M3GAN (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'M3GAN' (directed by New Zealander, Gerard Johnstone) is a campy horror flick that combines the cautionary components of the dangers of new technology with serial killer components of 'toys come to life'. The prologue introduces us to 8 yr. old Cady (Violet McGraw), who is going on a ski trip with her parents. As they argue about their daughter's overexposure to technology, the storm they're driving through worsens. Heavy snow + the slippery road result in a horrific crash that sends Cady to the hospital, while her parents perish. Cady's guardian is her aunt, Gemma (Allison Williams), a robotics engineer who works at a toy manufacturing company. Not able to connect with her bereft niece, she brings home her pet project ...
... an uber-realistic, ever-evolving robot doll named M3GAN {"Model 3 Generative Android"}, that she hopes will take Cady's mind off of her grief. The fragile little girl quickly bonds with M3GAN -- something that a psychologist warns may not be healthy -- and it becomes all-too-clear that Gemma is not fully aware of the self-ambulatory monster that she has created. M3GAN starts showing perceptions of consciousness & human thought that enable her to trick diagnostics & override safety features. She also takes her designed directive -- to protect Cady psychologically & physically -- all too seriously. Various people in the story 'do Cady wrong' in one way or another; either slightly or otherwise. To that, M3GAN's interpretation of how to 'protect' Cady becomes a bloody business.
So 'M3GAN' is preposterous in its particulars and fairly unoriginal in its overall concept -- you basically know how this thing will end, even as the sh*t starts hitting the proverbial fan. Why do I say preposterous? Well, for instance: why/how did the engineers build a 4 ft. tall robot with such dangerous & indestructible Terminator-like super-strength? Also, any underlying thematic elements concerning today's parents relying too much on burgeoning technology to keep their kids occupied ... take a back seat to the slightly crazed final 20 minutes. But I digress.
This movie provides decent, diverting entertainment, but also could have leaned more into the promised 'camp' aspect -- social media buzz was off the charts heading into this movie's release; TikTok viewings soared of crazy M3GAN dancing down a hallway; the results? A $30,000,000 box office opening. To accompany the 'M3GAN dancing down the hallway' sequence, there's also a very humorous moment when M3GAN sings the ironic song "Titanium" -- I almost spit out my beverage from laughing. 'M3GAN' moves fleetly at just 100 merciful minutes in length. And though the robot goes on her killing spree, 'M3GAN' is more successful in those comedic spurts. Basically ... this movie is bloody silly & mildly entertaining.
... an uber-realistic, ever-evolving robot doll named M3GAN {"Model 3 Generative Android"}, that she hopes will take Cady's mind off of her grief. The fragile little girl quickly bonds with M3GAN -- something that a psychologist warns may not be healthy -- and it becomes all-too-clear that Gemma is not fully aware of the self-ambulatory monster that she has created. M3GAN starts showing perceptions of consciousness & human thought that enable her to trick diagnostics & override safety features. She also takes her designed directive -- to protect Cady psychologically & physically -- all too seriously. Various people in the story 'do Cady wrong' in one way or another; either slightly or otherwise. To that, M3GAN's interpretation of how to 'protect' Cady becomes a bloody business.
So 'M3GAN' is preposterous in its particulars and fairly unoriginal in its overall concept -- you basically know how this thing will end, even as the sh*t starts hitting the proverbial fan. Why do I say preposterous? Well, for instance: why/how did the engineers build a 4 ft. tall robot with such dangerous & indestructible Terminator-like super-strength? Also, any underlying thematic elements concerning today's parents relying too much on burgeoning technology to keep their kids occupied ... take a back seat to the slightly crazed final 20 minutes. But I digress.
This movie provides decent, diverting entertainment, but also could have leaned more into the promised 'camp' aspect -- social media buzz was off the charts heading into this movie's release; TikTok viewings soared of crazy M3GAN dancing down a hallway; the results? A $30,000,000 box office opening. To accompany the 'M3GAN dancing down the hallway' sequence, there's also a very humorous moment when M3GAN sings the ironic song "Titanium" -- I almost spit out my beverage from laughing. 'M3GAN' moves fleetly at just 100 merciful minutes in length. And though the robot goes on her killing spree, 'M3GAN' is more successful in those comedic spurts. Basically ... this movie is bloody silly & mildly entertaining.