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 some raised eyebrows here and there. But since Captain America: The Winter Soldier was unlike anything anyone had seen in that franchise, fans welcomed them with open arms. They hit it out of the park again with Captain America: Civil War. And they created box-office history with Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. When I look back at them now, sure, I can see the flaws, but I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I didn’t wholeheartedly enjoy them at the theater. Naturally, I was excited for what they were going to do next and all I got was Cherry. Then they roped in 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 this “flop era” of theirs continues with The Electric State.
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, starts things off in 1990 USA, where the robots have revolted against the humans, thereby leading to an out-and-out war. After 2 years of brutal warfare, Sentre CEO Skate comes up with 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 is turned into a commercial device, and people from all over 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 that it is being manned by her long-lost brother, Christopher, and she needs to free him. So, Michelle and Cosmo embark on a journey across the country to save Christopher while being chased by Colonel Bradbury. Along the way, they make allies like Keats, Herman (Keats’ robot friend), Mr. Peanut, and more.
The writing in The Electric State is embarrassingly bad. I genuinely do not understand how this screenplay got greenlit. Either the people who were supposed to analyze it were too high to understand what they were reading and hence were impressed by the narrative’s tepid takes on humanity and robot slavery, or there was no scrutiny at all. I have a feeling it’s the latter. I mean, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are responsible for scripts that have generated billions of dollars. That kind of success probably gives one immunity from criticism, which is warranted if you aren’t the mind behind the Netflix adaptation of The Gray Man. I think after that debacle, somebody should have picked up their latest script and asked them why in the world it is filled with page after page after page after page of the most mind-numbing exposition anyone has ever experienced. Every single character is just yapping their heads off. There’s no semblance of character dynamics. There’s hardly any emotional weight to the journey. The jokes rarely land. There’s no sense of urgency even though it’s a rescue mission. And just when you think it’s going to end, you have a big, extended speech about “connecting with each other.” I had to listen to so much unnecessary information within a span of 2 hours that I genuinely don’t want to hear anyone talk to me, or talk in general, for at least 1 week.
The Electric State reportedly cost $320 million to make, and there’s not a single frame in the entire film that justifies that budget. After reading that sentence, I’m sure you’re trying to think of a scene from the latest Russo Brothers “masterpiece” which “looks expensive,” but trust me, there are movies and shows out there that didn’t cost as much and yet look better than this piece of garbage. If the Russo Brothers are on some kind of crusade to bankrupt streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video (they are the executive producers of the awful Citadel franchise), and they are using the clout they got from those Marvel films to cause the death of OTT so that people 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 films are as good as they are because of Kevin Feige and his team’s micromanagement, which robs directors of any creative control, then I am afraid to say that the Russo Brothers are talentless hacks. They need to leave this space so that the money that they are apparently throwing into some kind of a void can be given to innovative filmmakers with something to say. Yes, I know they’re making the next Avengers movie, and if you’re not at least cautiously optimistic about that project after watching this nonsense, I really envy you.
The performances in The Electric State are atrocious. It’s really disappointing to see Millie Bobby Brown’s acting capabilities dissipate right before our eyes with every movie she shows up in. She was so amazing in Stranger Things, and she has regressed so much as an artist since then. Chris Pratt has also reached some kind of plateau. I used to defend him when people said that he basically plays Andy Dwyer, from Parks and Rec., in every project he is in. But I don’t think I can do that anymore. The man has evidently sacrificed his range for a hefty paycheck. Well, I hope that it was worth it. Also, what’s up with Brown and Pratt’s hair and make-up? Do they have it in their contracts that they have to look flawless despite being in accidents, shootouts, hand-to-hand combats, and an all-out war? Are they so insecure that they are scared of looking unrecognizable due to the scars and wounds their respective characters should’ve sustained over the course of their journey? If so, they should choose projects that don’t even expect the bare minimum from them. As for the rest of the cast, man, what a waste! It must take a special kind of talent to bring in Ke Huy Quan, Stanley Tucci, Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Alan Tudyk, Hank Azaria, and Colman Domingo and make them give the most forgettable performances of their careers. Kudos to the Russo Brothers for achieving the impossible.
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 one, and not return to the big or the small screen until they find what they’ve lost: their talent. I don’t have any grievances against the rest of the crew or the cast. What could they have done to salvage this kind of uninspired direction and writing? Nothing, absolutely nothing. No, I don’t recommend giving The Electric State a watch. Maybe seek out Simon Stalenhag’s illustrated novel and give it a read. I’m sure it’s better than this excuse of a movie. If you are hellbent on watching a movie or a TV show about humans and robots, here’s a list to choose from: The World’s End, Bumblebee, The 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, duh!), Upgrade, Her, I Robot, Real Steel, Westworld (the movie and the TV series), Small Wonder, and Enthiran. Despite all these options, if you choose to watch The Electric State, well, don’t say that I didn’t warn you.
