The Russo Brothers are experts in big-budget films. They have directed four major Marvel ones, including one of the highest-grossing films ever, Avengers: Endgame, and plan to release two more in the coming years.
Their latest outing, The Electric State, is reported to have cost $320 million and is based on a 2018 young adult graphic novel by Simon Stålenhag.
The film opens in 1990. A young boy named Chris (Woody Norman) is taking a maths test. It’s one of those tests that would have made Stephen Hawking struggle, but Chris flies through it and, as a result, is on target to get into college years ahead of his peers.
Despite his intelligence, Chris feels unprepared for college and being away from his sister, Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown). She reassures him that their bond will remain strong, even when they are apart.
An anti-robot sentiment is growing, so strong that even children’s cartoons have been cancelled from TV stations. But why has the world turned against robots?
Even though this world resembles ours, one major difference exists: robots have been an integral part of everyday life since the 1950s, forming the majority of the global manual workforce. Now, they have risen up to demand rights.
Mr Peanut, voiced by Woody Harrelson, serves as a vocal spokesperson - or should I say, a spokes-robot. Meanwhile, others have decided to wage war against humans. This conflict is announced on television by President Bill Clinton, who declares that any human harbouring a robot is committing an act of treason.
The war is brutal, as humans struggle to fight the robots. However, everything changes when Ethan (Stanley Tucci), a tech giant, develops an AI system that enables humans to fight back and ultimately win the war. This breakthrough leads to a peace treaty and the mass imprisonment of robots.
The story shifts to 1994, where we find Michelle living with a foster parent who is only interested in the state payments he receives for keeping her.
Ethan has built upon the technology he developed to end the war, and now humans can essentially inhabit two locations at once. One half of their brain focuses on tasks performed by a robotic body while their physical self can relax at home or even enjoy a holiday. It sounds appealing, but unfortunately, there are downsides, such as addiction and losing human connection.
Michelle is having a rough time in school and reveals her parents and brother were killed in a car crash. She was the only survivor and frequently experiences nightmares about the crash. After being jolted awake by yet another night terror, she hears a loud noise outside her house and makes a shocking discovery.
She finds a small robot, Cosmo, voiced by Alan Tudyk, who claims to be connected to her brother’s brain, insisting her brother did not die in the crash and his highly intelligent mind is being used against his wishes.
Although unable to speak correctly, Cosmo manages to convey to Michelle that she must go to the Robot Exclusion Area, which serves as a safe zone for robots.
Unintentionally, they team up with Keats (Chris Pratt), a former soldier who has become a smuggler, along with his robot sidekick Herman (Anthony Mackie). Little do they know they are being pursued by Colonel Bradbury (Giancarlo Esposito), an agent from the Robot Deactivation Task Force.
As they navigate this situation, they find themselves in a hidden world where robots seek to live out their lives in seclusion and peace. But can anyone really live in peace when they have to remain hidden?
Can a teenager rally enough robots to rescue her brother and restore the humanity everyone seems to have lost in the aftermath of the war?
The film has a Spielbergian vibe, although the Russos can’t quite pull off his sense of magic to the same extent. It would look fantastic on cinema screens, but this Netflix production is destined for smaller ones.
Even though I like Pratt, he is playing the same character we have already seen from him in Guardians Of The Galaxy and the Jurassic Park reboot. He does goofy charm well, but it is getting repetitive. He has more chemistry with his robot than with Brown. On the other hand, Brown is in top form, a real hero for teenagers, and has great screen presence.
The Electric State is a solid family viewing experience -light, fun, and warm-hearted. With a few tweaks, however, it could have been brilliant.
