Two years after the events of the first film, and the government has taken the technology from M3GAN and created a soldier called AMELIA (??).
When AMELIA starts to act on her own accord, Gemma who now vows AI is wrong, must bring back M3GAN in order to stop her.
Direction
Written and Directed by Gerald Johnstone, who returns on both.
Cast/Characters
Returning from the fist film are Allison Williams (who produces again), Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Brian Jordan Alvarez, and Jen Van Epps.
New cast are Aristotle Athari as Christian (Gemma’s boyfriend), Jemaine Clement (as Alton a Billionaire investor), Tim Sharp as Sattler, and Ivanna Sakhno as AMELIA),
Breakdown
Set two years after the events of the first film, Gemma has vowed to work against AI – despite generous offers from the billionaire Alton Appleton.
What Gemma doesn’t know is that the US Government, led by US Army Colonel Sattler has used her technology to build an attractive female soldier named AMELIA (Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android) to go where humans cant. Now AMELIA has gone rogue, and Sattler calls on Gemma to assist.
This leads M3GAN to reveal that she’s still around, and ‘wants to help’ the humans (instead of killing so many of them like she did in #1). This sets in motion one of the most confusing and convoluted movies that I’ve sat through in a while.
There is the obvious cliche’ moments (Christian is of course the bad guy), and we never really get the vibe that Sattler is really good at his job, he comes across too much of a goofball at times (and that gum chewing just made me angry). Gemma is still written as unlikable as the first film too. There is one scene where Alvarez’ Cole calls her out on her behaviour, and he says exactly what the audience is thinking!
The character of Alton is just bizarre… I think Jemaine Clement is hilarious in other things he’s done – but this was just all wrong. The film lends itself to be a comedy, rather than the near thriller the first film was. The tonal change is jarring, and with change of characters (M3GAN becoming an imitation of the T-800, being the villain in the first film, and hero in the second?)
There is also too much reliance on comedy. The first film was dark in its comedy, where here, they are trying for laugh out loud moments (like M3GAN in the small robot doll). There is also an overuse of CGI, where the first film used it sparingly – it is in your face here.
It is way too long, with a silly mission impossible like ‘mission’ at the end, with (i will admit) some great choreography. Not enough heart (Gemma’s fear about being a good mother), and some horrible dialogue even the actors look like they hated to speak in front of the camera.
Overall
On par with the first film, but it relies too much on convoluted dialogue and it is frustratingly too long. There is also some poor comedy, and once again most of the characters are unlikable – with obvious cliche bad guys.
It is okay, but it pales in comparison to the first, trying to be a T2 with the robot antagonist now being a protagonist.
2.5/5
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