Review: M3GAN

Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Designed as a made-to-order exercise in camp or a future cult classic, "M3GAN" is a creepy doll movie that elicits more laughs than actual scares. It's occasionally funny, hardly ever frightening and often knowingly ridiculous. The picture has some genuinely interesting ideas about the dangers of allowing technology to raise children, but these concepts are mostly glossed over by scenes of the film's lifelike AI invention terrorizing bad kids, annoying dogs, and nosy neighbors.

The film opens with the type of scene someone could write with their eyes closed: A young girl named Cady (Violet McGraw) is left orphaned after her parents make the poor decision to drive on a snowy road at night, and winds up in the care of her somewhat distant - but brilliant - inventor aunt, Gemma (Allison Williams), whose original toy creation is a hilarious Furby-type doll that is obsessed with farting, making poop-related commentary and saying things like "Amazeballs!"

Her latest AI project is a lifelike girl named M3GAN, who not only interacts with humans but also anticipates their needs and learns as she goes along. Of course, like the "Terminator" movies warned us, it's not a good idea to create a piece of technology that will ultimately outsmart us - and that's exactly what happens with M3GAN, who at first is fiercely protective of Cady, but eventually seems to like the freedom she has and havoc she creates.

In terms of story, "M3GAN" follows mostly predictable beats - for example, what do you expect will happen to that pesky dog next door that harasses Gemma and Cady, its obnoxious owner, the nasty young boy who bullies Cady during a day camp, or the annoying boss who is critical of Gemma one minute but supportive the next when he sees dollar signs?

The film is never particularly scary or even suspenseful, but it's often funny enough. M3GAN's wholly inappropriate and psychotic behavior are often played for laughs, rather than scares, and there are more than a few moments when they hit the right notes. At the same time, the film feels like it came straight off the assembly line at the Cult Movie factory. 

Most movies that go on to become future camp classics are films that were made with the intention of being good, but ended up being laughably bad (think "Troll II" or "The Room"). "M3GAN" knows it is completely ludicrous and it plays it up for nearly every minute of its 102 minute running time. This occasionally results in a hearty chuckle, but just as often feels like it's trying too hard. 

So, yes, "M3GAN" is a good time if you're looking for a silly throwaway killer doll movie - it raises some decent questions about the dangers of allowing technology to be a parent to children but, unfortunately, doesn't do much with the topic - but I don't know if I'd go as far as calling it a good movie.