The Electric State (2025) - Film Review

      The Electric State, 2025.

      Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo.

      Featuring Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Woody Harrelson, Ke Huy Quan, Giancarlo Esposito, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Woody Norman, Katelin Chesna, Adam Croasdell, Jason Alexander, Cuyle Carvin, Joe Avena, Sebastian Soler, Helen Hunt, Alan Tudyk, Terence Lee, Holly Hunter, Hank Azaria, Rob Gronkowski, Kurt Loder, Roshni Edwards, Tuc Watkins, Billy Gardell, Necar Zadegan, Colman Domingo, Brooklynn, Antoinette LaVecchia, Michael Trucco, Joe Russo, Rahul Kohli, Susan Leslie, Jordan Black, Chris Silvestri, Gabrielle Maiden, Marin Hinkle, Phoenix Notary, Camrus Johnson, Merle Dandridge, Emma Maltby, and Patti Harrison.

      SYNOPSIS:

      An orphaned teenager embarks on a journey with a mysterious robot to locate her long-lost brother, partnering with a smuggler and his witty sidekick.

      Some films are tonal disasters, and this is one of them. Anthony Russo and Joe Russo’s $320 million The Electric State is a different situation; it is a tonal disaster throughout, striving to be not just a four-quadrant endeavor but more like a 400-quadrant undertaking.

      The story includes siblings with a tragic backstory that appears designed to be the “heart” of the narrative (necessary quotes because, in truth, there is no heart here), mascot robots delivering an overload of quippy humor with child-friendly dialogue accompanied by foul language, a disgraced soldier resembling a rejected member of a ’90s rock band teetering between selfishness and heroism, played by a Marvel veteran (presumably to attract some of that fanbase). There are numerous songs and piano renditions from that period, hints of social commentary aligning overworked robots with other marginalized groups, and a supposedly world-ending war between robots and humans barely touched upon in the prologue, leaving much of this alternate reality unclear. Additionally, a character resembling the Planters Peanut serves as a revolutionary inspiration for the robots (which initially seemed like a joke until it becomes evident it’s a genuine plot point), all crammed together seemingly to provide something for everyone. However, this results in too many elements, creating a chaotic experience for anyone watching.

      In the climax, the Russo Brothers attempt to create an emotional moment between Millie Bobby Brown’s rebellious teenager Michelle and her younger, genius brother Chris (Woody Norman). There is no emotional resonance in this scene expected to provoke tears since the Russo Brothers have framed this material as a sci-fi action comedy, cluttered with Chris Pratt’s smuggler character Keats (who operates in a world that hasn’t fully recovered from the war, allowing him to capitalize on various products, especially around Christmas) and his chatterbox robot sidekick Herm (Anthony Mackie, whose voice is altered for a kid-friendly appeal, leading one to question if he supported this decision, hoping viewers wouldn’t recognize his embarrassing performance). They also continually shift focus away from the supposed heartfelt moment to showcase the duo battling hordes of mechs controlled by humans utilizing a groundbreaking neurolinking device that won the initial conflict.

      The Russo Brothers’ overloaded filmmaking style may work for their Marvel projects because those are interconnected stories rather than isolated narratives or literary adaptations (The Electric State is supposedly based on Simon Stålenhag's book, but what's presented here is so perplexing it’s reasonable to assume the Russo Brothers only skimmed the first page, disposed of the book, and had screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely create this absurdity). Marvel films build up to their emotional impacts, developing numerous heroes and villains across various series and installments. In contrast, the appearance of Mr. Peanut (voiced by Woody Harrelson) on screen seems aimed at evoking nostalgia rather than actual character development throughout the remaining 90 minutes whenever he appears, introduced through his sanctuary for mascot robots located in a deserted ’90s mall.

      95% of the characters that the Russo Brothers handle in other projects already possess defined motives and personalities. They seem more like hired hands, relying on special effects and a large budget to execute whatever narrative Kevin Feige has outlined. Following Endgame (and I say this as someone who found merit in their military PTSD-drug addiction film, Cherry), they have been revealed to be not just inept but incompetent blockbuster creators unable to convey a coherent story with a sensible tone if their careers depended on it.

      Not only is Netflix allocating an outrageously large sum to fund obnoxious and absurd films like The Electric State, but they continually raise subscription rates with the expectation that consumers will comply. To stray from the topic briefly, we are mere weeks away from a Netflix WWE Monday Night Raw episode where commentator Michael