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January is traditionally the time when studios release their garbage to the public. Some of these movies do pretty well as counter-programming to the prestige awards movies also out at this time. M3gan is one of those movies, and its recent box office success proves that genre films still are popular at the box office. The film benefited from a strong marketing campaign featuring many of the more outrageous moments you see in the movie. I’m happy to say it’s a step up from the usual January horror fare, but it also left me wanting more.
The plot involves a young girl named Cady, the only survivor of a car crash that killed her parents. She now lives with her aunt Gemma, a roboticist for a toy company. Gemma is career oriented and focuses on developing M3GAN, a life-like artificially intelligent doll devised to be a faithful friend to the child it is programmed for and a partner to the child’s caretakers. Things inevitably go wrong, and Cady develops an intense attachment to M3GAN. If you’ve seen any horror movies about artificial intelligence, you know this will all go haywire.
How I can best describe M3GAN is like a cross between RoboCop, The Terminator, Short Circuit, Child’s Play, Ex Machina, and even Frankenstein. It doesn’t break any new ground, but it does have many elements going for it, like comedy satire. There are plenty of shots taken with the recklessness of big business. A rather dim-witted toy company boss, played by Ronny Chieng, provides plenty of comic fodder. There are also more severe themes about childhood trauma, grief, coping, and the moral dilemma of what Gemma has unleashed, mostly though M3GAN is a goofy pleasing romp. I was laughing throughout the proceedings.
The performances are all good for the most part. Allison Williams has a tricky position, her character is noticeably flawed, and she doesn’t realize her flaws. She is not interested in being a mother figure and becomes caught up in her career rise. Young Violet McGraw plays Cady to perfection and conveys inner sadness well. The doll is played by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis. For a budget of only $12 million, I was impressed with how the beauty looked.
M3GAN has more going for it than not, but you also feel like the film could have been something more and decided not to go for the jugular. The PG-13 rating lessens the horror’s impact and the kills’ creativity. It keeps you just interested enough. It doesn’t thrill you with over-the-top wildness. Sadly most of the wildest moments you’ve probably seen in the trailer. Still, it’s consistently a hoot and, at times, very smartly written.
**1/2 out of ****
