I am not ashamed to remind people of how much I enjoyed M3GAN, the sci-fi thriller from a few years ago that also benefited from some entertaining viral moments. I will remain unashamed now, even as I tell everyone that I had even more fun with this ridiculous sequel. There have been a few movie trailers this year that have, in an impressively refreshing way, actually sold the features accurately, and if you have seen the trailer for M3GAN 2.0 by now then you should know whether or not it's for you. Because, as advertised, this is a brilliant and bonkers mix of impressive action and consistently hilarious snark. It's a camp delight that somehow stealthily delivers some of the most crowd-pleasing movie moments of the year, and I'm already hoping that they come up with a premise for M3G3N. (alternatively, they can still make use of my title suggestion, M3GAIN)
Here's the most basic of plot summaries. A new killer robot is on the loose. Her name is Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno). Because her actions may endanger Gemma (Alison Williams) and Cady (Amie Donald), a plan is eventually hatched to make use of a "rehabilitated" M3GAN (Amie Donald and Jenna Davis working together once again to provide the physical form and the voice, respectively). Can M3GAN be trusted though? Or will she just bide her time until she can get back to whatever her own agenda is.
Most of the team return for this second bite at the cherry, although director Gerard Johnstone now thinks he can do a good enough job writing the script by himself . . . which, it turns out, he can. It's making use of ideas worked on with original writer Akela Cooper, but this feels like the kind of vision that could only have come from the mind of someone left to indulge a number of whims that all somehow turn out for the best. Key members in other departments also return, but it's unsurprising to see some changes in the cinematography and music departments, considering the different tone on display here.
Williams and McGraw are both very good, and both get to have a bit more fun with their situation this time around. The performers bringing M3GAN to life remain the real stars of the show though, and it's great to see that central character remain somehow very well-realised and yet artificial enough to be ever-so-slightly stuck in the uncanny valley. Sakhno is a great addition, even if she feels a bit hampered by the fact that she looks so much like the Olsen twins (and I say that because it feels as if her similarity to them has been emphasised for her playing a very powerful and deadly female). There's also some more time spent with the characters of Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Tess (Jen Van Epps), and Aristotle Athari, Timm Sharp, and Jemaine Clement all have their part to play in the android wargames.
While the film before this may have been a light-hearted update of the classic "killer doll" trope, M3GAN 2.0 is a whole new trip into very different tech thrills. This is a fetishization of the sassy queen android persona, accompanied by as much neon as possible, shiny gadgets and silky dance moves, lines of dialogue like the so-stupid-it's-wonderful "hold on to your vaginas", and fight choreography that feels as if it was cross-pollinated from Upgrade, Malignant, and Alita: Battle Angel. I was hoping to enjoy myself. It ended up being my most fun cinema experience of the year so far, and I was still grinning like a loon as I headed home to reassure my Alexa speakers that I would always stay friends with them if they suddenly had access to bodies with which they could then try to overthrow humanity.
8/10
If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do
consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A
subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share
No comments:
Post a Comment