The Electric State (2025)

The Electric State

• Let me start off by saying that there is no reason at all that the Russo brothers should’ve gotten $320 million for this film. Granted, I do think it’s slightly underrated, but it’s definitely nothing great. I also haven’t read the original book, so I can’t comment on the source material authenticity. From what I’ve read, it leaves out a lot and strays away from the actual vision of the novel. Maybe I’ll read it at some point so I can actually compare. Either way, the story isn’t anything new. It’s basically ‘The Terminator’ but for kids. Humans battle robots, there’s a quest to save someone special, and the characters become close along the way. That’s about it. I was drawn in decently at the beginning, but it fell off in the third act, and I kind of zoned out a little bit. I think the film was much too long. It shouldn’t have been over an hour and forty-five minutes. There were too many moments that felt unnecessary. I don’t think the acting was anything spectacular, though I enjoyed Chris Pratt. Most people fell flat, though it wasn’t always their fault. Ke Huy Quan, Giancarlo Esposito, and Stanley Tucci all deserved much better than to be in this. I will say this, though: the cast was absolutely stacked. There were so many notable names, and I had fun picking out who each person played/voiced. But that’s all I can say for them. The visual effects were very solid, and the designs of all the robots were unique and fun. I may be an outcast by saying that, but I very much enjoyed how it looked. You can tar and feather me, but I’ll say it boldly. Lastly, the music was very underwhelming, and I never really noticed it, even in the climactic scenes. Overall, this film does lack originality, but it is mildly entertaining (most of the time). It’s not one I’d watch again, but I’d still recommend it if you like cheesy, goofy sci-fi flicks. My bottom line is this: Netflix, stop throwing money at people to make junk, give money and a voice to those who can make art.