The killer doll who became the meme heard round the world is back, but she’s a bit different this time around – or is she?
Could this AI robotic invention-turned-terrorist doll that only a child named Cady could love actually redeem herself in an unexpected second act? Of course she can if her first film, made for just $10 million, grossed $180 million globally and in the process became a genuine pop culture sensation and dancing meme that inevitably would spark a sequel. But in the fast-moving world of AI technology, miles ahead now with ChatGPT and other somewhat frightening innovations since M3GAN first hit theaters in 2023, what would a 2.0 version need to look like?
That is what we get in this quickly assembled follow-up that retains the horror elements — and importantly the humor — of the first but really mixes it up with some kickass sci-fi action sequences that actually make for a lot of fun and a much bigger feel to the ambitions of original writer-director Gerard Johnson, who has cooked up this particular story with Akela Cooper and producer James Wan, whose Atomic Monster has teamed again with Blumhouse to deliver this edition of the now-franchise.
Certainly M3GAN herself was not the first killer doll on the block, following in the bloody footsteps of Chucky, Annabelle and others, and even earlier this year another AI killer robotic hottie appeared in the sadly underappreciated Companion. But this one clearly has much needed cred and awareness with the public, so she has been elevated to summer blockbuster status by Universal which hopes this ramped-up version doubles the fun and gross.
Storywise, M3GAN’s tale of terror ended with her demise, deletion and disassembling into her creator Gemma’s (Allison Williams back along with a producer credit this time) home speaker system, ELSIE. She is thankfully out of the picture, and Gemma has changed her ways for PR purposes trying to make amends by becoming an advocate warning of the pitfalls of the technology that created the killer doll by creating the Center For Safe Technology with like-minded Christian (SNL’s Aristotle Athari) who also fancies her. The toy company she works for, and her two associates Tess (Jen Van Eppis) and Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez), are all now working on another — safer — creation called the robotic exosuit which can turn humans into a form of bot themselves, and which Cole niftily, if awkwardly, demonstrates in the lab. As for Gemma’s niece Cady (Violet McGraw), who befriended M3GAN, she is now a teenage girl of 14 and looking for purpose and guidance in life, even taking up Aikido.
Things start to go awry with the discovery that M3GAN’s blueprints have been stolen, leading to a nightmarish scenario where the Military Industrial Complex has created a 2.0 version designed not to be played with as a mere doll, but as a genuine military weapon capable of mass destruction if used for that effect. She is called Amelia (played by Ivanna Sakhno), and, well, the world better watch out especially when Amelia starts questioning her own purpose and goes rogue, out to murder anyone who had anything to do with her creation. Of course she does. This is where the action accelerates and M3GAN (Amie Donald, with voice by Jenna Davis) is called back into action and brought back from the dead, but with an entirely new attitude and purpose as the only one who can match Amelia at their robotic game. Cady becomes an important component here as well as still the one human who can relate to M3GAN as the bigger question we are faced with becomes whether this notorious killer doll has really changed her stripes, or is she possibly fooling everyone with her own devious plans once again?
With AI and its constant advancements a frightening eal-life prospect that can out-horror any horror film with its evil possibilities, the M3GAN franchise, as steroided-up as this sequel is, is fighting against time to remain science fiction instead of being a template for a future documentary. Still it is all a lot of fun to watch, and the filmmakers have met the requirements expected by a sequel designed to outdo its predecessor where more becomes the mantra. What made the first film such an instant hit, even in its marketing months before release with that dancing doll image, really can’t be replicated, but this edition is so jacked-up we still can dig it for what it is. All of the players deliver and there is a very amusing supporting turn from none other than Jemaine Clement as an Elon Musk-style tech billionaire named Alton Appleton wanting to take the latest creations from Gemma and company to more questionable heights. Clement delivers some nice laughs as you might expect.
Big shout-out to the animatronics and visual effects of Adrien Morot and Kathy Tse. Producers are Jason Blum, Wan and Williams.
Title: M3GAN 2.0
Distributor: Universal
Release date: June 27, 2025
Director-screenwriter: Gerard Johnson
Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ivanna Sakhno, Jemaine Clement, Amie Donald, Jenna Davis, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Aristotle Athari, Timm Sharp
Rating: PG-13
Running time: 2 hr