It’s been two years since M3GAN’s (Jenna Davis) destruction. Gemma (Allison Williams) vowed never to dig up the past. Unfortunately she has no choice when she’s asked to take down Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), a mass military weapon built using M3GAN’s blueprints.

The first M3GAN was a runaway smash hit that made me appreciate the genre. I remember how excited I was about it; the campiness and absurdity of it all just worked. Hearing that a sequel was on the horizon seemed inevitable and I could not wait to see what our favorite killer robot would get up to next. I never could have imagined this.

It’s important to note that if you are going into this film expecting horror, you will be disappointed. The complete shift in genre is one that had many fans, including myself, scratching their heads. While the storyline itself was actually interesting and it dealt with the very topical subject of AI, I’m not sure why they went down this route.

All the familiar faces of the original are back. Williams reprises her role as Gemma and I liked how her character ended up developing throughout this instalment. Violet McGraw, as Gemma’s niece Cady, took a bit of a backseat though her special bond with M3GAN was still very evident. Brian Jordan Alvarez and Jen Van Epps, Cole and Tess respectively, are vital members of Gemma’s team. I couldn’t imagine these films without them.

The titular M3GAN is, of course, the main event once more. From the moment she is resurrected, the audience is put under her trance yet again. While I was missing her murderous ways, I can understand their reasoning for making her more human. It fit with the new story. Though I wish we’d had one of her epic dance routines, there is a scene that rivals Titanium which had me in stitches.

Overall, M3GAN 2.0 is a decent enough film as long as you can wrap your head around the complete tonal shift. I do wish it had stuck more to the root of what made it so lovable in the first place, however, I respect the choices that were made to focus on another vital situation. It may not have been what I wanted, but I will always tune in for another adventure with M3GAN.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5