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‘M3GAN’: That’s No Child’s Toy!

Published

1 year ago

June 16, 2023

A robotics engineer at a toy company creates a too-life-like doll for her recently orphaned niece, that takes on a life of its own!

So, M3GAN wastes no time diving right into the story, and neither will we! Cady’s beleaguered parents were trying to get her into some kind of snow vacation up in the mountains whilst lessening her fixation on screen time, especially the goofy Furby-like Purr-fect Pet that’s the latest rage in kiddie toys. And in the first of many predictable scenes, while Cady’s tired parents argue in their chain-less stopped in the middle of the road car, a gigantic set of semi-lights come barreling right at them, causing everything to irrevocably change.

Cady (Violet McGraw) is the lone survivor, and though her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams) insists she wants to take Cady in for at least the time being, it’s quite clear that while Gemma is an engineering genius, she has no idea what to do with Cady at all. Sadly throughout the entire film, we actually learn very little about Gemma personally, how she fell from highbrow robotics engineering all the way down to toy manufacturing, for a profit-obsessed boss at that, what her personal life might have been like before this tragedy, we get none of that. Gemma mentions that she and her sister weren’t terribly close when taking custody of Cady, which of course adds to her already mountainous guilt, but that’s about it. What we do know about Gemma is that she loves to create things, robotic things specifically, and while it’s a wild coincidence that Gemma happens to be the main creator of those dumbass Purr-Fect Pets, what she’s really passionate about is the robotic doll she and her coworkers have been working on in secret.

It really seems like Gemma leads a very closed life, her house is practically empty and barren of decoration, she has/had no significant other, younglings, or pets that we can tell, and she’s simply obsessed with things like computer codes and synthetic skins and adaptive AI, but in order to make what? A too-life-like doll that can basically replace the need for a nanny or babysitter, yes, but also eventually supplant teachers, other peers in the appropriate age bracket, and even the parents themselves! Apparently, while Gemma can indeed code freaking adaptive Artificial Intelligence into her secret project, she doesn’t bother with things like Grandfathered Sci-Fi tropes, Asimov’s Laws of Robotics, or even the very real need for basic human connection. After all, Cady’s a child, and frankly, Gemma has absolutely no idea how to deal with her, and whether she realizes it or not, Gemma oozes awkwardness in trying to interact with the tiny human. I just want to take this opportunity to point out the irony in someone like Gemma making kiddie toys.

The stuff going on around Gemma is somewhat more interesting – the nosy Karen-like neighbor Celia (Lori Dungey) who absolutely refuses to leash her damned dog that always escapes through the hole in the fence between their properties, is absolutely asking for her comeuppance; coworkers Tess (Jen Van Epps) and Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) are all-in on the secret M3GAN Doll project, even helping Gemma to convince money-hungry boss David (Ronny Chieng) and his corporate thief of an assistant Kurt (Stephane Garneau-Monten) of the projects viability over those stupid Purr-fect Pets. The state-appointed therapist Lydia (Amu Usherwood) isn’t helping Cady at all, seemingly more concerned with the viability of Gemma as a caretaker, and as is the case more often than not with situations like these, demands Cady conform to her new reality without delay or protest.

After a night of awkward attempts at bonding over Gemma’s collectibles (“They’re not toys, you don’t take ‘em out of the box or play with ‘em”), the previous incarnation of M3GAN that Gemma called Bruce and capitalism made on youngling greed, Gemma is convinced the best solution is to finish the M3GAN Doll project and use Cady as her first test subject. Because of family, right?

And after all, M3GAN really is a synthetic-sheathed miracle of human engineering and genius, at least in the beginning. She’s funny, kind and caring, adaptive to damn near any situation, constantly upgrading and applying everything helpful possible to her first Imprinted child Cady, and more overprotective than a rabid mama bear. Thus far all the adults in Cady’s current life are either ignoring her, fobbing her off on someone else who can potentially “deal” with poor Cady better, or insisting she acts some kind of counter-intuitive way, usually adult-ish. Cady herself represents a problem that needs dealing with, instead of a miniature human that needs time and space to grieve for farks sake. It doesn’t help at all that Gemma tried to instruct M3GAN not to mention death or anything relating to it, to Cady. So when M3GAN and Cady Imprint each other, the newborn unfettered AI with the strength of several fully grown men and the desperately lonely orphaned girl, it’s a recipe for impending disaster!

First, the damned dog needs to be dealt with, permanently. We all knew the second the dog’s teeth met any part of Cady’s skin, that the doggy, and likely his owner too, were going to get disappeared, and soon. The film made a point of glossing over the actual death of the poor doggy and turned Celia’s death into a Chucky-like farce, so it was still fine for a PG-13 rating. (Sigh.) Then for some reason, Gemma thinks it’s a good idea to send a more recalcitrant Cady to an outdoorsy camp kind of deal, ostensibly just a campground program for fosters and troubles, but the place seems a lot more like a juvenile offender detention center wrapped up in postcard-scenery. Especially when the mini mass murderer in training the son of one of the camp counselors Brandon (Jack Cassidy) decides that Cady and her big-size dolly are the perfect next targets for his adolescent wrath – the scene where M3GAN contorts in a fury and chases the boy down like a rabid animal, showcasing M3GAN’s otherness and complete lack of restraint, is particularly well-done.

Time is starting to run out, Cady and M3GAN are far too close and the killer bot is starting to ice out anyone else in Cady’s life, at first socially and now quite literally. Gemma’s demonstration of M3GAN to the investors as the next big toy requires Cady’s participation, and the poor girl is unraveling under the ignorance of adults and the smothering care of her best friend-bot. Gemma is finally realizing, a little too freaking late for my taste, the potential wickedness of the thing she created, embodying the old adage, “Just because you can do a thing, doesn’t mean you should.” And now that Cady finally has the attention of the adults she’s been so desperately seeking, it’s not a moment too soon, because stopping M3GAN is going to require some creative thinking!

The physical acting of M3GAN by Amie Donald for any scenes that the animatronic puppet itself could not do, full of Ring-like contortions and demanding presence from such a small body, is truly impressive in its terrible beauty. Donald wore a static silicone M3GAN mask made by Morot FX, to be later replaced by a CGI version of M3GAN’s face to match the animatronic, and the adult voice of Jenna Davis coming out of that tiny frame gives M3GAN another stamp of wrongness. The overall effect is a bit like a murderous crazed Anime version of Alice from Alice in Wonderland.

Catch the killer adventures of a jealous best-friend-bot in M3GAN, on Amazon Prime now!

Related Topics:2023 Doll film M3gan M3gan Trailer Megan Megan doll Megan film Megan movie Movie official

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Apple TV+ announces season two for delightful kids and family series “Camp Snoopy

Published

1 day ago

July 25, 2024

Christopher Sweda

Today, Apple TV+ announced a season two for acclaimed kids and family series “Camp Snoopy,” based on the classic Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz and directed by Rob Boutilier (“The Snoopy Show,” “Snoopy in Space”). The complete first season of “Camp Snoopy” is now streaming globally on Apple TV+.

After discovering their troop is in danger of disbanding, Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts set off to immerse themselves in nature and the Great Outdoors, with the Beagle Scout Manual as their guide. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown and friends enjoy their summer at Camp Spring Lake, crossing paths with Snoopy as they experience hiking, swimming, sitting around campfires and everything summer camp and the outdoors have to offer.

Produced for Apple TV+ by Peanuts and WildBrain, “Camp Snoopy” is based on the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz and is directed by Rob Boutilier (“The Snoopy Show,” “Snoopy in Space”). Executive producers are Craig Schulz, Paige Braddock, Boutilier, Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts and Logan McPherson.

“Camp Snoopy” joined an exciting slate of new offerings for kids and families on Apple TV+ this summer featuring the second season of beloved animated series “Frog and Toad,” based on the Caldecott and Newbery Honor-winning books; animated adventure trilogy “WondLa,” based on the New York Times bestselling book series “The Search for WondLa” by Tony DiTerlizzi; highly anticipated kids and family series “Yo Gabba GabbaLand!,” inspired by the hit, Emmy Award-nominated cultural phenomenon “Yo Gabba Gabba!”; “Me,” an elevated cinematic coming-of-age story from Barry L. Levy; and, the first-ever television adaptation of the cult classic film, “Time Bandits,” starring Lisa Kudrow.

Award-winning all-age offerings now streaming globally on Apple TV+ include celebrated live action animated hybrid special, “The Velveteen Rabbit”; the Academy Award and BAFTA Award-winning animated short film “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”; Oscar-nominated and BAFTA Award-winning animated film “Wolfwalkers”; the BAFTA Award and Humanitas Prize-winning “El Deafo,” BAFTA Award-winning “Lovely Little Farm,” “Duck & Goose,” “Get Rolling With Otis,” Spin Master Entertainment’s “Sago Mini Friends,” GLAAD Media Award-nominated “Pinecone & Pony,” “Frog and Toad,” The Jim Henson Company’s Emmy Award-winning “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” “Harriet the Spy” and “Slumberkins,” Sesame Workshop’s “Helpsters,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, HITRECORD and Bento Box Entertainment’s “Wolfboy and the Everything Factory,” Jack McBrayer and Angela C. Santomero’s Emmy Award-nominated “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show,” Peanuts and WildBrain’s Emmy Award-nominated “Snoopy in Space,” “The Snoopy Show,” Scholastic’s “Eva the Owlet” and Peabody and Emmy Award-winning series “Stillwater.” Live-action offerings include Bonnie Hunt’s DGA and WGA Award-nominated “Amber Brown,” DGA Award-winning “Best Foot Forward,” “Surfside Girls,” WGA Award-winning “Life By Ella,” Sesame Workshop and Sinking Ship’s Emmy Award-winning “Ghostwriter,” Emmy Award and Environmental Media Association Award winning “Jane,” and Scholastic’s “Puppy Place.”

Also included are “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth,” the Emmy Award-winning television event based on the New York Times bestselling book and TIME Best Book of the Year by Oliver Jeffers, and specials from Peanuts and WildBrain including Emmy Award-nominated “Snoopy Presents: It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown,” “Snoopy Presents: Lucy’s School,” Humanitas and Emmy Award-nominated “Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), With Love,” “Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie,” “Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin,” Emmy Award-winning “Snoopy Presents: Who Are You, Charlie Brown?” and “Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne.”

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have earned 499 wins and 2,262 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”

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Hallmark’s “Holidazed” Brings Laughter and Love with a Fresh Holiday Twist

Published

2 weeks ago

July 12, 2024

Angie Quidim

Hallmark’s latest limited comedy TV series, “Holidazed,” promises to be the highlight of the holiday season, offering humor, heartfelt moments, and a celebration of diverse traditions. The series follows six families from different backgrounds, cultures, and generations, all living on the same cul-de-sac, as they come together to celebrate the holidays. Each family navigates their unique traditions and eccentricities, ultimately discovering a common bond: love in its many forms.

“Holidazed” features six diverse families residing in the same neighborhood. The series blends comedic and touching moments as these families embrace the joyous chaos of the holiday season, engaging in both humorous and heartfelt celebrations of their traditions. Through the festivities, they uncover the universal thread that binds them all: love.

Meet the Families

Lewin Family:

– Dennis Haysbert (“24”)

-Loretta Devine (“Grey’s Anatomy”)

– Ser’Darius Blain(“Charmed”)

Manetti-Hanahan Family:

– Virginia Madsen (“Witches of East End”)

– John C. McGinley(“Scrubs”)

Lin Family:

– Lucille Soong (“Fresh Off the Boat”)

-Osric Chau(“Supernatural”)

Woods Family:

– Rachelle Lefevre (“Under the Dome”)

-Lindy Booth(“The Librarians”)

Hill Family:

– Ian Harding(“Pretty Little Liars”)

– Erin Cahill (“Red Widow”)

Camerena Family:

– Elizabeth Goodenough

– Noemi Gonzales

“Holidazed” dives into the heart of the holiday season with themes of family, love, and unity. The show’s unique premise of six families celebrating their holiday traditions in a shared neighborhood brings a fresh twist to holiday programming. Viewers will experience laughter, tears, and everything in between as they follow these families.

The stellar cast, featuring Dennis Haysbert, Loretta Devine, Virginia Madsen, John C. McGinley, and more, delivers top-notch performances that bring the characters and their stories to life.

Join the conversation and share your excitement about “Holidazed” using these hashtags: #Holidazed2024, #HallmarkHolidays, #FamilyTraditions, #HolidayLove, #ComedySeries, #DiverseFamilies, #HallmarkComedy, #HolidaySeries.

“Holidazed” is set to be a heartwarming and entertaining addition to Hallmark’s holiday lineup. With its blend of comedy, diverse cultural celebrations, and the theme of love, this limited series is sure to become a holiday favorite. Tune in to experience the magic and joy of “Holidazed” this holiday season.

Stay connected and share your thoughts using the hashtags above, and get ready to be “Holidazed!”

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The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic: Not like that!

Published

2 weeks ago

July 9, 2024

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The unneeded third wheel in the classic isekai trope, Ken Usato is stunned to discover that while he may not be the Hero the Kingdom of Llinger summoned, he can be heroic with his newfound ultra-rare healing magic!

So, the classic eternal battle between the human Kingdom of whomever, against the current Demon Lord and his multitude of minions, features a whole cast of well-known characters – the King of course, his family with at least one Crown Prince/ess, his Royals and Nobles, usually a whole bunch of badass Knights, Mercenaries, Magic-users of every color of the rainbow, archers and expendable foot-soldiers and the like. What most adventuring isekai actually tries to veer away from, is the realities of the battlefield, the stench and the horror, the dead and dying everywhere, and the very real danger any good healer has to face in order to do their duty as a healer.

And this is where Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic absolutely shines, somehow mixing the reality of the battlefield healer’s situation with the almost innocent adventurous joy of your favorite isekai. So, let’s dive headfirst into this!

The head kids of the Student Council back on Earth, Suzune Inukami and Kazuki Ryuusen, along with the ride-hitching Ken Usato, are transported to the Kingdom of Llinger by summoning a circle, to fight the inevitable demon lord attacking the kingdom. And while the Kingdom, even willing to use forbidden magic to summon these new Heroes as they are, is thrilled at the enthusiasm of Inukami and perhaps even the reluctance of Kazuki, they are absolutely terrified at Usato’s advent of healing magic. It’s all suddenly and rather violently explained with the introduction of Rose, a healer herself, head of the Rescue Team battlefield healers, and known to be an exceptionally brutal and eccentric trainer. Much to his chagrin, Rose gleefully scoops Usato up and deposits him into the most grueling training regimen of his entire young life!

And thus the training from hell, because that is quite possibly literally what it is, begins in earnest. Usato groans about the severe physical aspect of the training, as there is almost no magical training involved at all; he gets tossed into the Darkness of Llinger, a forest known for killing monsters and carnivorous plants, only to come out of it boasting a new blue grizzly companion; Blurin, as the large grizzly cub is named, instantly becomes a very large part of Usato’s running and training regimen.

All of this is effectively useless without actual battlefield experience, and monsters are fleeing the forest because the demon lord and his kin are encroaching, so we the Rescue Team really have to hustle! Rose has every intention of training a “subordinate who will never die”, haunted as she is by underlings she couldn’t save in her head of the Kingdom of Llinger’s army Knight past, and she dubs Usato eventually fit for the job, informing the King of such herself.

But what happens when the war, or at least the first major skirmish, begins in brutal violence, and the Rescue Team has no choice but to wade in? As it turns out, not only is Usato blessed with super strong healing magic and the training to now use it pretty well, he begins to use these powers in ways no one’s ever thought of before, offensively even. Imagine, using healing magic to create such things as what Usato unimaginatively names the Ultimate Healing Punch, but to save the Black Knight, an enemy combatant who Usato firmly believes is actually worth saving and converting.

And who’s to say Usato’s wrong? Rose, despite never coming up with such a thing on her own, is nevertheless extremely proud and considers her trust and faith in Usato and his wrong ways of using healing magic completely well-placed.

Find out what other wrong ways Usato and pals will use his healing magic, on Crunchyroll now!