M3GAN 2.0 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

M3GAN 2.0 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

From Blumhouse ('Get Out') and Atomic Monster ('The Conjuring' franchise) comes 'M3GAN 2.0', the latest installment in the 'M3GAN' franchise, which arrives on 4K UHD in this new SteelBook courtesy of Universal. Familiar names from the first film abound, including Director Gerard Johnstone, along with cast members Allison Williams (Gemma), Violet McGraw (Cady), Amie Donald as the physical embodiment of M3GAN, and Jenna Davis as M3GAN's voice. Technical merits are impressive, and the release has a slim assortment of brisk on-disc supplemental material. Both the Theatrical and slightly longer Unrated Cuts are available at the viewer's discretion. A Blu-ray disc and a Digital Code redeemable via Movies Anywhere are also included. Please scroll down to the 'Special Features and Extras' section below for a discussion of the new SteelBook.

M3GAN 2.0 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For an appraisal of the film's 2160p presentation, please follow this link.

M3GAN 2.0 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For an assessment of the film's audio track, please follow this link.

M3GAN 2.0 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Standing in stark contrast to some of the busier SteelBook designs that feature a collage of floating heads and scenes from the film, the M3GAN 2.0 4K Limted Edition SteelBook proves that sometimes less is more. The cover should look familiar to fans as the artwork is taken from the teaser posters that populated the lobbies and hallways of cinemas. We see M3GAN's backlit body from the waist down. She's wearing a short skirt, patent leather shoes, and a long-sleeved blouse with ruffles at the wrist. As she walks toward the viewer, she holds a sword in her right hand. The purple lights behind her give the cover a wash of color and define her silhouette. The film's title in its very identifiable font sits at the bottom, with small and faintly rendered logos of Blumhouse and Atomic Monster sitting just above it. The spine is just as simple; it's a field of black with the film's title in the same font as the cover, with Universal's logo at the bottom. The reverse is home to Moxie, the small toy robot that served as M3GAN's first physical body in this film. She instantly disliked it, referring to it as a "plastic Teletubbie". Logos for Universal, Blumbouse, and Atomic Monster are centered at the bottom, and a product number is found in the lower right corner. Opening the SteelBook, the Digital Code rests under the two tabs on the left side. On the right side, the 4K UHD disc and the Blu-ray disc are stagger-stacked, each on its own hub, with the 4K UHD disc on top. Removing the discs and the Digital Code reveals a two-panel image of M3GAN facing Amelia. M3GAN is on the left and rendered in purples, while Amelia is on the right and is similarly rendered in cool blues. The overall design is simple and effective. It may not inform those who are coming to the film flat-footed what's in store for them when they play the disc, but for those for whom the SteelBook isn't a blind buy, I believe it captures the film perfectly.

To learn more about the on-disc supplemental features included with this release, please follow this link.

M3GAN 2.0 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If viewers are willing to allow the creative team this abrupt left-turn, which they feel is necessary for M3GAN to survive for further adventures, they will find an energetic and engaging sci-fi film populated with characters from a horror film they already know (and love). Given the technological world of the film, the gear shift feels almost necessary, as it seems everyone is familiar with M3GAN, so additional films following in the mold of the first would have been implausible from the start. Despite the poor box office showing, I, for one, am hopeful for the next installment in M3GAN's story, and the further evolution of the characters brought to life by the talented cast led by Williams, McGraw, Davis, Donald, and Sakhno. Technical merits are strong, and 'M3GAN 2.0 4K Limited Edition SteelBook', which effectively leverages art from the teaser poster for its front cover and proves a simple design is sometimes the best, comes strongly recommended.