The Electric State review: Are the circuits connected well?

Reader be warned: There are several spoilers below.

Controversy in the film world is a double-edged sword - it can turn a movie into an absolute flop, or it can make it a big hit, usually with no middle ground there. And, yes, there is a big controversy surrounding Netflix’s latest big production, The Electric State. Almost all critics hate it, and it seems the viewers are currently turning it into a big hit.

So, what do we have here on hand? It is a costly production that, according to various media outlets, ran its cost at some hefty $320 million. The film is directed by the Russo Brothers (known for their Marvel films and the Arrested Development TV series).

The cast is stellar as well and includes Millie Bobbie Brown, Christopher Pratt, and Stanley Tucci, among others, who either appear or lend their voices (Woody Harrelson, Brian Cox). Then there is the fact that the film is based on a very popular graphic novel of the same name by Simon Stålenhag, which uses a hefty dose of AI and whatnot else.

So what is going on here, and who is right, the critics or the audience?

What Is The Electric State about?

Taking cues not only from Stålenhag but also from the mega-big series Stranger Things with the alternate reality concept (in this case, the nineties), in essence, the film centers on the aftermath of a war that ensues between humans and robots (the supposedly developed by Walt Disney in the fifties for the purpose of promoting Disneyland) and a search by Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown), the film’s main character for her lost genius brother.

The robots lost the war. Those who are left are contained in an exclusion zone (behind a very familiar-looking wall), and the rest of the world is practically controlled by special neuro-centers created by Ethan Skates, the film’s main evil character (Stanley Tucci) who, it turns out, was the key instigator of the war in the first place. Michelle is visited by a robot named Cosmo (voiced by Alan Tudyk). The robot has a dark secret that launches her on her search.

To find her lost brother, Michelle has to venture into the exclusion zone, where she meets the black marketer Keats (Chris Pratt) and his robot sidekick Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie), who mostly willingly help her, along with the remaining robots. It turns out that the mind of her brother is within a robot that escaped Skates’ capture and finds Michelle and her helpers, but both Skates and his androids, along with a nasty robot hunter (later turned good, played by Giancarlo Esposito), are on their trail.

After Skates re-captures her brother’s mind/robot, Michelle and her helpers go into an attempt to save him. Big battles ensue, with some good and some not-so-good results.

How does the film fare?

The big cast is there, and an esteemed duo of directors is too, as is a budget to do the screenplay justice. Yet, not everything is that well in that possible dreamland.

First of all, at well over two hours, the film is a bit too long. Whether it was the screenplay flaw or whether the Russo’s realized it when editing, there are early gaps in the film that should have explained the relationship between Michelle and her brother, something that is briefly touched upon near the end of the movie but not too well.

Secondly, it seems that some of the ideas from the graphic novel are only skidded upon, with the plot turned into out-and-out action (actually, the best part of the movie), making it more of an action comic (well, Russo’s are good at that).

So, The Electric State is a mixed bag with equally mixed results, but the viewer doesn’t seem to care, as the film is becoming a big hit.

More Netflix news and reviews: