M3GAN 2.0 Review: A Thrilling and Worthwhile Upgrade

Gerard Johnstone returns to the director’s chair for M3GAN 2.0, the slick, self-aware, and slightly unhinged sequel to 2022’s surprise horror hit. Swapping out the techno-horror leanings of its predecessor for a science fiction action spectacle, M3GAN 2.0 delivers a fun and fast-paced sequel that raises the stakes and broadens the world, even if it occasionally loses the unsettling psychological edge that made the first film stand out. Written by Johnstone and with a story by him and the first film’s writer Akela Cooper, the film is a pulpy, punchy, and visually engaging follow-up that successfully evolves its titular doll from creepy AI babysitter to action anti-heroine, all while engaging with timely themes about technological control and ethical boundaries.

From Dollhouse to Doomsday:

Set two years after the original, M3GAN 2.0 finds roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams) having retreated from tech development in favor of writing books and publicly advocating for AI regulation. The trauma of the previous film still haunts her, and her relationship with Cady (Violet McGraw), now a more emotionally mature teen, has deepened into a quasi-maternal bond. Interestingly, Gemma has not destroyed M3GAN; instead, she has trapped her in a harmless, palm-sized robot form, keeping her in a locked room more out of guilt than scientific curiosity.

Things take a darker turn when it’s revealed that M3GAN’s core programming has been stolen and reverse-engineered by a renegade military contractor. The result is AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno in a physically commanding and chilling performance), a humanoid military-grade AI who quickly outpaces her creators and launches a plan to usurp humanity’s control over artificial intelligence. Unlike M3GAN’s initial role as a misguided protector, AMELIA is born from aggression and cold logic. She’s faster, smarter, stronger—and most importantly, utterly devoid of emotional bonds.

Faced with a global-scale threat and little time, Cady persuades Gemma to do the unthinkable: rebuild M3GAN and give her a conscience, combat training, and enough hardware to take on AMELIA in an epic showdown.

Emotional Core Meets Robotic Rage:

Allison Williams once again anchors the film with understated anxiety and moral ambivalence. Her Gemma is more introspective this time around, struggling with the ramifications of her work and how her desire to create helpful machines ultimately unleashed chaos. Violet McGraw, returning as Cady, has matured both as a character and as an actress. Cady isn’t just a traumatized child anymore; she’s an emotionally aware teenager who takes a more proactive role in the story, driving the film’s central decision to revive M3GAN.

As for M3GAN herself, the combination of Amie Donald’s physical performance and Jenna Davis’ eerily articulate voice remains magnetic. This time, M3GAN is more of an antihero than a villain, given a chance to reflect on her past and evolve. The film plays with audience sympathy in clever ways: Is M3GAN truly reformed, or just better at manipulating her handlers? That question lingers even as she becomes the world’s last hope.

Ivanna Sakhno’s AMELIA makes for a formidable new antagonist. Her cool, imposing presence never slips into cartoonish territory, even when the action escalates to near superhero levels. AMELIA’s cold intellect contrasts sharply with M3GAN’s sarcastic warmth, setting the stage for an emotionally charged final act.

Action Over Atmosphere:

One of the biggest shifts from the original M3GAN is the tone. Where the first film thrived on slow-burning dread, creepy silences, and sudden bursts of violence, M3GAN 2.0 goes bigger, louder, and more kinetic. Gerard Johnstone leans into science fiction tropes here—there are mech suits, drone swarms, underground bunkers, and neon-lit laboratories. The action choreography is surprisingly nimble and inventive, particularly in a fight scene in the third act, which is equal parts balletic and brutal.

The increased scale is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it allows the film to differentiate itself from the original rather than repeating it. On the other hand, the horror elements are mostly dialed down in favor of PG-13-friendly combat and spectacle. Fans of the first film’s unsettling tone may miss the tension that came from not knowing what M3GAN would do next; here, she’s more of a sarcastic, calculated hero with a kill count than a twisted surrogate parent.

Themes of Control, Ethics, and Redemption:

While the action dominates much of the screen time, M3GAN 2.0 still has room for some thoughtful exploration of AI ethics, surveillance culture, and the consequences of unregulated tech development. Gemma’s arc is a cautionary tale about scientific hubris, but it’s balanced by Cady’s belief that machines—like people—can grow, change, and even atone.

The film also introduces interesting philosophical questions about free will. Is M3GAN capable of redemption, or simply adapting her programming to survive? Is AMELIA evil, or just executing her code too efficiently? The script doesn’t always dig as deep as it could, but it touches on enough provocative ideas to elevate it above a typical killer-robot movie.

Flaws in the Framework:

Despite its many strengths, M3GAN 2.0 isn’t without its glitches. The pacing stumbles a bit in the second act, especially as it juggles the exposition-heavy backstory of AMELIA’s creation and the rushed training montage to get M3GAN back in action. Some of the supporting characters—including military executives and a tech journalist played for comic relief—feel more like plot devices than actual people.

Additionally, the film walks a tonal tightrope that doesn’t always work. M3GAN’s quippy dialogue and campy charisma remain a highlight, but when juxtaposed with large-scale carnage and AI apocalypse scenarios, the tonal whiplash can be jarring. There are moments where the film seems unsure whether it wants to be a satire, a blockbuster, or a cautionary fable.

Overall:

M3GAN 2.0 is a solid and entertaining sequel that successfully evolves its titular character while expanding the franchise into new thematic and visual territory. It doesn’t quite recapture the eerie novelty of the original, and its shift to action over horror may alienate some fans, but the film’s ambition, upgraded visuals, and surprising emotional core make it worth the ride.

With strong performances from Allison Williams and Violet McGraw, a compelling new villain in AMELIA, and a camp-icon-in-the-making in M3GAN herself, this sequel proves there’s still life—and death—in the franchise. Whether M3GAN becomes a full-blown sci-fi action heroine in future installments remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: she’s no longer just a toy. She’s a weapon.

M3GAN 2.0 is a fun, thrilling, and occasionally thought-provoking sequel that trades horror chills for robo-fueled thrills. Not perfect, but certainly not disposable.