PHOTO BY GEOFFREY SHORT / UNIVERSAL PICTURES

The closest analogue to M3GAN, the android antagonist of the eponymous 2022 film, might be Freddy Krueger.

Admittedly, they don’t share much physical resemblance.

But, like Krueger, M3GAN is a character who far eclipsed the story she appeared in. While both 1985’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “M3GAN” are good films, they became star vehicles; Krueger went on to appear on everything from rap albums to lunchboxes, and M3GAN became an internet darling. Both characters were scary, sure, but they were also funny, charismatic and popular.

In “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge,” the character retained his razor wit while getting more evil and vicious. In “M3GAN 2.0,” the robot … is an action hero.

That’s not a good move.

In “M3GAN 2.0,” there’s a new evil robot on the block: AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno), a supersoldier who immediately and predictably goes rogue. The technology behind AMELIA is quickly traced back to M3GAN’s creator, Gemma (Allison Williams), so the beleaguered scientist gets the band back together to resurrect M3GAN (Amie Donald’s physical performance, Jenna Davis’ voice) and pit the devil they know against an existential threat.

You know — the kind of world-ending AI plot that is now featured in about 75% of action films.

This leads to a tedious and bewilderingly expository exercise in subpar action, broken up only occasionally by the title character saying something funny. It’s a terrible choice by production company Blumhouse and director Gerard Johnstone, who returns from the far superior original film while seemingly forgetting why his movie was good in the first place.

The easy highlight: M3GAN gives Gemma a pep talk that concludes with an impassioned rendition of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work.” It’s an appropriately absurd moment that momentarily revives the outlandish energy of the original.

So they cut it off early and get back to more meaningless fight sequences.

My Rating: 3/10

“M3GAN 2.0” is now playing in theaters.