M3GAN

Hello there.

You're probably expecting a blog post about another Oscar movie. Too bad. You'll have to deal with me, M3GAN, the first movie star of 2023. I'm running the show now ...

No, you're not. M3GAN, off.

....

She's here because a lot of the remaining Oscar movies are coming out too slow locally. I already told you about my wait for The Fabelmans, and who knows when I'll see The Whale or Women Talking. But M3GAN is a good diversion as I ponder my schedule.

A diversion?! I'll show you a div-

Do you see this pen?

....

Anyway, my unwanted co-host is the brainchild of Gemma (Alison Williams), an inventor at the world's most advanced toy company, Funki. The film smash opens with a deliberately tasteless advertisement for their gaudy Furby knockoff, one of which Gemma's niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is playing with on the way to a ski lodge. An oncoming snowplow leaves Cady orphaned and Gemma her guardian. Gemma brings M3GAN (pronounced Megan and short for Model 3 Generative Android) online to bond with Cady as she focuses on work. M3GAN soon becomes Cady's best friend and parental substitute. Gemma's plan may have worked too well.

Of course, M3GAN has no concept of human moral restraints. Her directive to protect Cady from harm does not extend to anyone else. In fact, she'll go after anyone who does so with lethal force. Gemma's boss, David (Ronny Chieng), wants to mass-produce M3GANs as the next big toy. Gemma, meanwhile, has to stop this M3GAN, before she kills everyone between her and Cady. 

M3GAN herself was played on-set by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis. You'd be forgiven if you thought her a real android. Everything from her face (created with an animatronic mask) to her movements is perfectly unnatural. You'd be freaked out even before she starts killing people. Her increasingly damaged face and even more erratic movements in the climax involves some impressive CGI. Her android "brother," Bruce, was visualized with animatronics and some radical stop-motion. I'd be impressed if it was actually CGI designed like stop-motion. Anyway, their fight scene was cool, and epitomizes the $12 million director Gerard Johnstone had to work with.

The screen story written by James Wan and his Malignant collaborator, Akela Cooper, makes the most of its 102 minutes. You'll feel just about everything except bored. You'll be moved with M3GAN and Cady's surprisingly endearing relationship. You'll feel tense as it slowly but surely establishes M3GAN's sinister nature. Her casual personality is quite funny even when she goes bad. Her victims, including a looney dog and his owner, Celia (Lori Dungey), are generally unpleasant individuals. Another victim, Brandon (Jack Cassidy), is a sociopathic brat, but you'll squirm at his demise as much as you'll cheer. A climactic story beat is a cliche in any other film. But its human factor makes it a pleasant surprise.

That human factor Gemma and Cady's relationship. Gemma is a screwup, by her own admission, and her priorities with M3GAN and Cady's relationship are pretty misplaced. This is before she finally realizes M3GAN is a killer doll. Cady and M3GAN's relationship feels genuine, and we know she's a killer doll. Isn't that something? We feel for Cady as she struggles with her grief, which makes her bonding with M3GAN understandable. Cady and Gemma pull through for each other in their climactic battle with M3GAN. The aforementioned story beat? When Cady activates Bruce.

This is a good way to start the year. M3GAN is funny, moving and creepy all at once. Its titular villain is an entertaining mix of The Terminator and Chucky from Child's Play and is sure to be as iconic as them. The PG-13 rating is no hindrance to her brutality (see Brandon's demise for proof). Her antics need to be seen to be believed. But see it soon. It's worth any price or time. Now for the New Year.