the film understands its genre. It blends better thrills, funnier jokes, and genuine tension. There’s even the required comment on our current AI debate thrown in for good measure.
Ridiculous? Yes. But M3GAN 2.0 is proof that when a franchise builds on its foundation with sharper ideas and better world-building, even a killer doll movie can upgrade itself.
07-01-25
2 Responses
The movie is flawed, still prefer the first M3GAN. That said, I agree with you for the most part and this is getting way too much flack for something that quite a few sequels do in changing genre. Runs a little long but found the humor and zaniness mostly funny. Pretty clear though that this was not set up for success as a summer release.
I appreciated the attempt at something different. The first M3GAN was your standard “evil doll” movie. Annabelle, Chucky, The Boy….I’ve seen that many times.