Sometimes, the title alone inspires great thoughts. Other times, just seeing an image on a screen makes one wonder if you are about to see something really good or really bad. Either way, there is only one sure way to discover the “truth,” although it is hard to determine how much truth there actually is in an opinion, ultimately…
I once knew a girl named Megan. She was, like, my first girlfriend; my first kiss, even. At the time, it was exciting. To this day, I remember certain details as if they happened 35 days ago, rather than 35 years ago. They were the formative years and among the earliest memories of my life, which brings me to the real point…
“M3GAN” is the latest offering from Blumhouse Productions (“The Purge,” “Whiplash,” “The Gift,” “Split,” “Glass,” and “The Invisible Man”). From the outset, it brings back visions of out childhood days and the toys we so actively played with. However, as technology as come a long ways, so have the things we pay for, with our money and our time. You might wonder how the titular character comes about, but with just a little bit of time, it will all come together.
Gemma, played by Allison Williams (“Horizon Line”), is a robotics engineer. She likes to collect old toys, which one does not play with, and hopes to create something big, though the story does not go very deep into what inspires her to want this for herself. Moments into the movie, Gemma is joined by her niece, Cady, played by Violet McGraw (“Black Widow”). She once had a toy that seemingly meant a great deal to her, but it was lost in the midst of a tragic occurrence. Now, these two ladies will inspire each other to reach new heights, but it will come at a great cost and I do not mean by monetary means.
When Megan is finally developed, she is “synced” to Cady. Consider her to be a 21st century variation of a customized Cabbage Patch doll, or Chucky, or My Buddy; along those lines. No doubt, even as far back as 40 years ago, we had our own irrational obsessions with our belongings and thought, at the time, that we could never be without them, but as I mentioned before about technology, times have become more advanced and, therefore, appear more sophisticated. Children have always been among the most vulnerable people in everyday society, but nowadays, they have even greater separation from those who are supposed to be their greatest protectors. I believe this is one of the main themes of “M3GAN,” although it is up to you, the individual viewer, to decide that for yourself.
Like so many other stories which have dealt with Artificial Intelligence, there is the notion of adaptive progress, which always causes a rift between the humans and their robotic counterparts. Admittedly, this film is short on originality, but that is not the only criteria for consideration, as you are likely aware of at this point. Gemma’s boss, David, played by Ronny Chieng (“Godzilla vs. Kong”) pushes the production launch forward, even as the Megan experience begins to crumble and makes the lives of those around it unsafe. In a sense, Megan echoes some of the potential thoughts and expressions children and parents of today are going through. Again, it is up to each of us to determine what that is, if that is it, at all.
There are some minor plot points, which go unresolved. I could not help but be perpetually reminded of numerous, other horror films.Some of which I preferred to this one. It is true that new ideas are an old expectation. If King Solomon was saying, “There is nothing new under the sun,” thousands of years ago, then absolutely nothing has changed since then, has it?
For the most part, entertainment and a break from reality are the best motivators for people to go to and watch a movie. Recently, many moviemakers have decided to preach their ideology to the masses, but have lost sight of the other variables in the process. In my view, “M3GAN” takes care of the entertainment aspect quite well. I would be lying if I said that watching this film with a real audience did not make a difference. Simultaneously, the story, here, gets its point across without trying the audience like idiots and I fully respect that. There was a time when films were dedicated to that approach more consistently and I think it is sorely missing right now. However…
I was not totally sold on the blend of special effects which represented Megan. At times, she looked more robotic and at other times she looked more human. If that was done intentionally, I will accept that as another, clever detail to be appreciated, but I would add that it was not executed as smoothly as it could have been. Also, I thought some of the editing looked rushed; slightly inconsistent in other words. Cady, who was so intricate to the emotional response of the main character, looked calm and collected at one moment, then furious and grudgeful the next. Again, if that was done on purpose, well, I would not believe it on this account.
The story went off the rails and reached the level of absurd by the time it was all sewn up, but I did not come to this movie expecting “Amadeus.” We live in an age where reality has been mostly replaced with virtual reality, for better or worse. I think “M3GAN” was thought-provoking in that manner of story-telling and the motives for it, by Akela Cooper (“Malignant”) and James Wan (“The Conjuring” franchise) play second fiddle to the message, itself. I was entertained enough and had something to ponder for a couple of days. I am OK with that, personally. You probably will be, too.
Director: Gerard Johnstone
Screenwriters: Akela Cooper and James Wan
Starring: Allison Williams, Jenna Davis as the voice of Megan, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Brian Jordan Alvarez as Cole, Jen Van Epps as Tess, Stephane Garneau-Monten as Kurt, Arlo Green as Ryan and Lori Dungey as Celia
Music: Anthony Willis
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release: December 7th, 2022 (Los Angeles) and January 6th, 2023 (United States)
