A $320 Million Waste of Money

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Given the drastic reduction in federal aid leading to potentially millions falling ill with polio and malaria, one might say that The Electric State’s budget is a gross injustice towards humanity. Just as it’s unwise for one person to wield too much power, it seems questionable for a single movie to have $320 million at its disposal, more so when it won’t be shown in theaters. There are numerous films made with budgets $319 million lower than this, and it might be wise to opt for those instead. However, there is an odd, unsettling allure in witnessing wealth being squandered.

I truly hoped that “The Electric State” would surpass the hype. Entering with an unbiased perspective, even my low expectations fell short. The film industry seems to need a change; perhaps a reduction in funding could help. It mirrors our beloved banks – it’s time for reform.

A Rush to Explain Mr. Peanut and His Robot War

In an alternate universe, there was an unprecedented leap in robotics technology. By the late 1980s, robots had grown discontent with their servitude and a conflict ignited during the Clinton administration. Humanity developed advanced warfare techniques in response, leading to a truce in 1994 that isolated robots from human society. Regrettably, we’re given scant details about this world or events, leaving us yearning for more insightful information – which will be provided at a later time.

As a movie enthusiast, I’d rephrase it like this: The narrative opens with me, a young prodigy named Christopher (Woody Norman), acing an incredibly tough exam to secure my place in an esteemed Ivy League university. My sister Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) applaudes me, and we exchange insignificant pleasantries. Later on, when the story resumes, Michelle’s family – her parents and brother – are no more, and she’s living under the care of George Costanza in a foster home. Her appearance has changed dramatically; she sports dyed hair and black nails, which seems to be the cinematic representation of troubled teenage girls.

Subsequently, an oddly low-budget and disjointed sequence of scenes unfolds, blending fictional archival material and real news footage. This mishmash of images introduces a diverse cast of characters. Among them is Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci), a Steve Jobs-like tech mogul who dominates the technology landscape. Next comes Colonel Marshall “The Butcher” Bradbury (Giancarlo Esposito), billed as a war hero. Intriguingly, Woody Harrelson portrays Mr. Peanut, who is unexpectedly depicted as the commander of all robots. Each character gets only brief introductions, suggesting that The Electric State is in a hurry to reach a destination without much plot development.

A Movie That Makes Even More Problems for Itself

In no time, a small robot, resembling a character from TV and seemingly controlled by Michelle’s brother in a manner that defies common sense without delving into extraordinary metaphysics, bursts into her foster home. They make off with the foster father’s car before he can dial for help to the police. Strangely, despite Millie Bobby Brown appearing older than her actual age of 21, Michelle seems to have a sudden knack for driving—a fact that remains unexplained in “The Electric State.” This is just one example among many where the story intentionally undermines itself. Why does it matter for Michelle to assert that she doesn’t know how to drive?

Michelle and an AI named Christopher park in a randomly chosen location following an uncertain period. Christopher communicates using catchphrases from a TV show that inspired his creation. Somehow, Michelle deduces that a doctor carries crucial information about Christopher’s whereabouts. Interestingly, there is a box containing an address in her foster father’s car trunk. “That’s right in the restricted area,” Michelle mentions, hinting at its past importance. Despite the illogical and unexplained circumstances, the story, titled “The Electric State“, moves swiftly and introduces Chris Pratt.

In this retelling, Pratt’s character, Keats, is similar to Star-Lord but with a mullet and mustache. He trades illicit goods with his robot companion Herman (played by Martin Klebba, adding some of the film’s humor). Keats frequently ventures into the forbidden zone for business purposes. During one such visit, Michelle and Christopher-bot take refuge in Keats’ truck. Soon after, they are found, leading to a tense moment as The Butcher arrives to capture Christopher-bot. The method by which he located them is unclear, but swiftly the characters find themselves secure yet trapped on the other side of the exclusion barrier. Remarkably, Michelle resumes driving, even operating a tricky construction vehicle this time! (Keats and Herman later abandon their lives to accompany Michelle in search of her brother’s corporeal form, for no apparent reason.)

There Are No Stories, Only Catchprases

Is it necessary to elaborate on the storyline of “The Electric State”? By this point, it should be evident to anyone who has read this far that the film disregards logic and structure, viewing intelligence as an inconvenience. While there are exceptional films that can do without logic or structure, a production with a $320 million budget is hardly in the experimental art film category. Instead of making sense, “The Electric State” attempts to appear coherent by narrating its tale through tired and redundant clichés. It’s the type of movie where characters say something like, “If you dare to believe [something that is obviously going to occur], then you’re delusional,” only for a sudden cut revealing they were incorrect.

In a more relaxed and understandable way, here’s how I would rephrase your text:

There are many instances like this one, which, if we go back about 50 years, had an amusing twist. To illustrate, consider the typical trope in action movies where the villain aims a gun at the hero, and you expect him to fire, but instead, someone unexpectedly steps in to take down the bad guy. This scenario is so prevalent in the novel The Electric State, it occurs multiple times within a single fight sequence, that the tension or importance of the situation seems almost irrelevant.

In the production, only Michelle appears to have desires and genuine emotions, which makes it unfortunate that Millie Bobby Brown delivers a less than stellar performance as her character. It appears that the directors (Anthony and Joe Russo) and the editing team became aware of this issue at some point, often opting to cut away from her or focus on her back instead of her face. Close-ups would confirm her presence, but they’re quickly replaced with over-the-shoulder shots. The poor quality of the additional dialogue recording (ADR) doesn’t improve the situation either.

In the movie, the music is continuously overwhelming, expanding at every scene change and instructing you on how to feel throughout each moment. To make matters worse, the film concludes with “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1,” a brilliant track from the former indie band The Flaming Lips’ exceptional album. Sadly, it seems that The Electric State didn’t just disappoint in its storyline, but also managed to spoil this beautiful song as well.

We Live in ‘The Electric State’ Now

I’ll gladly acknowledge that “The Electric State” employs imagery that, although darker in tone, bears a striking resemblance to graphic novel art, and its style is truly noteworthy. Moreover, it boasts imaginatively crafted robots with exceptional voice acting, particularly Brian Cox who delivers a hilarious performance reminiscent of George S. Patton in a mechanical ball machine. Unfortunately, the internal logic and context of this world are underdeveloped to such an extent that it becomes challenging, if not impossible, to appreciate the robots’ storyline.

  • Are the robots sentient? Are they dependent upon some online connection, or are they all self-contained and hardware-based?
  • Can the robots “die?” Can’t they simply be put back together?
  • How do robots survive, and why do they survive? What is their function after being ostracized from humanity?
  • Why does the rest of the world have antiquated technology compared to the robots? Why are there no cell phones? Why are all the computers Macintosh Classics?

And here’s another fascinating detail: This world’s internet is mysteriously powered by a comatose child, which we haven’t even begun to explore yet.

In addition to the other intriguing aspects of this world, it’s worth mentioning that the entire internet here is sustained by a comatose child. We’ll delve deeper into that later.

It seems that The Electric State has been receiving quite a bit of criticism, and I’m not adding to that chorus. However, despite the unfavorable reviews from people like myself, it’s likely to dominate Netflix’s charts and hold the top spot for weeks. This show, much like the leaders we dislike, mirrors our society as it stands. Unfortunately, it appears we are a society lacking in critical thinking, overindulgent, self-centered, lonely, and sometimes downright foolish. We seem to deserve this reflection of ourselves – this is our current state. We’re living in the electric era.

If you’re hoping for change in the types of movies being made, don’t wait for Hollywood to do it; they won’t be the ones to save us. Instead, make better choices when you go to the cinema or stream films. Use your money as a vote for quality art by supporting smaller, independent productions like “Anora” and “The Rule of Jenny Pen.” Consider cancelling your subscriptions to big streaming platforms and opting for niche services like The Criterion Channel, Mubi, or Metrograph at Home instead. If you truly value cinema, choose the better path – otherwise, be prepared for sequels like “The Electric State 2” to have massive budgets.

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2025-03-11 06:04