There’s already controversy about an AI “actor” in Hollywood, and I predict an upcoming scandal where it’s revealed several major motion pictures secretly used AI screenplays. Into this environment comes multiple-killer-robots movie “M3gan 2.0,” which I won’t accuse of either of those things. Though a little too bogged down, it’s not as bad as “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.” But despite its neon near-futurism and fun scenes like more of M3gan’s robo-dance moves, it’s not particularly daring.
A sequel to the horror-leaning “M3gan” (2023), this sci-fi entry (with some violence that happens so quick you can’t dwell on it; though maybe the unrated version is more extreme) is “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” with more talk but weaker communication skills, more details about AI but less emotion, and more whimsy but also less comedy.
The onrushing Judgment Day
The central conflict is that evil weapons dealers – initially undefined for the sake of a later surprise – have unleashed Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno) into the world’s war theaters. She’s the equivalent of the T-1000. M3gan (Amie Donald’s movements, Jenna Davis’ voice and a CGI face) is the equivalent of the T-800, but rather than being programmed off screen, we get lots of chatter about her programming.
“M3gan 2.0” (2025)
Director: Gerard Johnstone
Writers: Gerard Johnstone (screenplay, story), Akela Cooper (story)
Stars: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald
Can the heroes trust M3gan to not be evil? The conflict is internal, within M3gan. Writer-director Gerard Johnstone, returning from part one, finds some ways to externalize it, like when M3gan interfaces with the brain of her inventor, Gemma (Allison Williams), so they hear each other’s thoughts (and we hear both).
It bugs me that in 2025 mainstream movies are scared to portray the U.S. government as corrupt. It’s jarring in “M3gan 2.0.” Although the eventually revealed bad guy believes in one “responsible” person making decisions about AI, Gemma’s “opposite” position is that the U.S. government should make decisions about AI. The idea of trusting a marketplace rather than central planning is never broached, let alone on the game board.
A closing image shows a panel of suited old men, and it’s safe to say Johnstone sees no irony in the shot’s resemblance to “The Parallax View.”
Aside from that, “M3gan 2.0” is plugged into the quick rise of AI and the reality that society and individuals must make smart decisions about how to use the tech. Unfortunately, the chatter about the subject is so expositional that one’s attention is in danger of drifting, ironically, to a smartphone.
A mostly serious movie that’s hard to take seriously
It doesn’t help that a lot of the monolog-like dialog comes from Williams, who is alternately glassy eyed or smirking, suggesting she thinks this material is silly. The most annoying character, though, is Timm Sharp’s FBI Agent Sattler, unironically portrayed as a good guy who whimsically doesn’t understand nuance, only power. He gets less annoying when Amelia stabs him, but that only lasts a moment because we’re assured the wound looks worse than it is. But at least Sattler is out of the movie.
Also aiming for whimsy is Brian Jordan Alvarez as Cole, Gemma’s assistant. One time, we get the type of comedy we should get a lot more of, or none of: On an infiltration mission, Cole sneezes and accidentally pulls out a chloroform rag instead of a handkerchief, knocking himself out. Instead of a guffaw, it’s worth a “Huh, so that happened.”
Doing better at finding a tone in this tricky-to-act-in movie is Aristotle Athari as Christian, a tech genius navigating this new world where Amelia exists. Like a sociopathic Matthew McConaughey, Athari unleashes low-key entertaining speeches once “M3gan 2.0” lets him.
Since this is a movie about tech, I should note its achievements in the tech categories. Again, M3gan is a full-fledged character despite having a doll face and being a combination of multiple actors and a CGI team. (Amelia is simply played by the exotic-looking Sakhno and stunt people. I suppose because this robot is more advanced, she looks totally human.) Good stunt work is found in the fights, including by Williams and likely a contortionist double when Gemma wears a cutting-edge haptic suit.
The experience of watching “M3gan 2.0” isn’t totally boring – I can’t say I knew where the story was going – but it’s forgettable in that 2020s way. By giving us so much information about AI tech, yet not presenting in-depth positions on the facts nor the philosophical theories, this movie makes us long for the days when AI cautionary tales made stronger judgments.