The Electric State (Netflix)- Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Mackie

Years ago I remember when Robopocalypse was being kicked around as a potential summer blockbuster, based on a best-selling novel. I believe Spielberg was actually interested at one time, but likely became more interested in ready Player One. Sometimes it is a blessing in disguise to not have your book turned into a film. I loved the ready Player One book, but not the film. Robopocalypse likely dodged a bullet. What didn’t dodge the bullet is the Electric State. While I have not read the source material, it seems as though everyone who has claims this misses the mark. I’ve been there. the sequels in the Divergent franchise veer so off course, it’s not surprising they didn’t end up making the final film.

There’s no real reason this shouldn’t be fantastic. the Russo Brothers are responsible for some of the best Marvel films, though their output outside that has been decidedly dodgy. They certainly were able to recruit a massive amount of stars for this project, toplined by Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), and co-starring Chris Pratt (Guardians Of The Galaxy), Stanley Tucci (Conclave), woody Norman (c’mon C’mon), Jason Alexander (Dunston Checks In), Holly Hunter (the Firm), and Giancarlo Esposito (Captain America: Brave New World), as well as the voice talents of Woody Harrelson (Kingpin), Brian Cox (the Parenting), Jenny Slate (Marcel The Shell With Shoes On), Anthony Mackie (Captain America: Brave New World), and a hybrid performance from Ke Huy Kwon (the Goonies). And, I’m pretty sure I’m still forgetting people.

the Russo Brothers grifted 320 million dollars from Netflix in one of the largest budgets for a film ever, and you would think with that level of attention we’d get something monumental. Now, as a blind film critic, I concede that the 320 million could be all in visual effects, but the argument should always be story and characters first. And that’s where we lack, because the story is your typical older sibling having to rescue a younger one, though in this dystopian reality where robots became sentient, wanted freedom, and got a war instead. Now, our villain of the story is a guy (Tucci), who has advanced VR that has everyone checked out. But, he has a secret ingredient in his special sauce that makes it all work, and Brown’s mission is going to mess that up.

Along the way, she picks up Pratt, who plays a character a lot like Star lord, and his robot buddy (Mackie), which feels like the most annoying way to represent Anthony Mackie on screen. the quest she goes on feels a lot like a video game, where instead of observing a three act structure, they observe a checkpoint strategy, as Brown and whoever she’s with at the time travel from one incident to the next, trying to get to her brother. Along the way, she’ll get help from Mr Peanut (Harrelson), who runs a utopia for the robots left alive, and a doctor who has a human and robot form (Kwon). they’ll be hunted by a supposedly badass tracker (Esposito), and have to defend against various attacks. There are never really any stakes, and no one ever feels in danger. The one character who seemingly does get mortally wounded comes back as fast as Anna in frozen.

the audio description by Jamie Lemcheck was really good, as there is a lot to describe, with all the various robots, and the way the VR works. The score by Alan Silvestri was fine, but tragically not memorable enough, and often too bombastic. this film likely needed to be a dark comedy instead of a broad mass appeal comedy with Chris Pratt doing the thing he seems now only ever asked to do.

It isn’t the worst movie, and I did have fun with some of the performances. But, most of these characters needed depth, and their actors are doing the best they can. I’m not sure it was worth 320 million dollars, though it did provide for some interesting moments of audio description, like a robot as big as a skyscraper. Not just a tall building, but a full on skyscraper. You most definitely would need a bigger boat. Unfortunately, for the Russo’ss, bigger boat means more money, not using their skillset to troubleshoot a better way to tell the story with what they have.

Final Grade: C, Audio Description: A-