Movie: M3GAN

This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.

Deadly Dance, Dangerous Doll

Plot Overview

Talented Gemma (Allison Williams) was scooped up by a forward looking toy company after having won a science prize for a robot project in school. She was a wastrel back when, shelving collectibles rather than playing w/girly toys, and now she & her dream team secretly squander the boss' money on pure research rather than on marketable product. Her home is tidy but her fence needs mending.

Her sister & brother-in-law lavish consumer gadgetry on their nine-year-old daughter Cady (Violet McGraw) and argue about safety of the husband's vehicle who lied to a cop about it having FWD. In a freak snow storm the couple meet their tragic end.

Gemma gets custody of Cady, but her boss David (Ronny Chieng) is applying pressure at work, an assigned therapist Lydia is applying pressure at home, and the neighbor's terrier Dewy is a biter. In desperation Gemma breaks out her uncompleted robot project M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android) for emergency baby sitter duty. Now Cady is having happy days and the problem dog disappears. The Beta test is going well.

Ham radio operators refer to the first turning on of their constructed radio gear as “the smoke test.” I'd once made a memory Morse code keyer in the craft center of the student union of our local university, and not wanting to disturb with beeps the students studying, I took it to the already noisy video game room and set it up with cables connected to a series of NiCd wet cells for power. The test was going swell until two men in suits approached me to ask what I was doing. The guy manning the desk in the rec center had seen on the CCTV me a bearded guy laying it all out and thought I had a bomb. When a couple policemen show up at the door inquiring about mischief in the neighborhood, there might be bugs in the system.

Ideology

God's sentiments regarding child rearing seem to be expressed in, (Psalm 127:1-5) “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” That psalm seemingly pictures a bloke who works as a carpenter during the day and as a watchman by night. He ain't getting any sleep and he's neglecting his children. God rates priorities differently.

Cady's parents are both working to be able to afford a skiing vacation in Oregon, but who knows what the roads will be like getting there? Cady is bored in the back seat. Her new guardian is under pressure to complete her project, but who knows what bugs she'll encounter on it? Give the kid some priority. The policeman will lighten up on the dad when he sees he's got family responsibility in the back seat. The boss will give his employee a break seeing she has a family emergency on her hands. And we appreciate children from seeing them gathered in a park for play time. They carry on our legacy.

Production Values

“” (2022) was directed by Gerard Johnstone. Its screenplay was delivered by Akela Cooper with story development by James Wan. It stars Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Jen Van Epps, Ronny Chieng and Brian Jordan Alvarez. M3GAN was physically played by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis. It worked well enough to sing and dance. The rest of the acting was serviceable, but some other movie will take the prize.

MPAA rated it PG–13 for violent content and terror, some strong language and a suggestive reference. The horror seemed toned down to accommodate the younger viewers. The CGI was seamless. Runtime is 1¾ hours.

Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation

I found it engaging but not as horrific as a properly rated R movie would be. But then I'm mature enough to take the latter. It's a good offering to get one's feet wet but beneath consideration for the science cynic.

Movie Ratings

Action factor: Decent action scenes. Suitability for Children: Suitable for children 13+ years with guidance. Special effects: Well done special effects. Video Occasion: Better than watching TV. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Three and a half stars out of five.