M3GAN. M, 102 minutes. 2 stars
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Chucky walked so M3GAN could... do a TikTok dance?
In the grand tradition of creepy dolls come to life, New Zealand director Gerard Johnstone brings us M3GAN, an AI robot who is not just a toy, as her marketing promotes, she's part of the family.
Allison Williams trades the social commentary-laden, Oscar-winning brilliance of Get Out for social media-friendly ridiculousness to take the lead in M3GAN.
The Girls alum plays Gemma, a highly talented computer engineering type at a successful tech toy company called Funki.
She's been charged with bringing a cheaper version of Funki's Purrpetual Pet toy - like a demented Furby which promises to never die - but is sidetracked by her desire to create the perfect toy companion.
Gemma is almost there when she receives news that her sister and brother-in-law have died in a snowy car accident, and she now has custody of her young niece, Cady (pronounced Katie, like in Mean Girls).
Cady (Violet McGraw), understandably, is grieving and struggling to integrate into her aunt's life. Gemma's home is not a place filled with fun - there are toys, but they're collectables, not to be played with. Gemma is not a mother and has no experience raising a child. This disconnect between guardian and charge is played with some seriousness and the music would have you believe you're supposed to feel an emotional connection, but this is certainly not the movie for that sort of feeling.
When Cady finds her aunt's old college robot project Bruce - who looks like the Iron Giant - suddenly Gemma is filled with inspiration and, instead of just creating the toy she's supposed to, finishes her passion project.
![Cady (Violet McGraw), right, with her AI companion M3GAN. Picture Universal Studios Cady (Violet McGraw), right, with her AI companion M3GAN. Picture Universal Studios](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/MxhEgQKUJhZgHxwVaKiqcq/32674f86-2ad9-4e33-b264-e54b309ab6e7.jpg/r145_0_1570_802_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
She presents the Model 3 Generative Android - aka, M3GAN - to her boss, played by Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians). Chieng plays his character, David, the same as every other character he's ever played, but we're not complaining.
M3GAN and Cady are soon bonded, because the robot doll will only ever play with one child, and Gemma is a huge success. M3GAN's primary purpose is to ensure Cady is always happy, never in any physical or emotional danger, and engages in corrective behaviours, like reminding Cady to wash her hands and use a coaster. The toy has basically taken the place of the parent. What could possibly go wrong?
McGraw, already an experienced actress at 11 years old, really gives her all as Cady, despite Williams' rather lacklustre performance. You fully believe she's basically imprinted on this toy, and her rage when the pair are separated is pretty impressive.
M3GAN has some interesting ideas about what keeping Cady safe means. Ideas that don't work out so well for those she deems a threat, which - soon enough - is everyone.
This film has clearly been designed to appeal to a younger, likely teen and tween, audience, so there are zero genuine scares or even jump scares to be found. There's minimal blood and all human deaths are off screen. Such measures would have been required to achieve a PG-13 rating in the US, but it really is to the detriment of the film. Something as ridiculous as M3GAN really needs the gore factor to make it worth it.
That being said, it's so silly that you'll still have a great time laughing throughout the movie. Awkward bouts of M3GAN singing, which appear like they're supposed to come across as sincere and moving, are outright hilarious. The TikTok dancing is obviously included for the purposes of putting it in the trailer and serves no story point at all.
If M3GAN were less self-aware, it could become a camp classic, but sadly it's just kind of amusingly dumb.