It got worse: «M3GAN 2.0» was panned on Rotten Tomatoes with a 65% for lack of horror and confusing plot, but is «good comedy»

Universal Pictures’ sci-fi horror film «M3GAN 2.0» has received its first reviews and ratings — and, apparently, the sequel has not met the high expectations set by its predecessor two years ago.

Currently, «M3GAN 2.0» a modest 65% of the total on Rotten Tomatoes (in the original, for comparison, 93%) with criticism for the lack of «scary moments», as for horror, and an unclear plot.

«M3GAN 2.0» continues the story of the eponymous artificial intelligence doll (Amy Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis) who becomes hostile to anyone who comes between her and the person who cares for her. In the sequel, which takes place two years later, she is rebuilt to confront Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), a humanoid robot who is helping villains take over the world.

Gerard Johnston returns to direct, as does the cast of Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Brian Jordan Alvarez and Jen Van Epps. Newcomers include Aristotle Atari («The Trick»), Timm Sharp («Percy Jackson and the Olympians») and Jemaine Clement («What We Do in the Shadows»).

Below are some direct quotes from the reviews of specialized publications:

• «The limitation of M3GAN 2.0 is that it’s a competent but unwieldy re-imagining of the original’s concept. There are a few moments you’ll want to see — like M3GAN dancing on stage, or the climactic fight that turns into Steven Seagal worship, or the absurdity of M3GAN calming Gemma down by singing “This Woman’s Work” by Kate Bush. But this may not be enough. The movie is sometimes funny, sometimes exaggerated. We can only hope that the third part will be more daring, funky, and crazy», — Owen Gleiberman, Variety.
• «The film looks polished thanks to cinematographer Toby Oliver’s elegant widescreen visuals. But it becomes tedious as confusion builds over who is controlling Amelia and how to stop her. M3GAN herself remains a delightful creation with an unrivaled sense of humor, and the character’s intricate mix of sweetness and menace is by no means revealed», — David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter.
• «It moves along nicely in the beginning, but in the final act, both plot and pacing start to lose steam. The key problem with M3GAN 2.0 is that it doesn’t seem to know how to really feel about AI; it has a hard time balancing a stance that seems timely and almost radical in a ChatGPT-obsessed cultural landscape. If artificial intelligence is as bad and dangerous as the movie keeps telling us, why are we rooting for M3GAN, the artificially intelligent creature, to win? There are some interesting ideas here about morality and human responsibility in relation to AI, but the movie seems to realize the predicament it’s in only at the last minute, and the result is a somewhat disappointing conclusion», — Emily Harbutt, Total Film.

The first film grossed $181 million at the box office on a budget of just $12 million. The sequel will be released in theaters on June 27, while on January 2, 2026, we will have a spinoff called «Soulm8te» — an erotic thriller about a man who buys an AI android to cope with the loss of his wife.