What the hell happened to the Russo Brothers? No, seriously. What happened to these guys? Look, let’s not deny that when the directing duo behind You, Me and Dupree, Arrested Development, and Community was brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there were a few raised eyebrows here and there. But because Captain America: The Winter Soldier was unlike anything anyone had ever seen in that franchise, fans welcomed them with open arms. They went all out again with Captain America: Civil War. And they created box office history with Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
When I look at them now, sure, I can see the flaws, but I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I didn’t wholeheartedly enjoy them in the theater. Naturally, I was excited for what they were going to do next and all I got was Cherry. Then they hired my favorite actor of all time, Ryan Gosling, and made him look ugly in the dumpster fire that was The Gray Man. And I’m not surprised that this “era of failures” continues with The Electric State.
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Simon Stålenhag
Stars: Chris Pratt, Millie Bobby Brown, Woody Harrelson
Anthony and Joe Russo’s The Electric State, which has been adapted by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely from Simon Stalenhag’s novel of the same name, begins in 1990 America, where robots have rebelled against humans, leading to all-out war. After two years of brutal war, Sentre CEO Skate invents something called the Neurocaster, which allows humans to remotely control humanoid drones. That levels the playing field and the conflict comes to an end.
The robots are vanquished. The Neurocaster becomes a commercial device and people around the world live life virtually through their personal humanoid drones. The narrative then shifts to 1994, where an orphan, Michelle, is visited by a robot named Cosmo who claims he is being manned by her long-lost brother, Christopher, and she needs to free him. So Michelle and Cosmo embark on a cross-country road trip to save Christopher while being pursued by Colonel Bradbury. Along the way, they make allies like Keats, Herman (Keats' robot friend), Mr. Peanut, and more.
The script for The Electric State is embarrassingly bad. I honestly don't understand how this script was greenlit. Either the people who were supposed to vet it were too important to understand what they were reading and were therefore blown away by the narrative's lukewarm views on humanity and robot enslavement, or there was no vetting at all. I have a feeling it's the latter. I mean, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are responsible for scripts that have grossed billions of dollars.
That kind of success probably gives you immunity to criticism, which is justified if you’re not the mind behind the Netflix adaptation of The Gray Man. I think after that debacle, someone should have picked up their latest script and asked them why the hell it’s filled with page after page after page of the most boring exposition anyone has ever experienced. Every single character talks their heads off. There’s no hint of character dynamics. The journey barely has any emotional weight. The jokes rarely make sense. There’s no sense of urgency even though it’s a rescue mission. And just when you think it’s going to end, you get a long, drawn-out speech about “connecting with others.” I had to listen to so much unnecessary information in a 2-hour span that I really don’t want to hear anyone talk to me, or talk in general, for at least a week.
The Electric State is said to have cost $320 million to make and there’s not a single frame in the entire movie that justifies that budget. After reading that sentence, I’m sure you’re trying to think of a scene from the Russo Brothers’ latest “masterpiece” that “looks expensive,” but trust me, there are movies and shows that didn’t cost that much, and yet look better than this garbage.
If the Russo Brothers are on some sort of crusade to bankrupt streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video (they are the executive producers of the terrible Citadel franchise), and they’re using the clout they gained from those Marvel movies to bring about the death of OTT so people will watch movies exclusively in the theater, then more power to them. I hope they succeed in their endeavor. If that’s not the case, and those Marvel movies are as good as they are because of micromanagement by Kevin Feige and his team, which deprives directors of any creative control, then I’m afraid I have to say that the Russo Brothers are talentless hacks. They need to make room for that money they’re seemingly throwing into a void so that it can be given to innovative filmmakers who have something to say.
The Electric State is one of the worst movies of the year. The Russo brothers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely should take a sabbatical because they can clearly afford it and not return to the big or small screen until they find what they have lost: their talent. I have no complaints against the rest of the crew or cast. What could they have done to salvage this kind of uninspired writing and direction? Nothing, absolutely nothing. No, I do not recommend watching The Electric State. Maybe look up Simon Stalenhag's illustrated novel and read it. I'm sure it's better than this excuse for a movie.
If you’re hell-bent on watching a movie or TV show about humans and robots, here’s a list to choose from: The World’s End, Bumblebee, Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Terminator Zero, After Yang, Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049, the Matrix franchise, Ex Machina, Wall-E, Ghost in the Shell (the anime, of course!), Upgrade, Her, I Robot, Real Steel, Westworld (the movie and the TV series), Small Wonder, and Enthiran. Despite all of these options, if you do decide to watch The Electric State, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
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