BY CHRISTOPHER STAMM
GUEST MOVIE REVIEWER

M3GAN (Now showing in theatres)
This film is rated PG-13 – for language, violence, and adult themes

The quest for A.I. (artificial intelligence) has been ongoing for some time now, with Google, Facebook, and a host of others doing their very best to create a computer system that will be self-aware, and it is clear to me that none of those people have ever seen a movie about the dangers of doing so.
From SKYNET to H.A.L., it always ends badly for humanity.
Now we have M3GAN, a self-aware doll/android meant to be a toy for little ones and, boy howdy, does that ever go wrong.
Ok, basic points: Sister and brother-in-law of highly-driven computer designer die in car accident, said computer designer becomes her niece’s caretaker, and niece is not dealing well with the loss of her parents and being in a new home.
Driven designer thinks, “Hey, I will use my niece as a test subject for my newest creation, a life size doll that is super advanced but not quite ready. Oh, well, let’s roll with that.”
Of course, things go sideways and M3GAN decides that she knows best, so let the carnage begin.
The special effects are excellent, and M3GAN is super creepy, especially when she does her little dance before hacking a person up with a paper cutter blade. But overall, this one is effective, with a solid story and enough creepy scenes to make it worthwhile. M3GAN is worth a trip to the cinema in these dark, gloomy January days.
Three out of five stars for this one. Worth the trip to the cinema but one note of warning: This one is PG-13 but probably should have been an R rating, so leave the little one with the sitter.