Just looking at the box office numbers, it's clear that M3GAN 2.0 was a complete flop—raking in a paltry $39 million worldwide against a reported budget of $15 to $25 million. In comparison, the first film nearly reached the $182 million mark globally. However, despite whatever its earnings are from digital and physical media, it flopped hard. I still had a curious itch to see it, but not enough to shell out serious cash at theaters. Seriously, theater owners must rethink those outrageous ticket prices if they want moviegoers to return.
As for my journey with M3GAN [*] (2022), I came to it late—much like the awkward kid who shows up to the party after everyone has already left. I initially dismissed it; the trailers made it look downright silly. No matter how many people raved about it, I resisted. Then I was struck down by a nasty flu bug, found myself curled up in a recliner, wrapped in a blanket, with nothing to distract me. That’s when I stumbled upon the film streaming on Peacock. With nothing else to do, I clicked play. And what do you know? I actually loved it! No sugarcoating here—it's dumb and campy, and it features the emotionless charged performance of Allison Williams, and somehow, despite all that dreck, it entertained me in a wonderfully absurd way. So, despite the cacophony of negative buzz around the sequel, I still felt drawn to give it a chance, hoping for that same brand of mindless fun.
Now, onto M3GAN 2.0. Imagine this: an autonomous android, engineered to be the ultimate weapon, threatens M3GAN's beloved Cady. M3GAN persuades her creator, Gemma, to give her a shiny upgrade, transforming our beloved A.I. diva into an even deadlier force. Decked out with wild enhancements and her iconic attitude, M3GAN faces off against a wannabe techno-terror in a showdown that could have crowned the ultimate queen of mayhem.
But seriously, who came up with the convoluted plot for M3GAN 2.0? Someone really overcooked that story, stretching it so thin you could probably see through it. I mean, how did M3GAN manage to half-ass rebuild herself and haul everything into an underground bunker? Did Gemma lend a hand? What on earth happened there? I watched the unrated version, and by the end, I had more questions than answers—simple lines could’ve clarified so much. But I tried not to let the baffling script pull me down from my quasi-enjoyable movie experience.
There’s almost zero horror in this one, not that I’d label the first film as horror, either. It felt like the filmmakers aimed to craft their own version of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, placing the now-friendly M3GAN against the murderous AMELIA. Apparently, we’re just supposed to overlook her little killing spree from the first film, including the, you know, minor detail of offing a kid. Sure, the kid was a bully, but still—she killed a child. Once the horror elements were tossed away, the bizarrely heightened humor cranked up to eleven—whether that was by accident or design, it's hard to say. Some bits had me chuckling; others left me rolling my eyes.
The runtime nudges close to two hours, 30 minutes longer than it should be. The first half dragged like molasses in January, filled with scenes that should have been dissected completely. M3GAN takes an eternity to make her grand entrance, although it’s obvious her program somehow survived. And whatever happened to Bruce? Why didn’t Gemma rebuild him? Just more unanswered questions cluttering my mind.
But once M3GAN got her snazzy, taller body? That’s when the pacing picked up, and the action scenes soared. I won’t lie; I wasn’t surprised by the villain reveal—it was painfully predictable from the beginning. Once again, I’m left scratching my head at what the filmmakers intended here.
M3GAN 2.0 isn’t the tragic failure everyone seems to accuse it of being. I think many of those so-called YouTube critics are just hopping on the hate train, jumping on whatever trend is in vogue. If one person says a movie stinks, it’s as if a hundred others chime in without even contemplating their own views. I can’t help but question if they even engage with the films they review, or if they just parrot each other’s opinions. Personally, I march to the beat of my own drum when it comes to what I like and dislike.
So here it is, straight from the heart—I liked M3GAN 2.0. Yep, I said it. Call me crazy, but I genuinely enjoyed it for what it is: a silly, mindless science fiction action comedy. It’s far from deserving a five-star rating, but it’s not the cinematic disaster parade that everyone makes it out to be, either. Come on, folks, carve out your own opinions on films; maybe the world would be just a little brighter if we did. ╌★★★✰✰
Want to watch M3GAN 2.0. for yourself? It's available on DVD [*], Blu-ray [*], and 4K Ultra HD [*].
〜B.J. Burgess
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“The plot thickens… especially when you comment.” 〜B.J. Burgess