By 
A SEQUEL ‘UPDATE’ THAT
DOWNGRADES THE FRANCHISE
In 2023, moviegoers were introduced to the sci-fi horror hit M3GAN, a film that quickly became a viral sensation across TikTok and other social media platforms. Directed by Gerard Johnstone and starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, and Jenna Davis, the story followed an artificially intelligent doll who develops self-awareness, and a lethal protectiveness over her human companion, turning violent toward anyone who threatens their bond, including her own creator. The film became a modest blockbuster, earning $181 million worldwide against a $12 million budget, and it received strong praise from audiences who embraced its camp-leaning blend of humor and horror. Unsurprisingly, a sequel was fast-tracked following its successful theatrical run. Now, two years later, Universal Pictures (in association with Blumhouse Productions) and director Gerard Johnstone present the follow-up feature, M3GAN 2.0. But does the return of this vengeful automaton earn its upgrade, or is it a far cry from what made the original so fun and engaging?
THE STORY
Several years have passed since the destruction of M3GAN (Jenna Davis). In that time, Gemma (Allison Williams) has devoted herself to combating the rapid rise of artificial intelligence across the globe, all while keeping a close watch on Cady (Violet McGraw), her now-teenage daughter, and her expanding online presence. Determined to prevent another M3GAN-level catastrophe, Gemma has been lobbying for stronger AI regulations, but her warnings fall on deaf ears. Members of the Defense Innovation Project, including the dismissive Sattler (Timm Sharp), have moved ahead with AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno), a weaponized AI unit designed to eliminate high-level threats to national security. Unsurprisingly, AMELIA goes rogue. Facing a crisis she once feared might come, Gemma makes an unexpected, and deeply uncomfortable, choice: to bring back M3GAN, whose consciousness has remained dormant and bodiless for years, quietly waiting for an opportunity to return. After learning that AMELIA is hunting for a critical motherboard component that could trigger a global disaster, Gemma, along with Cady, Tess (Jenna Van Epps), and Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez), constructs a new robotic body for M3GAN to inhabit. With the clock ticking, they must place their trust in the very entity who once tried to kill them. But as AMELIA’s mission accelerates and the world edges toward catastrophe, one question looms: Is M3GAN truly humanity’s best hope… or is she simply playing a longer, deadlier game?
THE GOOD / THE BAD
I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t particularly impressed with 2022’s M3GAN. When the trailers and promotional material first dropped, my reaction was pretty indifferent, “meh” at best. The whole concept felt like a watered-down blend of Terminator and Child’s Play, and nothing about the marketing really enticed me, despite its explosion across social media. Still, I gave the movie a chance after its theatrical release…and came away feeling much the same.
The influences I initially suspected were unmistakable throughout the film, but in a far more diluted form. Its PG-13 rating also held it back, softening the violence in a way that made the horror feel toothless. I know an “unrated” version was later released to address some of those issues, but I never felt compelled to seek it out.
My biggest frustration was how uneven the movie often felt. The narrative became repetitive, the plotting predictable, and while the performances were generally fine, the tone frequently slipped into excessive camp. I understand that the film intentionally embraced that cheesy, meme-friendly vibe, but at times it pushed so far into silliness that it undercut the darker elements of its premise. In the end, M3GAN became a viral hit for many, but for me, it was too cheesy, too self-amused, and too in love with its own concept to leave a lasting impression.
Naturally, this brings me to M3GAN 2.0, the 2025 sci-fi action sequel to the 2023 viral hit. Given how quickly the first film’s success prompted Universal and Blumhouse to announce a follow-up, I knew a continuation was inevitable. Before long, M3GAN 2.0 was officially slated for a summer 2025 release, with Gerard Johnstone returning to direct and several cast members, Violet McGraw, Jenna Davis, and Allison Williams, set to reprise their roles.
I can’t say I was excited. I assumed the marketing campaign would generate plenty of buzz regardless, and it certainly did. The trailers looked fine when I caught them here and there, but the footage felt largely familiar, nothing that genuinely sparked anticipation. I did see the movie during its opening weekend on June 27th, 2025, though work obligations and a backlog of other reviews delayed my ability to write about it. Now that I’m finally caught up, I’m ready to share my thoughts on this sequel. And what did I think?
Well… let’s just say I prefer the first film by a wide margin. While M3GAN 2.0 makes some stabs at deeper character development and leans harder into sci-fi action, the result is a bewildering, haphazardly derivative sequel that feels disconnected from what made the original entertaining and engaging. It’s a sequel suffering from a classic case of mistaken identity, and that’s rarely a good sign.
Returning to the director’s chair for M3GAN 2.0 is Gerard Johnstone, who helmed the first film as well as episodes of Terry Teo and The New Legends of Monkey. Given his familiarity with the material, Johnstone is naturally the most fitting choice to steer this sequel, and to his credit, he does what he can to broaden the scope of this world. Drawing on the tone and appeal of the original, he doubles down on the elements that made M3GAN a crowd favorite, particularly its self-awareness and its blend of dark humor sprinkled with light horror beats.
The result feels similar to the first film, yet noticeably different. On the positive side, Johnstone leans confidently into the franchise’s campiness. He knows exactly how thick to lay on the cheekiness, embracing goofy, self-referential moments that play to the series’ strengths. The overall experience has a looser, more deliberately fun energy compared to the original, with Johnstone toying with bigger ideas and giving himself room to experiment. The comedy and action are noticeably more “amped up” this time, and, at least in my opinion, executed better than before. While this tonal shift may change the dynamic in certain scenes, I found these heightened elements to be among the film’s more enjoyable aspects. For that, Johnstone deserves credit.
Like many sequels, M3GAN 2.0 aims for a broader narrative canvas. Johnstone expands the story beyond a simple “toy gone wrong” premise and ventures into a more global conversation about AI technology and society’s growing dependence on it. Although filtered through a cinematic, heightened “save-the-world” framework, the film does attempt to position AI as a cautionary tale, something rooted in real-world anxieties.
The movie also continues exploring the theme of relationships, particularly among its returning core trio: Gemma, Cady, and M3GAN. Some of these emotional beats can feel a bit silly, but there’s still a sincere effort to maintain a sense of heart, showing how their complicated bonds evolve and intersect throughout the narrative.
In terms of presentation, M3GAN 2.0 looks solid, certainly a step up from the “industry standard” of similarly budgeted projects, including the original film. While much of the production embraces grounded, real-world environments, the movie leans more heavily into its sci-fi influences this time around, weaving in futuristic touches that complement the story’s expanded scale. The result is a visual layout that feels appropriately heightened for the film’s more fantastical science-fiction ambitions. Credit is due to the behind-the-scenes team, Brendan Hefferman and Adam Wheatley (production design), Tracey Collins (set decoration), Jeriana San Juan (costume design), and the broader art department, for bringing this world to life with an effective balance of realism and stylized tech flair.
Cinematographer Toby Oliver also contributes some sleek, dramatically pitched visuals. While the film doesn’t compete with major blockbuster spectacle or prestige productions, the camerawork delivers enough polished moments to elevate several of the action-heavy and tension-driven sequences. Lastly, Chris Bacon’s score does respectable work throughout. It adds tension where needed, softens into atmospheric warmth during quieter character moments, and generally supports the movie’s tone without overpowering it.
Unfortunately, M3GAN 2.0 is far from a solid follow-up and, at least in my opinion, ultimately lands as a weaker entry than its predecessor, weighed down by several glaring issues. My biggest criticism lies in the film’s tone and its overindulgence in self-awareness. The first M3GAN understood exactly what it wanted to be: a camp-leaning blend of horror, sci-fi, and dark humor. It wasn’t perfect, but that combination, the film’s “bread and butter”, gave it a distinct personality. The sequel, however, leans so aggressively into cheekiness and meta-humor that it becomes clunky, overbearing, and frankly annoying. Johnstone’s direction is largely to blame; he pushes the self-aware angle so hard that the movie collapses under its own winking attitude. What should feel playful instead comes across as forced, muddled, and tonally chaotic from beginning to end.
This is a classic case of mistaken identity, a sequel casting too wide a net in an attempt to broaden its appeal. Rather than refining the formula, the film tries to be everything at once: a comedy, a sci-fi spectacle, a horror thriller, and even, bizarrely, a musical for a brief moment. The execution of these ideas is clumsy. Scenes meant to be dire or frightening become unintentionally goofy; emotional beats feel superficial; the horror elements, once the franchise’s backbone, are diluted to the point of near-absence. The film loses the sharp edge the original possessed, leaving behind a weaker story, exaggerated gags, and characters who feel wooden and one-dimensional.
In the end, M3GAN 2.0 feels like a watered-down B-movie version of a film that already flirted with B-movie sensibilities. Instead of carving out its own identity, it becomes a cheap imitation of what came before—trying desperately to be something else entirely, and failing in the process.
Another major problem lies in the script itself, written by Johnstone and Akela Cooper. The screenplay is derivative, bland, and burdened by far too many competing ideas. While the opening stretch, centered on modern anxieties surrounding AI, is surprisingly engaging, the narrative quickly loses focus near the end of the first act. From there, it devolves into a contrived, increasingly nonsensical sequence of story beats. Motivations are clear but handled awkwardly; plot points exist but are delivered with cheesy execution; characters appear but feel like hollow caricatures. It’s evident that the script aspires to surpass the original, but the result is a messy, chaotic patchwork that rarely comes together. What begins as a story about the return of a murderous, self-aware robot abruptly shifts into a “save the world from evil government AI” storyline. The movie drifts so far into sci-fi territory that the horror roots nearly disappear.
Because of all this, M3GAN 2.0 often feels bloated and sluggish, overstuffed with characters, subplots, and tonal pivots that lead nowhere. Even the dialogue suffers, coming across far cheesier than anything in the first film. Could this sequel have worked with a stronger script? Absolutely. Instead, it squanders its potential, leaving the overall experience dull, overextended, and disappointingly uninspired.
The cast of M3GAN 2.0 is adequate, with several returning actors reprising their roles while a handful of newcomers join the sequel. Unfortunately, the characters themselves, how they’re written, developed, and utilized, are where things become messy. Most are surface-level archetypes with little depth beyond their initial setup, and the clunky, wooden dialogue only further diminishes them. The result is a lineup of “cookie-cutter” personalities who feel stock-like and formulaic, which contributes heavily to the sequel’s overall weakness.
Leading the film once again is Allison Williams as Gemma, M3GAN’s creator. Known for Girls, The Perfection, and Get Out, Williams remains a competent performer, and she brings a handful of convincing, relatable moments, mainly in her scenes with Cady. However, M3GAN 2.0 strips away much of the character growth Gemma earned in the first film. Now positioned more as a surrogate guardian than a true parental figure, she also loses some of her identity as M3GAN’s brilliant inventor. In this sequel, she comes off more like a generic computer scientist. Williams does a respectable enough job with what she’s given, but the character simply doesn’t grow.
Behind her, actress Violet McGraw (Jett and The Haunting of Hill House) also returns as Cady, Gemma’s niece that bonds with M3GAN in the first movie and becomes the primary subject for the robot creation. While McGraw was perfectly cast in the first film, capturing the innocence and vulnerability the story needed, her role in the sequel is noticeably diminished. Here, Cady is written as a fairly typical teenager, serviceable to the plot but rarely essential until the third act. She drifts in and out of the narrative with little impact, and her character falls victim to familiar tropes. McGraw does the best she can, but the material doesn’t give her much room to stand out.
Of course, the true centerpiece, both for the audience and the franchise, is M3GAN herself, portrayed once again through the combined efforts of Amie Donald (physical performance) and Jenna Davis (voice). Donald (Sweet Tooth) continues to excel at embodying M3GAN’s uncanny physicality, blending a warm, almost friendly presence with unsettling mechanical precision. Davis (Raven’s Home and Treehouse Detectives) delivers another strong vocal performance, shifting effortlessly between playful and menacing tones. As a character, however, M3GAN feels somewhat diluted this time. Positioned more as a reluctant hero than a villain, she still retains her murderous tendencies, but the shift toward a protagonist role sometimes comes across as forced and overly conventional. Donald and Davis remain excellent, and M3GAN is undeniably the heart of the film, but she’s not nearly as sharp or impactful as before.
Among the newcomers, the standout is Ivanna Sakhno (Ashoka and The Spy Who Dumped Me) as AMELIA, a militarized, self-aware android built from M3GAN’s original design and serving as the film’s antagonist. Sakhno delivers a solid performance, effectively filling the role of a cold, ruthless AI threat. Yet the character itself feels underdeveloped. There are hints of deeper potential toward the film’s finale, but by then it’s too little, too late. AMELIA works well enough within the story, but she never becomes more than a serviceable villain.
A similar issue applies to Aristotle Athari (Athari (Saturday Night Live and Hacks) as Christian, a cybersecurity expert, anti-AI activist, and mild love interest for Gemma. Athari is fine in the role, though saddled with cheesy dialogue, but the character is derivative, functioning mostly as a stock figure with a predictable agenda, ultimately leaning toward a secondary antagonist.
The rest of the cat, including actor Brian Jordan Alvarez (Will & Grace and Jane the Virgin) as Cole, actress Jen Van Epps (Don’t Make Me Go and Together Forever Tea) as Tess, actor Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords and Moana) as corrupt tech billionaire Alton Appleton, and actor Timm Sharp (Undeclared and Enlightened) as army colonel Sattler, make up the supporting players in the movie. While the acting talent is not called into question (most of them give decent performances), the characters that they play usually don’t amount to much beyond “cannon fodder”.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Gemma and Cady are pulled back into danger as the sentient, murderous M3GAN returns, this time to help stop a new rogue AI threat bent on global destruction in M3GAN 2.0. Director Gerard Johnstone’s latest installment expands on the 2022 film by pushing the concept into a bigger, more ambitious adventure and doubling down on the elements audiences initially found entertaining. The intent is clear, and some ideas show promise. However, the execution is where the film falters. M3GAN 2.0 becomes far too self-aware for its own good, leaning heavily into goofy antics and stumbling into a long list of pitfalls. Johnstone’s direction feels uneven. The script is weak and overburdened with half-baked ideas. The dialogue is wooden. The tone shifts wildly. The pacing drags. Nearly every character is undercooked. What should feel energetic and clever instead becomes formulaic, clunky, and oddly hollow. Personally, I did not care for this movie. The sequel tries to tackle far too much and ends up a jumbled mix of sci-fi action and forced humor, ultimately losing the horror edge that made the original, even with its flaws, more engaging. The narrative and characters are painfully predictable, and the film’s self-aware nature becomes more of a hindrance than a charm. Despite not being a big fan of the first M3GAN, I still found that entry far more enjoyable than this one. For that reason, my recommendation is a firm “skip it.” The sequel adds little to the franchise, diminishes what made the original unique, and struggles to justify its own existence. Fans of the first film might appreciate the heightened self-awareness, but most viewers will not find much worth sticking around for. There are already talks of a third M3GAN movie and even a spinoff titled Soulm8te, but after this lackluster outing, I cannot say I am eager to see either one. In the end, M3GAN 2.0 bites off far more than it can chew, trading genuine charm for hollow spectacle. M3GAN may get an upgrade, although this bland sequel certainly does not.
2.4 Out of 5 (Skip it)
The Official Website for M3GAN 2.0 Link: HERE
Released On: June 27th, 2026
Reviewed On: December 14th, 2026
M3GAN 2.0 is 120 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for strong violent content, bloody images, some strong language, sexual material, and brief drug references
The post M3GAN 2.0 (2025) Review appeared first on Jason’s Movie Blog.
