In another win for sci-fi fans who enjoy a particular brand of campiness, this sequel film is climbing the Netflix Top 10 Chart. After absolutely bombing at the box office, it slid into the #2 spot over the weekend in a surprising upset, and though it couldn’t dethrone The Rip for the top spot, it did manage to push Kidnapped into the background.
M3GAN 2.0 takes place two years after the events of M3GAN, when a lifelike artificial intelligence went rogue and embarked on a murderous rampage and was subsequently destroyed. The A.I.’s creator, Gemma (Allison Williams), has since become a high-profile author and advocate for government oversight of A.I. Without her knowledge, the underlying tech that makes her creation, M3GAN, tick has been stolen, and is now being used to create a military-grade weapon known as Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), with intentions to use it as the ultimate spy. But, as is the way with A.I, Amelia’s self-awareness increases, and she decides that she’s done taking orders from humans. Realizing that her only option is to bring M3GAN back from the dead, Gemma resurrects the robot, making her faster, stronger, and more lethal in the process.
Where Was the Disconnect Between the First and Second Movies?
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The movie absolutely tanked with critics, earning only a 57% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, with most feeling that it missed the lessons it attempted to impart on its audience in the first film, and instead relied on tired tricks and overly-polished graphics instead of actually telling a story. In short, M3GAN 2.0 seemed to amount to little more than meme-based jokes and soulless performances, ditching the horror entirely.
Matt Brunson of Film Frenzy rates the sequel 2 out of 4 stars, saying, “While the lively M3GAN sampled some DNA from The Terminator, M3GAN 2.0 fully drains Terminator 2: Judgment Day to such a clumsy degree that it more accurately brings to mind the title of MAD’s T2 spoof: Interminable Too: Misjudgment Day.” Jeff Bleck of The Blu Spot agrees, though with fewer quips, and adds, “M3GAN 2.0 is a rather disappointing attempt to follow up what had been a thrilling, silly, and entertaining sci-fi/horror outing, replacing the fun & excitement of the original with a surprisingly dull & tedious experience.”
Surprisingly enough, though, it did perform better with general audiences, bringing in a much nicer 81% on the Popcornmeter. “This movie knows exactly what it’s doing. It’s not trying to be deep prestige horror. It’s campy, self-aware, and incredibly entertaining. The kind of movie you can sit down with, relax, maybe have a drink, and just enjoy the ride,” said one viewer. Another rated it 4 out of 5 stars, saying, “I don’t understand the hate. It’s funny, entertaining, decent acting.”
It seems like M3GAN 2.0 is one of those movies that you just have to see for yourself to be able to come down on either side of the fence. And whether it was made in a meme factory to be a shallow husk of its predecessor, or a campy, snarky good time, it’s still pulling crazy numbers on Netflix, more than earning its spot in the Top 10.
Do you have a favorite moment from M3GAN 2.0? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.