By Jordan Taylor
The Electric State is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. Formerly known as the Russo Brothers. There the creative duo behind You, Me, and Dupree, as well The Grey Man, and Cherry. Though there most known for their work on the last two Avengers movies, and the second and third Captain America movies. Their work on Avengers Infinity War, Endgame, and the Captain America movies were praised by audiences and critics alike. Three out of four of those movies grossed over a billion at the box office. Having said that, the Russos haven’t had the same luck with their work outside of Marvel.
Their last two movies Cherry and The Grey Man were met with lukewarm reception from audiences and critics alike. With Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown playing the lead, and Marvel leading man Chris Pratt as supporting, one can only wonder if this duo was just what the Russo’s needed. Many had their fingers crossed that this is would be another Russo Brothers movie that is unanimously beloved by audiences. Unfortunately it is not. The film has been panned by critics and audiences, similar to their last two original movies. The film currently has a 15 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. This makes The Electric State the worst reviewed movie the Russos have ever directed.
The film takes place in an alternate futuristic version of the 1990’s where robots are at war with humans. Millie Bobby Brown’s character Michelle is an orphan seeking to find her brother. She meets a robot who is controlled by her brother. Having thought he had died, she sets off on a journey to find him, and figure out how he survived. She meets John Keats played by Chris Pratt as he accompanies her on her journey to find him. Well on paper this would’ve seemed like a great idea, unfortunately it doesn’t translate as the final product. While I don’t believe the film is as bad as many are saying it, I don’t think it’s very good either.
Millie Bobby Brown does the best with what she’s given, but the script is unfortunately not good. As for Chris Pratt he’s unfortunately played this character before. He’s fine in the role, but he seems to just be retreading his character Peter Quill from Marvel. Only this time with a different hairstyle. As much of a fan I am of Chris Pratt’s work in Marvel movies, Jurassic World, The Lego Movies, and the recent Super Mario Movie, this movie fell flat. His performance was great in those movies, but it feels tired and dull here. It’s a shame because both him and Brown are great actors. The same can be said the rest of the cast. The film has a massive all star cast. It features Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Ke Huy Quan, and Giancarlo Esposito. While they all give their best, they unfortunately aren’t enough to save it. Unfortunately the lacklustre script does not do any of them justice. There either under utilized or under developed.
Overall what could have been a great movie with a fantastic cast, unfortunately is just a bland and forgettable movie. The Russo Brothers are returning to Marvel for the new two part Avengers movie being released between 2026, and 2027. This now marks the third movie they’ve made that has been panned by critics and audiences. It’s a shame to see this now happen with three original movies in a row. The Russo’s were brought back to Marvel to bring them guaranteed hits. They have three billion dollar Marvel movies that are many peoples favourite Marvel movies. Having said, after three flops in a row critically and financially, one might wonder if they still have it. We’ll have to wait until Avengers Doomsday releases next May, and Secret Wars in May of 2027.
Two and half stars
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