{"id":77928,"date":"2025-03-27T06:00:05","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T19:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/?p=77928"},"modified":"2025-04-09T21:45:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T12:15:40","slug":"movie-review-electric-state-the","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/2025\/03\/27\/movie-review-electric-state-the\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie Review – Electric State, The"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/h5>\n
Principal Cast : <\/strong>Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Stanley Tucci, Woody Norman, Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Alexander, Martin Klebba, Marin Hinkle, Michael Strucco, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Alan Tudyk, Hank Azaria, Colman Domingo, Rob Gronkowski, Billy Gardell, Susan Leslie, Jordan Black.
\nSynopsis:<\/strong> An orphaned teen hits the road with a mysterious robot to find her long-lost brother, teaming up with a smuggler and his wisecracking sidekick.<\/h5>\n

********<\/p>\n

Despite glowing reviews and record-smashing box office returns with their Marvel Cinematic Universe entries\u2014including two of the highest-grossing films of all time, Avengers: Endgame<\/em><\/a> and Avengers: Infinity War<\/em><\/a>\u2014director siblings Anthony and Joe Russo have had a fairly middling career since stepping out from under the protective wing of Kevin Feige\u2019s producorial powers. Following Endgame<\/em>, the Russos downsized their ambitions with the dramatic thriller Cherry<\/em>, starring then-current Spider-Man<\/em> actor Tom Holland, for Netflix. They later re-teamed with the streamer and Captain America<\/em> star Chris Evans for the exorbitantly expensive The Gray Man<\/em><\/a>, a film that failed to capture either critical or general audience appeal, landing as a significant misfire in almost every market. Given their recent spotty track record, it\u2019s baffling that Netflix would double down on the Russos, shelling out even more money to bring Simon St\u00e5lenhag\u2019s 2017 graphic novel “The Electric State<\/em><\/a>” to the screen. And yet, here we are. Reportedly costing $300 million\u2014a significant portion of which was likely sunk into pre-Russo rights and development\u2014the film is a visually polished, well-mounted riff on classic \u201880s fantasy adventure fare, evoking the likes of Spielberg, Zemeckis, and Jim Henson. With a solid cast and a heavy dose of rejiggered needle-drop classics, it certainly looks the part.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This, however, does not a great film make. The Electric State<\/em> suffers from a frustrating disconnect between the characters on-screen and the audience watching, though not for lack of effort. Set in an alternate past with a vaguely steampunk sensibility, the story follows young Michelle Greene (Millie Bobby Brown, Damsel<\/em><\/a>), whose brother, Chris (Woody Norman, Cobweb<\/em><\/a>), is abducted by the sinister Sentre Corporation following a devastating war between humans and robots. CEO and chief scientist Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci, Conclave<\/em><\/a>) has enslaved humanity through his ubiquitous Neurocasters\u2014devices allowing people to escape reality by living in an online fantasy world. Think The Matrix<\/em> meets WALL-E<\/em>. When Michelle learns of her brother\u2019s fate, she embarks on a perilous journey to rescue him, accompanied by roguish drifter John Keats (Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy<\/em>) and his robotic sidekick Herm (voiced by Anthony Mackie, Outside The Wire<\/em><\/a>). Their quest leads them to a mysterious exclusion zone, a dumping ground for surviving robots, where they encounter the enigmatic Dr Clark Amherst (Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once<\/em><\/a>) and the de facto leader of the exiled machines, Mr Peanut (voiced by Woody Harrelson), both of whom have their own ties to Sentre\u2019s nefarious plans.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With a producer list as long as your arm\u2014boasting no fewer than twelve executive producers, including The Flash<\/em> director Andy Muschietti, who was originally attached to the project before St\u00e5lenhag\u2019s book was even published\u2014you\u2019d expect the film\u2019s pedigree to be exceptional. And in some ways, it is. Visually, it\u2019s an expensive-looking movie, with all the right names behind the camera. The adapted screenplay, penned by the Russos\u2019 longtime MCU collaborators Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, somehow strips the source material of its emotional depth, reducing it to pedestrian lip service\u2014reminiscent of Bicentennial Man<\/em>\u2019s sentimentality. In many respects, The Electric State<\/em> exists in the same narrative space as Spielberg\u2019s A.I. Artificial Intelligence<\/em> or Alex Proyas\u2019 dystopian I, Robot<\/em>, with traces of Robert Rodriguez\u2019s Alita: Battle Angel<\/em> and Ridley Scott\u2019s Blade Runner<\/em> sprinkled in. But instead of diving into profound existential themes, it opts for a cartoonish sensibility, leaning heavily on its digitally rendered robotic denizens\u2014many of whom are designed to be either endearingly cute or vaguely nostalgic for older audiences. The film hints at a deeper commentary on the relationship between machines and organic life but ultimately brushes these ideas aside in favour of CGI-laden set pieces and the dynamic between Brown and Pratt. Unfortunately, this is where things fall apart. Millie Bobby Brown, usually a compelling screen presence, delivers an oddly lifeless performance, utterly devoid of charisma. Meanwhile, Pratt does what Pratt always does\u2014playing yet another variation of himself.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Characterisation across the board is weak. Tucci\u2019s villainous Ethan Skate is a teeth-gnashing caricature, with no real menace or intrigue to back up his role as the film\u2019s antagonist. Giancarlo Esposito\u2019s robotic mercenary, Marshall Bradbury\u2014nicknamed \u201cThe Butcher of Schenectady\u201d\u2014is never given a meaningful backstory to justify the moniker. Ke Huy Quan, fresh off an Oscar win, struggles to find relevance in what amounts to little more than an extended cameo. The robotic characters, though voiced by recognisable names, feel like little more than stunt casting. Woody Harrelson\u2019s Mr Peanut, Mackie\u2019s fast-talking Herm, and Brian Cox\u2019s baseball-mascot-turned-brawler exist purely as gimmicks rather than well-developed characters. Despite the film\u2019s astronomical budget, the end result feels surprisingly hollow.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And yet\u2014here\u2019s where I diverge from the critical consensus\u2014I actually had a good time with The Electric State<\/em>. It\u2019s not a masterpiece, nor did it need to cost this much, but it\u2019s far from the disaster some have proclaimed it to be. While the film has been criticised for straying in both tone and narrative from its source material, I can\u2019t comment on those differences, having not read the book. What I can say is that I enjoyed the film on its own merits. The decision to set the story in an alternate late \u201890s, complete with an anachronistic tech aesthetic, resonated with me. The Russo brothers\u2019 visual storytelling style, which has sometimes felt out of place in their post-MCU work, actually suits this world. Yes, the film has pacing issues, an over-reliance on CGI over practical effects, and a villainous plot that lacks depth, but I still found myself engaged. It could have said more about humanity\u2019s relationship with technology, but at the very least, it\u2019s fun. The deus ex machina<\/em> climax reminded me a little too much of The Mitchells vs. the Machines<\/em><\/a>, but overall, The Electric State<\/em> is nowhere near the trainwreck mainstream critics have suggested.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The film\u2019s heavy use of pop music\u2014a technique I usually find irritating when attempted by anyone other than Tarantino\u2014actually worked in its favour, enhancing its nostalgic charm. The action sequences are bombastic (oh, how I wish I\u2019d seen this on a cinema screen), the editing is competent, and Alan Silvestri\u2019s score, while effective, is hardly memorable. However, at two hours and change, the film is at least twenty minutes too long. Had it been a tight ninety-minute adventure, with fewer meandering side quests and a sharper emotional throughline, it could have been a far stronger experience.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ultimately, The Electric State<\/em> is a serviceable, undemanding homage to the symbiosis of man and machine\u2014dabbling in sci-fi and fantasy without ever striking gold. It\u2019s entertaining, predictable, and a little too familiar for its own good. Pratt and Brown are undermined by uninspired writing, while the audience is left yearning for an emotional connection that never quite materialises. Yet, despite its flaws, it\u2019s not the unmitigated failure some claim. A one-time watch? Absolutely. A classic? Hardly. The biggest problem? It reminds me of too many other films that did the same thing\u2014only better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Principal Cast : Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Stanley Tucci, Woody 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