M3GAN: This Is No Regular Toy Story

We are now in the beginning of the new year. Usually, the first few months are a cinematic graveyard, but over the past several years this has begun to change. We've had movies like Deadpool, Underwater, and Split to break this curse. This is also a time when horror movies come out, too. I'm not really a horror movie guy, but when I saw the trailer for M3GAN, I got interested. As soon as I saw that doll dancing, I was locked in. It looked so weird and crazy that I had to see it. Does it live up to my hopes? That's what I'm here to tell you.

M3GAN is directed by Gerard Johnstone and stars Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronnie Chieng, Amie Donald, and Jenna Davis. Gemma (Williams) is a roboticist who unexpectedly becomes the guardian of her niece, Cady (McGraw). She pairs a prototype doll named Megan (Donald and Davis) with her in order to help Cady and, at the same time, prove herself at work. Things start to take a turn, however, when the doll begins to think for herself. With all of that out of the way, let's dive into the review!

There's a lot to like about this movie. Megan, for me, was one of the best parts. She's physically portrayed by Amie Donald and her voice-work is done by Jenna Davis. They both did a great job. Even when she's doing good early on, we feel that there's something a little off, which adds to some pretty funny moments. An example of this is when Gemma and Cady first bring her home. Megan struts in the house like she owns the place and just whips her shades off. It's really funny. When it comes time for her to be scary, she can be pretty effective. She has a little charging station next to Cady's bed and just sits there. It makes for some creepy imagery. At the same time, it's still funny when Megan is doing all of these crimes because she's the size of an 8 year-old and has the voice of one too. I hope we get to see more of this character in the future. I also liked Allison Williams as Gemma. She isn't the traditional guardian who's ready to take care of this little girl. At first, she kinda doesn't want to. Then does start to bond with her, in a way she didn't want to, through Megan. The chemistry between the two was really good as well. I usually get very nervous with kid actors, but Violet McGraw did a good job. There were several moments where I did feel bad for her because of everything she was going through. Yes, there were a few times when she was a little annoying, but I think that was the point. She's eight, it comes with the territory. One thing I loved was how this movie took the concept of AI and applied it kids today. There's a line early in the movie that's something like, "She has the toy. Why does she need an app to go with it?" It's a pretty good commentary on how little kids are always wired in. Going in, I wasn't really expecting that kind of message from the movie but I really dug it. The humor also works in this movie, too. M3GAN is actually more of a comedy than a horror and I don't mean that as a negative. When I first saw the trailer, I had a feeling that was going to be the vibe. One of my favorite things about this movie is the last third or so. Don't get me wrong, I liked the first two acts, but it isn't until later on when this movie gets really fun. It has to do with a camp Cady has to go to. My theater was losing their minds and that's partially why I wanted to see this movie. It becomes bonkers in the best way.

Even though I had a good time with the film, there were a few problems with it. My main issue is that it's PG-13. I honestly think it would've been better if it was rated R. The writer of the movie actually said in an intervew that her script was a lot gorier than what we see. She also heard that an unrated version is being talked about. The director also kind of confirmed this as well. He confirmed that there were reshoots. In an interview Johnson said, "Making it PG-13 was something that happened after the fact, but it was always so close to being PG-13 anyways. It seemed kind of a mistake not to embrace it." He said some of his favorite films were PG-13 and they decided to reshoot a couple of scenes. Johnson went on to say that the scenes were "more effective. It's like, 'Yes, you do have to cut away at certain times' but it's fun having to rely on sound and suggestion so much." I'm not really sure I agree with his take. While the scenes are fun when Megan is going crazy, there are certain times when the movie feels like it's being restrained by the rating. I feel it could've been even crazier. There was a line where a character says something like, "Bring me a kombucha." It was clearly meant to say effing kombucha, but the filmmakers already used their f-bomb. You could tell that the word was cut because of the way the line was said. I felt like I was watching a movie that was censored for TV. This film is also pretty predictable as well. It does that trope where it introduces a very crucial and specific thing early on and it doesn't seem connected to the story at all. Then, later in the movie, it turns out to be very important. I wouldn't call it foreshadowing because it's not very subtle. The movie isn't very long, but I do think that some things could've been cut to make way for more interesting plot lines.

To sum everything up, M3GAN is a really fun time at the movies. The title character is great, Allison Williams and Violet McGraw do a good job, the concept and commentary is interesting, it goes bonkers, and the humor works well, too. The only thing holding it back, however, is the PG-13 rating, at times it can be very predictable, and I wish some things were cut to make way for better plot lines. I really hope that we get more of these weird, goofy horror movies. This is by no means a January dumpster fire and I'm really glad I got to see it! If I were to rate it, I'd give M3GAN a 7/10.