M3GAN (2023)

M3GAN achieved its goal perfectly by delivering a hilarious dark comedy that was incredibly aware at how ridiculous the premise is. It had me laughing my ass off and had some pretty decent kills for a PG-13 film, although I think it could have been even better with a hard R rating. But this film is not just a dark horror comedy, it dives deeper than its surface appeal. Deep down there is intimate social commentary on parents using technology as a crutch. Whenever M3GAN is in the room, Gemma finds it easier to neglect her niece and let's M3GAN take control of the parenting. This makes it much harder for her to get a genuine connection with her to fulfill motherly needs. I found this surprisingly compelling and really does have a genuine impact in today's society, obviously not with life size android dolls but with tablets and phones. Really enjoyed this aspect of the film. Allison Williams delivered a pretty decent performance; it was nice to see her in another prominent horror role since Get Out. Violet McGraw once again was great as an inspiring child actress; her filmography is beginning to be stacked for her being such a young age. All other performances were quite lackluster, but that is expected in a film of this nature. Overall, there is not really much more to say. This film is funny, weird, and wildly fun. It's never going to be a standout competitor for award season but there is something to say about the pure entertainment it was able to deliver. Score: 66% Verdict: Good Theater Verdict: See It

I was excited, but didn't have much expectations for a PG-13 horror movie. But this was a surprisingly good horror flick. Though the majority of the film's slasher moments are near the end, the story's introduction and setup were surprisingly engaging. Watching the creation of M3GAN and the development of her relationship with the characters in the story was a great way of anticipating the moment she would take matters into her own hands. My only problem is that I wanted to see more. Overall, surprisingly solid for a PG-13 horror movie. 9/10.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/m3gan-review "M3GAN doesn't reinvent the respective subgenre of killer robots or AI that turns against humans, but it kept me entertainingly invested throughout its entire runtime. Akela Cooper's premise is pushed to its limits - and even beyond - being elevated by excellent performances, a clever satirical narrative, eyebrow-raising killings, and meaningful messages about parenting and technology's role in a child's upbringing. It doesn't take itself too seriously or tries to be more than what it truly is. Far from being a masterpiece, but if only all January horror flicks were like this one..." Rating: B

**M3GAN knows what its target audience wants and delivers the exact fun horror comedy to thrill and delight.** I was conflicted before seeing the movie. On the one hand, the trailer looked ridiculous. On the other, I knew that Blumhouse and James Wan partnered for this. After seeing the reviews, I finally accepted that I had to see this movie, and I’m glad I did. Was it ridiculous? Absolutely. M3GAN knew what it was. It knew it was cheesy but had fun with it while also cranking up the tension and suspense. So many cliche “stop standing there and do something” moments that surprisingly added to the stress and horror. I wouldn’t say the movie was ever scary, but it was an excellent thriller. It’s a fun Blumhouse film that was self-aware and goofy while creepy and tense. One of my favorite parts was the short scene with one of the worst detectives of all time that had me laughing out loud in the theater. M3GAN is not a movie for everyone, but people who like other Blumhouse films and dark comedies would find themselves at home with this movie.

'Cady" (Violet McGraw) finds herself living with her aunt "Gemma" (Alison Williams) after an altercation with a snow truck leaves her orphaned. They don't exactly hit it off. The older woman is a career-driven lady who works at a toy manufacturer, specialising in gadgets and gismos that use AI. Thing is, their market dominance is waning - much to the chagrin of boss "David" (Ronny Chiang). Competitors are catching up and the children are getting even more sophisticated/lazy/dependent! She has a plan though - with her colleagues "Cole" (Brian Jordan Alvarez) and "Tess" (Jen Van Epps), she is working on the ultimate "companion". A doll that pairs with it's owner and becomes almost sibling-like. Snag with this film is that the plot is really all rather predictable, the acting isn't up to much and I didn't find the eponymous - hideously over-dressed - creation remotely menacing. Indeed, actually, at times I found it particularly useful (the neighbour's wayward dog, for example). It's a competently strung together drama, but it's all just a little too sterile and by-the-numbers for me. It does fire a warning shot to parents who could become over-reliant on their children's own reliance on surrogate friendships and dependencies, but once that point is made - and reiterated - the rest of this is, frankly, all rather unremarkable.