Yesterday saw the release of M3GAN 2.0. Today's edition of Dave-El's Weekend Movie Post takes a look at the movie where it all began: from 2022, it's M3GAN!
Meet Gemma, a roboticist at Funki, a high-tech Seattle toy company. Gemma is supposed to be working on a new iteration of the company's interactive robot pet toy but she's more focused on developing M3GAN (Model 3 Generative ANdroid), a child-sized humanoid robot doll powered by artificial intelligence, designed to be the ultimate companion for children.
A demonstration of M3GAN for David, Funki's CEO, goes horribly arry and he orders Gemma to stop working on M3GAN and get back to the robot pets.
Another complication enters the picture when Gemma finds herself in the unexpected role of parent. Young Cady is sent to live with her Aunt Gemma after her parents are killed in a car accident.
Gemma is not at all prepared for the burdens of being a parent to a small child but apparently the alternative is to send her to her grandparents in Florida and apparently that is not a good idea.
(We know what "grandparents in Florida" is code for: Trump supporters.)
Gemma and Cady struggle to connect until Cady comes across Bruce, a motion capture robot that Gemma had created in college. Watching Cady with Bruce, Gemma is motivated to complete M3GAN.
David changes his tune when he sees M3GAN interact with Cady! KA-CHING!! David wants a big roll out of M3GAN all over the world ASAP.
Meanwhile Cady and M3GAN continue to bond and Gemma's OK with that. She's impressed with M3GAN's evolving skills and intelligence while all that stuff Gemma doesn't know how to do with Cady, well, Cady has a friend in M3GAN who is taking care of all her needs.
Which isn't a good thing.
Lacking in genuine human connections with Aunt Gemma or anyone, Cady is fanatically devoted to M3GAN.
And M3GAN in turn is fanatically devoted to Cady.
M3GAN will do anything for Cady.
M3GAN will do anything to keep Cady safe.
M3GAN will kill for Cady.
M3GAN's running up a body count.
A body count that may include Aunt Gemma?
M3GAN is a standard issue "intractable killer who can't be stopped" horror film. There's not a lot in the way of characterization. Everyone fills the flat functionary roles that horror film tropes demand such films.
(There is zero evidence to my view that Gemma is gay but her adamant refusal to let Cady go live with her "grandparents in Florida" even as Gemma is botching her role as parent and guardian, well, I can read something into that if I want to. There really isn't much to work with.)
What makes M3GAN distinctive is M3GAN with her cute little girl form and the cute sing song voice and those wide vacant eyes that just scream she is going to KILL YOU!
The way she says the most threatening things in a sweet, innocent voice is a very disturbing feature. And due not let the cute girl vibes with the blonde hair and the blue dress fool you; she is not human and most definitely a machine. The scene where she scampers through a forest on all fours like a maniacal spider pursuing her latest victim is certainly proof of that.
M3GAN turns the logic programmed into her by her creators against the very humanity she was built to serve. She was built to be superior. She believes in her superiority. A cautionary tale of AI run amuck.
M3GAN is pretty good as a chilling exploration of technology out of control and it turns up the mayhem and blood when M3GAN decides she no longer has limits.
I hope M3GAN 2.0 does well this weekend.
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BLOG BIDNESS!
I have branded my posts about movies as Cinema Sunday, Cinema Saturday and most recently Dave-El's Weekend Movie Post.
Today is the last edition of Dave-El's Weekend Movie Post.
I'm still going to post about movies but under the simpler and non specific time of the week sobriquet of Movie Time.
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