M3GAN

“M3GAN” officially premiered in Los Angelas on December 7, 2022 (same year X and Pearl came out) and eventually released worldwide a month later. It became an unexpected hit both critically and commercially. An Unrated Version recently streamed on Peacock. A sequel is currently in development slated to come out in three years. January 17, 2025. James Wan is set to produce “Saw X.” His next film as a director is “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” I think the latter’s gonna sink. Because James Gunn announced the DC Extended Universe will be a full reboot retitled, “DC Universe.” One more thing, Amber “Brown Power Ranger” Heard is in it. Anyway, I wanna share my thoughts on M3GAN if it’s a hit or miss.

This review contains no SPOILERS. Feel free to check out my non-spoiler article.

Polished & Rusty Aspects

Polished: Allison Williams and newcomer Violet McGraw both did a great job for their respective performances.

James Wan & Akela Cooper wrote the script together. The former also produced the film thanks to his production company, Atomic Monster Productions.

Jason Blum produced the film courtesy of his production company, Blumhouse Productions.

Cinematography felt stable without suffering from technical glitches.

Chemistry between Gemma, Cady & M3GAN serves as the main highlight. Their interactions move the story forward.

Pacing didn’t feel fast or slow for a 102-minute film.

The titular character was brought to life by a child actress, Animatronics, Puppeteers and minimal Computer Animation.

M3GAN’s basically a mix between “Barbie and The Terminator.”

Funki, the name of the company, is obviously a reference to the toy company, Funko.

The toys Gemma builds prior to creating M3GAN, remind me of the Furbys.

The Unrated Version contains a few F-Bombs and two death scenes.

One character pokes fun at Hasbro. The company’s in hot water over a controversy surrounding “Dungeons and Dragons.” Money problems if you ask me. Don’t forget a movie based on the tabletop game starring Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez will be released on March 31, 2023.

M3GAN’s infamous dance scene became a viral sensation. It didn’t look stupid like Matt Smith’s dance scene from “Morbius.” It’s on the same level as Pennywise’s dance from “It: Chapter 1.”

Primary Themes are Loss, Attachment, Friendship & Family. Each one’s handled carefully.

Rusty: A Plot Hole involving why Gemma’s security system at her home didn’t alert M3GAN’s first kill.

The Story felt predicable. To quote Green Goblin. “You’re pathetically predicable, like a moth to the flame.”

M3GAN never gave me the heebie jeebies. I didn’t feel a sense of dread.

The Final Verdict: B-

Although an average film, the Unrated Version is a slight improvement of the theatrical cut. At least it’s not a disappointment like Jordan Peele’s “Nope.” If you own a Peacock account, watch the Unrated Version. I’m open to see a sequel in 2025. I want to see an improvement. Crank up the Death Scenes “Up to 11,” a darker tone and an unpredictable plot to get my spine to tingle. Like my favorite horror movie of 2022, “X.”